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How to Manage a Repository (This page is being updated)

After getting your code to your repo, you have a responsibility to manage it. Here are the tasks that you may need to perform at times.

Code Management

Step 1: Branch Management

You may need to create a new branch. Here is how to do that. 1. Create a new branch for feature development or bug fixes: bash git checkout -b <branch-name> 2. Push the new branch to GitHub: bash git push origin <branch-name>

Step 2: Pull Requests

Sometimes, you may need to do the following: 1. Create a new Pull Request (PR) from GitHub interface. 2. Review the PR, and resolve any conflicts or issues.

Step 3: Code Reviews

This includes: 1. Comment on code lines for any improvements or corrections. 2. Approve or request changes on the PR.

Step 4: Version Control

  1. Tag a commit to create a new release version: bash git tag <version-number> git push origin --tags

Step 5: Conflict Resolution

This includes the following: 1. Fetch the latest changes from the remote repository: bash git fetch origin 2. Merge changes and resolve conflicts manually, then commit.

Step 6: Automation

  1. Setup CI/CD pipelines via GitHub Actions or external services.
  2. Monitor build and test statuses for PRs and merges.

Documentation

README File

  • Make sure to maintain an updated README.md that outlines:
  • Project purpose
  • Setup instructions
  • How to contribute

A template is provided here.

Wiki or Detailed Documentation

If you have documentation, utilize the GitHub Wiki feature or add a /docs folder for detailed documentation.

Code Comments

  • Document your codebase with inline comments and docstrings for functions/methods.

Example:

def add_numbers(a, b):
    """
    Add two numbers together
    """
    return a + b

Additional Documentation

  • Include any additional .md files for FAQs, troubleshooting, etc.
  • Use relative links to navigate between documentation files.

Example:

[FAQ](./FAQ.md)

Issue Tracking: Quick Guide

Introduction

Issue tracking is a crucial part of managing a GitHub repository. Here, your responsibilities are to keep an eye on the problems, enhancements, tasks, and other kinds of questions that are meant for discussion.

Tasks Involved

The tasks involved include:

1. Creating Issues

  • Anyone can create an issue in a public repository, but in a private repository, only collaborators can do this.
# Navigate to 'Issues' tab and click 'New Issue'

2. Labeling Issues

  • Use labels to categorize issues. Predefined labels include 'bug', 'enhancement', and 'documentation', among others.
# Click on an issue, then click on the 'Labels' button to assign labels

3. Assigning Issues

  • Assign issues to appropriate team members for actioning.
# Click on an issue, then click on the 'Assignees' button to assign team members

4. Setting Milestones

  • Milestones help in tracking the progress of multiple issues or pull requests.
# Click on an issue, then click on the 'Milestones' button to set a milestone

5. Closing Issues

  • Once resolved, issues should be closed to indicate that they require no further action.
# Click on an issue, then click on the 'Close Issue' button

Community and Collaboration

Code of Conduct

Here, your responsibilities are to set the rules and guidelines for community behavior. This helps in fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment.

  • Task Involved: Create a CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md file outlining the expectations, rules, and consequences.

Contributing Guidelines

In this section, your tasks involve outlining the process for contributions from external members.

  • Tasks Involved: Add a CONTRIBUTING.md file that details steps for submitting pull requests, reporting bugs, and asking questions.

User Support

Here, your responsibilities are to manage community interactions, be it questions, concerns, or suggestions.

  • Tasks Involved: Monitor GitHub Issues and Discussions for community interactions and provide timely responses.

Issue Assignment and Tracking

Your tasks here involve ensuring that issues and pull requests are assigned to appropriate team members for timely resolution.

  • Tasks Involved: Use labels, milestones, and assignees to categorize and track issues and pull requests.

Security and Compliance: Quick Guide

Here, your responsibilities are crucial for ensuring both the safety of the code and the legality of its distribution.

Step 1: Choose and Maintain a License

The tasks involved include selecting an appropriate open-source license and attaching it to your repository. This sets the terms under which others can use, modify, or distribute your code.

License > Choose a license > Attach to README or separate LICENSE file

Step 2: Keep Code and Dependencies Up To Date

Regularly update any dependencies and libraries your code relies on to the latest secure versions.

npm update // Example for Node.js

Step 3: Enable Security Features

GitHub offers automated security features like Dependabot, which scans for known vulnerabilities. Enable this to help mitigate risks.

Settings > Security & analysis > Enable Dependabot

Step 4: Audit and Logging

Set up audit logs to keep track of activity within your repository. This is especially crucial for compliance with data protection regulations.

Settings > Audit log > Review activities

By completing these steps, you're contributing to the safety and compliance of your project.

Maintenance and Monitoring

Here, your responsibilities are centered around ensuring the repository's long-term health and stability. Regular oversight is necessary to maintain code quality, resolve issues, and manage updates.

Tasks Involved Include:

Monitoring:

  • Issue Tracking: Regularly check for new issues and pull requests. Assign them to appropriate team members and labels.
  • Security Alerts: Stay vigilant for any security vulnerabilities and act promptly to resolve them.
  • User Activity: Monitor contributions, forks, and stars as indicators of community engagement.

Updates:

  • Dependencies: Periodically update all project dependencies to their latest stable versions.
  • Code Reviews: Consistently review any code changes or additions to maintain the code quality.

Releases:

  • Versioning: Implement semantic versioning for the codebase and create new releases when needed.
  • Changelogs: Maintain a changelog that lists the changes made in each new release.

Cleanup:

  • Branch Management: Remove stale or merged branches.
  • Issue Closure: Close resolved or outdated issues and pull requests.