Add minutes from today's iteration meeing

Sponsored-by: author

1 files changed, 250 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/blog/2021/10/09/meeting.mdwn b/blog/2021/10/09/meeting.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5974910
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blog/2021/10/09/meeting.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
+[[!meta title="Iteration planning: October 9th"]]
+[[!tag meeting]]
+[[!meta date="Sat, 09 Oct 2021 15:29:40 +0300"]]
+
+[[!toc levels=2]]
+
+# Review of actions from last meeting
+
+We carried over this action: Lars to create a label for
+blocking-high-profile-projects (name to be decided by Lars when he
+does it) and to label at least the Sequoia-PGP blockers if not also
+anything else he thinks may be blocking projects such as Rustup.
+
+# Review of the iteration that has ended
+
+[[!milestone 36]] had the following issued closed:
+
+* [[!issue 196]] -- _Python runner stops on first failure_
+* [[!issue 236]] -- _`codegen` on a zero-scenario document should be an_
+  error
+
+The following issues remain open:
+
+* [[!issue 198]] -- _Unify language handling for multi-impl-lang test suites_
+* [[!issue 207]] -- _Release process is too manual, CI build of release .deb changes files_
+* [[!issue 218]] -- _Automatable parts of release process are manual_
+* [[!issue 219]] -- _Needs a release after 0.3.0 to test release automation_
+* [[!issue 238]] -- _Doesn't support `abstract` in document metadata_
+* [[!issue 239]] -- _In metadata, `author` is a single string_
+
+We moved the remaining issues, next milestone ([[!milestone 37]]) and then
+closed off this iteration.
+
+# Review of the repositories
+
+There is one in-progress MR in the `subplot` repository:
+
+- [[!mr 220]] -- _Draft: Support Nix-based and NixOS systems - plus
+  fewer assumptions for Windows/MacOS_
+
+The `subplot-container-images` and `subplot-web` repositories do not
+have MRs or extra branches. The `subplot` repository has extra
+branches:
+
+* `build.rs-support` -- a prototype for adding support to Subplot for
+  using from another project's `build.rs` by adding a function that
+  does codegen and outputs Cargo build instructions
+
+* `subplot-rust` -- Daniel is keeping this around until he has
+  completed the work on [[!issue 198]].
+
+We triggered the pipeline to build the container image for Subplot.
+All `subplot` pipelines are clean.
+
+# Current goal (goal 2; not changed for this iteration)
+
+Subplot provides a set of libraries with identical capabilities in
+each of the supported languages. Python remains a supported language.
+Rust is promoted to supported-language status. Subplot will be tested
+with all supported languages. In addition, any quality of life
+improvements which can be done shall be done. This goal will be
+considered complete when a release of Subplot has been made with the
+unified language handling support complete.
+
+# Issue review
+
+This time we reviewed only the recently changed open issues, in order
+to have more time and energy for discussions. We updated the issues as
+we reviewed with any new comments or decisions. Notably we made the
+following changes:
+
+- [[!issue 240]] -- _Could we mangle generated scenario function names
+  in the Rust template?_
+  - Lars will try the suggestion, then comment on the task
+
+# Other discussion
+
+## Minimum supported Rust version (MSRV) for Subplot
+
+The Sequoia project currently specifies an MSRV of 1.48.0, which is
+currently too old for Subplot. We discussed if Subplot should specify
+an MSRV of its own, and made the following observations:
+
+* If we decide on an MSRV, we should use the `rust-toolchain` approach
+  to enforce it.
+* We probably want to build and test with both our MSRV and current
+  Rust stable version.
+* We want it to be easy and convenient for other projects to use
+  Subplot. When that happens by running the Subplot binary, it's easy,
+  but for using Subplot as a library, such as via the other project's
+  `build.rs` module, we need to work with their MSRV.
+* Currently this means that the `subplotlib` crate needs to work with
+  older versions of the Rust toolchain.
+
+We **decided** on the following:
+
+* The Subplot project supports the MSRV of the other major projects
+  who depend on Subplot, for the parts of Subplot that are meant to be
+  used as libraries from those other projects. Currently that means
+  the Sequoia-PGP project. The Subplot project will consider other
+  projects on a case-by-case basis and update this decision as needed.
+
+We should do the following:
+
+* Lars and/or Daniel to add a Docker image for CI with Rust 1.48.0
+  installed, or add it to the main image.
+* Lars and/or Daniel to change `.gitlab-ci.yml` to build and test
+  using the 1.48.0 toolchain.
+* Lars and Daniel to discuss whether to change `./check` to take an
+  option to specify which toolchain to use or to keep that outside of
+  the script.
+
+## Using Subplot from other projects' `build.rs`
+
+Lars made a prototype for adding support for using Subplot codegen
+from the Sequoia-PGP `sq` `build.rs` module. In short, Subplot will
+provide a function that `build.rs` can call to handle all aspects of
+code generation. Daniel is OK with the conceptual, but has suggestions
+for doing it better. After discussion:
+
+* The `codegen_buildrs` function in the prototype calls `panic!` in an
+  error situation. It should return an `Err` value instead.
+* The modified `get_basedir_from` function needs tests. The original
+  function also needed them. If the changes fix an actual issue that
+  affects the original, Lars should file an issue.
+* A comment is needed to explain why the `add_search_path` function
+  needs to be called, when the original code didn't need it.
+
+Daniel suggests the following structure:
+
+* A new crate, `subplot_build`, is added for the code in Subplot
+  needed to support use from `build.rs`, so that the new crate can
+  make stronger interface stability guarantees than the rest of
+  Subplot. The new crate can also be documented with a more targeted
+  audience, who won't care about most of Subplot.
+
+We also discussed an alternative:
+
+* The `subplot` crate is changed to offer a smaller, more stable
+  interface, meant to be used from other programs, as well as the
+  `subplot` and `subplot-filter` binaries. The rest of the code would
+  be moved to a new crate, `subplot_internal`.
+
+The `subplot_build` crate is the smaller crate and does not preclude
+adopting the alternative later. Thus we decided to implement the
+`subplot_build`_ crate now.
+
+## Clearing the environment in test programs, and NixOS/Windows/macOS support
+
+Daniel has started porting Subplot to
+[NixOS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NixOS), and it has overall been
+quite easy. However, the environment cleanup that the Subplot runnier
+does makes things difficult. NixOS does not follow the usual file
+system hierarchy of Linux distributions, and one aspect of this is
+that the `PATH` environment variable varies depending on what is
+installed on a system. Daniel pointed out that similar issues will
+probably arise when Subplot is ported to Windows or macOS.
+
+Lars said that the environment cleanup is an attempt to make the test
+program run without being accidentally affected by unusual features in
+the environment it runs in. However, he points out that just cleaning
+up environment variables is not enough. Proper isolation of tests
+needs much more work than fiddling with environment variables, but
+containers or virtual machines is definitely outside the scope of
+Subplot.
+
+After discussion we **decided** to drop environment cleanup and
+document for Subplot users that providing the environment in which the
+test program is run is the user's responsibility.
+
+## Document metadata parsing
+
+When Lars changed codegen to parse Markdown using the `pulldown-cmark`
+crate instead of Pandoc, he made the way the document YAML metadata is
+parsed much stricter. Pandoc basically accepts any valid YAML. Being
+strict means not accepting some things that Pandoc does, and, worse,
+we can't know what Pandoc may make use, as it depends on the
+typesetting backend.
+
+We discussed this, and came to the conclusion that we prefer to make a
+breaking change now, rather than later, and we prefer the ability to
+notice metadata problems early, and to be able to give better errors
+about them. Thus, we'll change Subplot to accept a strictly defined
+set of metadata, but allow an arbitrary mapping YAML object in a
+`pandoc:` field in the metadata. When we construct the input to Pandoc
+for typesetting, we'll add in the metadata from the `pandoc:` field.
+
+# Plan for next iteration
+
+We opened [[!milestone 37]] to cover this iteration, with the
+following issues:
+
+- [[!issue 198]] -- _Unify language handling for multi-impl-lang test suites_
+- [[!issue 207]] -- _Release process is too manual, CI build of release .deb changes files_
+- [[!issue 218]] -- _Automatable parts of release process are manual_
+- [[!issue 219]] -- _Needs a release after 0.3.0 to test release automation_
+- [[!issue 238]] -- _Doesn't support `abstract` in document metadata_
+- [[!issue 239]] -- _In metadata, `author` is a single string_
+
+# Other business
+
+* We are not yet ready to file an RFP bug to get Subplot packaged for
+  Debian. It will happen after we think we won't be making breaking
+  changes anymore.
+
+* We are not yet ready to make a whole code base review of Subplot.
+
+* We will switch an issue based agenda when other people join the
+  meeting.
+
+* We are still interested in offering a talk about Subplot to FOSDEM,
+  and will start gathering ideas. We may create a `media` repository
+  for this.
+
+* We are not moving on `cargo release` yet.
+
+* We discussed Subplot vs mdbook. We may some want to support the
+  mdbook input files, or implement a Subplot backend for mdbook.
+
+* We are going to try drive adoption of Subplot by helping other
+  projects use it: Sequoia-PGP and rustup, and possibly others.
+
+# Actions
+
+* Lars to create a label for blocking-high-profile-projects (name to
+  be decided by Lars when he does it) and to label at least the
+  Sequoia-PGP blockers if not also anything else he thinks may be
+  blocking projects such as Rustup.
+
+* Lars to record decision about MSRV in `DECISIONS.md` in the
+  `subplot` repository.
+
+* Lars and/or Daniel to add a Docker image for CI with Rust 1.48.0
+  installed, or add it to the main image.
+
+* Lars and/or Daniel to change `.gitlab-ci.yml` to build and test
+  using the 1.48.0 toolchain.
+
+* Lars and Daniel to discuss whether to change `./check` to take an
+  option to specify which toolchain to use or to keep that outside of
+  the script.
+
+* Lars to refactor the changes for `build.rs` support, as discussed,
+  and push an MR for it.
+
+* Lars should file an issue about the `get_basedir_from` changes, if
+  the problem can be reproduced with the original code.
+
+* Lars to document decision that it's the user's responsibility to set
+  up the environment in which tests are run.