+1

On Mon, 3 Feb 2025 at 16:31, Alex Porcelli <porce...@apache.org> 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 jbpm.org, kogito.kie.org) are outdated and out of sync with Apache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
>
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