[cmake-developers] The CMake bug tracker and "the backlog" of unresolved issues

[Eric Noulard]

2011/2/3 David Cole <david.cole at kitware.com>:
> Hello CMakers,
>
> The CMake issue tracker is located at:
> http://public.kitware.com/Bug
>
> All of the issues except for the most recent 15 or so have been assigned and
> looked at by at least one CMake developer at one point in each issue's
> history. However, not all issues that are assigned to developers are being
> actively worked on. Personally, I have just over 100 issues assigned to me,
> and I know it would take me on the order of months to work through all of
> them, even if I were able to work on them full time.
>
> I would like very much for us to introduce the notion of a "backlog" in the
> CMake bug tracker, where we can send bugs that are not being actively worked
> on, and we can review the backlog periodically for issues that should be
> brought forward into active development again.
>
> Since we do not have a status of "backlog" -- but we don't really use the
> status values of "acknowledged" or "confirmed" very much, I am thinking we
> could define "backlog" as:
>  status=acknowledged
>    AND
>  assigned to="" (empty string, none)
>
> As an exemplar, I just sent this one to the backlog by  setting its status
> and de-assigning it:
>  http://public.kitware.com/Bug/view.php?id=7867
>
> Does this seem like a reasonable technique? Any comments or questions before
> we start sending more things to the backlog?

This is a reasonable approach.
May be it would be even more "obvious" if we create a fake "backlog" developer
who can be assigned all "backlogged" issue (and still put status=acknowledged
for the nice color it provides :-])

We can announce that "backlog" is neither a man nor a woman but
a lazy nobody acknowledging bugs which cannot be handled :-]

We can even create a "Filters Permalinks" (I didn't tried)
which display the list of "Backlogged bugs" by simply filtering
assigned to="backlog".


> When we send around the request (coming up soon, after the final 2.8.4
> release is ready) to vote for your favorite issues... you'd still be able to
> vote for things in the backlog. And if we can find somebody willing to do
> the work, we'll assign it to them and set status=assigned again...

Would even be simpler to announce if a link with the backlog could be provided.

-- 
Erk
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