+1 Thanks, Alex and Tiago, to coming up with this proposal! Recently, I updated some examples in the `kogito-examples` repository and noticed that the ones I touched were very outdated, with some even broken. I believe this proposal will improve their maintainability!
On 2025/02/03 16:30:00 Alex Porcelli wrote: > Given the recent discussions about Docs [1] and Examples [2], Tiago > Bento and I got together to write, in proposal form, the combination > of our understanding of how we can create the baseline for content > (Docs, Examples, and Websites) so that our users can consume Apache > KIE releases in an expected, structured, and cohesive way. This > proposal will take you < 15 min to read. > > - > Alex & Tiago > > # Problem scope > > There has been a significant demand for proper guidance on using > Apache KIE 10.0. Users are unsure how to adopt it, as neither > Documentation nor Examples were available when 10.0.0 was released. An > attempt to manually adjust the examples to the 10.0.0 release has > happened for a couple of weeks now, showing how time-consuming it is > to defer dealing with “satellite” repositories after releases are > done. Even more complicated is that well-known websites (drools.org, > jbpm.org, kogito.kie.org) are outdated and out of sync with Apache > KIE’s repositories and releases, thus contributing to more confusion > than anything else. > > To avoid being unclear about why Docs, Examples, and Websites are > crucial for the community's success, they are all entry points where > new users can start understanding Apache KIE, how to use it and > whether or not it’s a fit for them. For existing users, they are all > reference material, including code snippets, institutional texts > and/or vision, licenses, migration guides, and legal material. > Examples, in particular, also work as playgrounds, where users can > start with pre-built applications and make minor tweaks to either > check if something they want is supported or simulate a development > workflow on a smaller scale. Our code is worth close to nothing if > there isn’t good supporting material around it. > > This proposal aims to amend all those problems by bringing Docs, > Examples, and Websites to the Release Procedure, PR checks, and a > Continuous deployment (CD) mechanism, making them all be part of our > daily contributions, so they are not treated as afterthoughts. > > > # What is not in scope > > - A complete restructuring of all Apache KIE repositories > - Refactoring the whole CI; this proposal aims to work with the > current established CI already in place > - Refactor content in Docs and Example applications; this proposal > aims to move stuff as-is, except when something is broken, then we’ll > fix it. > - Revisit all Examples to check or validate whether they are fully > functional. This is an important review that must be done > incrementally. > - Retroactively adjust the 10.0.x branch to include Docs, Examples, > and Websites. > - Provide a new blogging framework for Apache KIE in replacement for > https://blog.kie.org/ > > > # The proposal > > - The Apache KIE website gains a new section called "Docs" in its > header, where users are able to select what stream of the Docs they > want to see, for example: "Docs" -> "10.1.x" -> "Drools"; or "Docs" -> > "10.2.x" -> "SonataFlow" etc. > - A new read-only repository called `incubator-kie-examples` is > created, containing all examples aligned with development stream > branches, and releases candidates and releases tags. > - A new release artifact (Examples ZIP) starts existing, and its > contents then published to the read-only `incubator-kie-examples` > repository. > - The existing `incubator-kogito-examples` repository is archived > after 10.1 is first released. > - A new Continuous Deployment (CD) mechanism is created to ensure Docs > and Websites are kept current. > > > # The method > > Leverage `kie-tools` flexible build system to reduce complexity hidden > in Jenkins/GitHub Actions automations, which have proven to become > unmaintained and abandoned, by moving content (preserving Git history) > from all Docs-, Examples-, and Websites-related repositories into new > packages on `kie-tools`. Here’s the final structure this proposal aims > to create inside the `kie-tools` repository: > > - kie-tools/docs/drools > - kie-tools/docs/optaplanner > - kie-tools/docs/jbpm > - kie-tools/docs/kogito > - kie-tools/docs/sonataflow > - kie-tools/docs/tools > - kie-tools/websites/kie-apache-org > - kie-tools/examples/rules-* > - kie-tools/examples/decisions-* > - kie-tools/examples/process-* > - kie-tools/examples/sonataflow-* > - kie-tools/examples/pmml-* > - kie-tools/examples/trusty-* > > For each example package, Spring Boot, Quarkus, and plain Java > subdivisions would be done inside each example using different Maven > modules. This would allow users to focus on the domain rather than the > framework/implementation and avoid content duplication in READMEs. > > Being inside `kie-tools`, Examples would be able to benefit from > graphical Editors, Runtime Consoles, Quarkus Dev UIs, and Container > images, all crucial components for end-to-end solutions built with > Apache KIE. This is currently impossible in the current > `kogito-examples` repository due to the way our PR checks and releases > are structured/automated, where `kogito-examples` builds before > `kie-tools`. Making `kogito-examples` build after `kie-tools` for PR > checks is non-trivial and completely out-of-scope of this proposal, as > it would mean doubling-down on the existing CI systems like > “build-chain” for PR checks and “the Kogito framework” on Apache > Jenkins, both inherently wasteful on cross-repo PR checks and provenly > hard to maintain/operate. > > Contributions to the proposed new packages would be made following the > same commands we already use for all other packages on `kie-tools`. > Contributors would need to have `pnpm` and Node.js installed or rely > on Devbox to install everything automatically. After setting up the > environment, cloning the repo, and running `pnpm bootstrap -F > '@kie-docs/drools’ && pnpm -F @kie-docs/drools start` contributors > would be able to develop the Drools documentation with live-reload > capabilities. The very same would be true for Website(s). > > For the Examples applications, the process after cloning would be: > > 1. `pnpm bootstrap -F @kie-examples/some-example-app...` to install > 3rd party dependencies and link packages. > 2. `pnpm -F @kie-examples/some-example-app^... build:dev` to build > this example’s 1st party dependencies. > 3. `pnpm -F @kie-examples/some-example-app start` to start the example > in its default mode. > > Each example is also encouraged to define in their README how to start > itself using technology-specific commands, like `mvn quarkus:dev > -Psome-profile` or even `docker-compose up`. The `start` script is > only the default way to run an example, a convention already cohesive > with all other existing packages on `kie-tools`. > > It’s important to note again that the `pnpm` commands would not be > necessary in the `incubator-kie-examples` repository and users would > be able to run plain `mvn` commands directly inside the example’s > directory, for Maven-based examples at least. > > > #### Impact on PR checks (CI) > > Each new package will contain a `package.json` file describing scripts > and their dependency relationship with other packages in the > repository. The important scripts are `build:dev`, `build:prod`, and > `start`, to integrate them with the existing build system. > > PRs changing exclusively Docs packages will NOT build anything else in > the repository, making PR checks efficient. The same is true for > websites. > > PRs changing example applications will only build their dependency > tree and the modified example applications, excluding unrelated > packages from the checks while enforcing correctness. This is already > how `kie-tools` works. > > If you need more information on how this mechanism works in practice, > please come forward with clarifying questions. We’d love to show you > how the partial and partitioned PR checks work on `kie-tools`. > > > #### Impact on Release Process (“CI”) > > Docs and Websites wouldn’t be release artifacts and would be handled > by a new “Continuous deployment (CD)” mechanism. This is covered in > the next section of this proposal. > > With that said, only one new release artifact is being proposed here. > A ZIP file containing all examples, stripping out all > `kie-tools`-related boilerplate used to develop them. This new > artifact (Examples ZIP) would be published to a new read-only > repository (incubator-kie-examples) for all release candidates and > releases we do. This repository would be THE consumable repository for > users who wish to go straight to the point when testing out Apache KIE > and who are not necessarily committers/developers. > > To do that, changing some release automations to add a new job that > builds and publishes the Examples ZIP would be necessary: > > 1. Daily-dev > (https://ci-builds.apache.org/job/KIE/job/kie-tools/job/main/job/kie-tools-daily-dev-publish/) > 2. Release Candidates > (https://ci-builds.apache.org/job/KIE/job/kie-tools/job/main/job/release/job/kie-tools-release-candidate/) > 3. Release Promote > (https://ci-builds.apache.org/job/KIE/job/kie-tools/job/main/job/release/job/kie-tools-release-promote/ > ) > > > #### New Continuous Deployment (CD) > > Websites and Docs would be treated as continually deployed packages > for the development stream we declare as “live”. Also, old development > streams would be continually built and published to make documentation > updates possible for older versions. Referring to Toshiya's thread on > documentation [1], our Docs would be “mutable”, and the granularity > would be “per stream”. > > Two new automations would be created for making sure our content is > up-to-date at all times: > > `publish-kie-apache-org-website`: Responsible for updating live Apache > KIE’s website (https://kie.apache.org) and also capable of generating > ad-hoc immutable copies of the website for Release Candidates. It > would be able to also be executed for the `main` stream for > development purposes. > > `publish-older-docs-to-live-website` ensures that older development > streams can have their content updated on the live website. For > example, if we find a seriously incorrect statement in an older > version, this job would ensure it’s published after being fixed. We > can eventually remove this for versions that become too old. > > > # Actionable items (plan) > > Phase 1 (Development and contributions): > > - Move all examples to `kie-tools`, already in the new > structure/organization, and integrate them as part of the build system > - Move all documentation content to `kie-tools` and integrate the > new packages as part of the build system > - Move `incubator-kie-website` content to `kie-tools` and integrate > it as part of the build system > - Create new landing pages for each major component: Drools, jBPM, > SonataFlow, Optaplanner, and Kogito. > > Phase 2 (Release Process) > > - Create the `incubator-kie-examples` repository > - Update `kie-tools` daily-dev job to publish the Examples ZIP to > `incubator-kie-examples@main` > - Update `kie-tools` Release Candidate job to publish the Examples > ZIP to https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/dev/incubator/kie/ > - Update `kie-tools` Release Promote job to publish the Examples ZIP > content to incubator-kie-examples@{version}` > - Archive the `incubator-kie-kogito-examples` repository (post 10.1 release) > - Update the Release Procedure for 10.1 to include Docs, Examples, > and Websites where necessary > > Phase 3 (Continuous deployments) > > - Create and configure new `publish-kie-apache-org-website` job > - Create and configure new `publish-docs-to-live-website` job > > Phase 4 (Cleanup) > > - Depublish current `drools.org`, `jbpm.org`, `optaplanner.org`, > `kie.org`, `sonataflow.org` and all its subdomains. > - Redirect all old domains to the proper landing page of Apache KIE’s > widely known components (E.g., https://drools.org → > https://kie.apache.org/drools) > - Preserve Docs from older versions somewhere accessible under Apache > KIE’s website. > > > # Commitment and rough timeline > > Alex Porcelli and Tiago Bento are fully committed to executing this > plan in collaboration with other members who want to help. > > We are committed to working on it as soon as the proposal is approved. > Although it’s hard to predict how long it will take, Phases 1, 2, and > 3 will take around 6 weeks based on the information we have today. If > anything changes or issues are found during execution, we can update > this thread. > > Phase 4 is impossible to estimate, as there might be many different > people and/or organizations to chase so that these websites can be > decommissioned and properly forward users to KIE’s new home in Apache. > > > # Observations on `kie-tools` > > This proposal makes Docs, Examples, and Websites available to all > users without touching the complex, unmaintained, black-box systems > currently in Apache’s Jenkins, known as “build-chain” and “the Kogito > CI framework”. > > We know that `kie-tools` is not unanimously popular among Apache KIE > committers, but it’s actively maintained and has been proven to scale > well both in package count and technology diversity. We invite > everyone to take a look at the repo’s User Manual at > https://github.com/apache/incubator-kie-tools/blob/main/repo/MANUAL.md > > > ## Non-obvious positive outcomes > > - Drools and OptaPlanner repositories won’t have dependencies on > JavaScript anymore. > - Fonts and other “binary” files won’t need to be committed as a > source anymore, as `kie-tools`’s build system can properly depend on > NPM artifacts. Also helps towards graduation, as Category X > dependencies won’t be present. > > > [1] https://lists.apache.org/thread/zjt156tk5zjw7463xsfdkojwzndwd1mn > [2] https://lists.apache.org/thread/qc9vhod96mdoppo5ssj4f0pkqhzt4ghd > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@kie.apache.org > For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@kie.apache.org > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@kie.apache.org For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@kie.apache.org
