README.RELEASE_PROCESS: misleading branching info?

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2018-06-05 12:37 GMT+02:00 Christoph M. Becker cmbecker69@gmx.de:

Hi!

README.RELEASE_PROCESS[1] states in the “Rolling a non stable release
(alpha/beta/RC)” section[2]:

| 4. Checkout the release branch for this release (e.g., PHP-5.4.2) from
| the main branch.

However, it seems that the PHP-x.y.z release branch is usually only cut
shortly before GA[3]. Furthermore, the “Forking a new release branch”
section states that the PHP-x.y branch is supposed to be cut shortly
before the first beta release[4].

So what is the proper procedure here?

[1] https://github.com/php/php-src/blob/master/README.RELEASE_PROCESS
[2] <https://github.com/php/php-src/blob/master/README.RELEASE_PROCESS#L66

[3] http://news.php.net/php.internals/101084
[4]
<https://github.com/php/php-src/blob/master/README.
RELEASE_PROCESS#L338-L341>

--
Christoph M. Becker

Hi Christoph,

Hi!

README.RELEASE_PROCESS[1] states in the “Rolling a non stable release
(alpha/beta/RC)” section[2]:

4. Checkout the release branch for this release (e.g., PHP-5.4.2)
   from
   the main branch.

However, it seems that the PHP-x.y.z release branch is usually only
cut
shortly before GA[3].
You can always use a release branch as an intermediate place to prepare
a release, it's only about your way of work and situation. For example
you could fork the release from the today's latest master, but want to
revert one revision. Or, you could fork the release branch from a
particular revision, not the latest. You can reset that PHP-x.y.z
branch at any point or apply some extra patches to it, as you own it.
Usually there is a release branch, where everything like versions, news
and so on gets prepared and from which a tag is created then.

Furthermore, the “Forking a new release branch”
section states that the PHP-x.y branch is supposed to be cut shortly
before the first beta release[4].

PHP-x.y is a development branch. When it is branched off, it gets
integrated into the git workflow and the regular fixes need to be
merged there. Till then, master is used as a dev branch so it needs to
be semi blocked for huge changes, features not planned for 7.3 would
have to hold on. It's again at RMs consideration, whether the dev to be
forked earlier or later. The approximation to create a dev branch
before beta is given, because in the alpha phase some is per se
unstable. Beta is usually the feature freeze, no new features should
flow in. Until the PHP-x.y branch is created, there are less branches
to merge, so that's the advantage of creating it at a later point.

Perhaps we need more clearance in that doc yet. Please lets check, if
you have any suggestions so we can formalize the process better.

Regards

Anatol

Hi!

README.RELEASE_PROCESS[1] states in the “Rolling a non stable release
(alpha/beta/RC)” section[2]:

| 4. Checkout the release branch for this release (e.g., PHP-5.4.2) from
| the main branch.

"the main branch" is quite misleading, I agree.
It should perhaps be something like:

4a. If this is an alpha release, checkout the master branch.
4b. If this is a beta release, checkout the previously forked
development branch (e.g. PHP-7.3)
4c. For RC releases, checkout a release branch (e.g. PHP-7.2.0) cut
from the appropriate maintenance branch (e.g. PHP-7.2) if required.

However, it seems that the PHP-x.y.z release branch is usually only cut
shortly before GA[3]. Furthermore, the “Forking a new release branch”
section states that the PHP-x.y branch is supposed to be cut shortly
before the first beta release[4].

Indeed it is. The timetable I wrote up prior to the RM selection also
notes this: https://wiki.php.net/todo/php73

-Sara