For GSoC: RTEMS release notes new generator

[Chris Johns]

On 1/9/2022 4:43 am, Mahmoud Abumandour wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> Here, I present the current output of the new release notes generator that will
> be used in the release generation process. 

Thank you.

> Currently, the generator is capable
> is generating markdown and reStructuredText. Both have minor flaws that, in my
> opinion, are somewhat acceptable.
> 
> You can find a sample Markdown PDF for the 4.11.3 milestone
> here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S_aKZcJi6c2DX7bCXgt6R9gvVdXgn5Sm/view?usp=sharing <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S_aKZcJi6c2DX7bCXgt6R9gvVdXgn5Sm/view?usp=sharing>

This looks really good. Nice work and thanks for all the effort you have put in.

> And its reStructuredText counterpart
> here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mntfWm6gnHPUpliwHS_ClJYjjnMOhZZV
> <https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mntfWm6gnHPUpliwHS_ClJYjjnMOhZZV>
> 
> The generator has been tested on generating files for the following dot releases
> 4.11.3, 5.1, 5.2, and 6.1 and it produces decent documents for all of them.

Awesome.

> You can access the code here and test it
> yourself: https://github.com/i3abghany/release-notes-generator
> <https://github.com/i3abghany/release-notes-generator>
> 
> For integrating the generator in the release workflow, do you recommend a
> certain way to go by in doing this? 

I am not sure but it is a fantastic problem to have :)

> Maybe use the code as a submodule in the
> `rtems-release` repository and call it from the `rtems-release-notes` script in it?

It could which means we have a top level directory for it? Or do we just place
the code in rtems-release?

If there is a general use for the tool it could be placed in rtems-tools.

What you think?

> Also, the generator was initially designed to produce notes for *one* dot
> release at a time, but I found out the current generator goes up from the
> supplied /version /to the specified /revision/. Is this the desired behaviour in
> the new generator as well? I am asking as I took over development in the new
> generator and it did not conform to this behaviour, and I didn't know that it
> was followed in the `rtems-release` scripts.

The intent is the release notes tell about all the changes on a release branch.
If you have .1 and you move to .4 the notes should have all the changes so you
do not need to go and fine then.

It is not a big deal as things stand and we could solve this in a few ways. For
example collecting the dot point release notes into the next version.

I am about to start looking at releases with 5.2 before the end of the year. Are
you about and would you like to help?

Chris