Date:
17 November 2022

The main focus for this month's Melbourne Drupal Meetup was a presentation by Amey Mudras. Amey took us through the best practices and tools for Drupal contributions.

This presentation offers insights into Drupal contribution and testing workflows. Amey highlights his experience with Drupal contributions sponsored by Salsa, sharing tips and tools he’s discovered along the way.

DrupalCon trips and background

Amey outlines his recent involvement in Drupal contributions, especially under the sponsorship of Salsa. His journey has enabled him to learn from experienced colleagues and share valuable insights with the community.

Understanding the issue workflow

The presentation delves into Drupal.orgExternal Link 's issue workflow, focusing on the "Reviewed and Tested by the Community" (RTBC) stage. Amey explains how issues progress from active to RTBC, and emphasises the significance of this phase.

Finding issues for work

Amey explains how to locate issues to work on by using the project search feature on Drupal.orgExternal Link . He suggests employing issue tags, such as "bug smash initiative," and sorting results by last update for active issues. He also introduces the Issue Kanban boardExternal Link for efficient issue discovery.

Useful tools for contributions

Tools like DrupalPodExternal Link and LandoExternal Link come into play. Amey provides a demonstration of DrupalPod, a Chrome extension, and how it helps to set up development environments for testing patches. Lando is highlighted for its ability to manage different Drupal versions and facilitate contribution tasks.

Exploring GitPod

The presentation showcases GitPodExternal Link , which enables seamless collaborative coding and testing. It explains how GitPod is used for accessing, reviewing, and testing patches across various PHP versions.

Handling patches and pull requests

A discussion ensues regarding patches and pull requests (PRs). While PRs are preferred, the presentation acknowledges challenges such as version mismatches. It also addresses patch naming conventions that trigger automated testing.

Contributor roles and coverage

The presentation clarifies that anyone with a Drupal.org account can submit patches, and there's no strict rule on code coverage. However, it's noted that maintaining code quality is essential when submitting patches.

Drupal Contributions repository

Amey introduces the Drupal Contributions repositoryExternal Link , which helps when creating and reviewing patches. He demonstrates its functions, including running PHP unit tests, applying patches, and checking coding standards.

Reviewing and RTBC

The process of reviewing and marking an issue RTBC is discussed in detail. Amey outlines the questions reviewers should consider and the specific checks they should perform. He emphasises the importance of accurate titles, issue summaries, and clear documentation.

Quality assurance (QA) and documentation

Reviewers are encouraged to check metadata, provide clear before-and-after screenshots, and ensure proper code documentation. Amey also demonstrates a well-tested RTBC issue with comprehensive documentation.

Collaborative contribution

Amey demonstrates how to contribute to a merge request using GitPodExternal Link . He explains that access needs to be requested before collaborating, and GitPod facilitates collaborative coding and testing.

Future of Docker solutions

Questions about DockerExternal Link solutions arise, with the discussion touching on alternatives like Docker DesktopExternal Link and ColimaExternal Link . These solutions offer open-source options for managing development environments.

Conclusion

The presentation concludes by thanking the audience and expressing a willingness to address further questions. Amey's insights provide valuable guidance for Drupal contributors navigating the complex landscape of issue workflow, testing and collaboration.