Qt Contributors Summit 2019 - API Review Process

Current processes as part of final release preparations:

agree that the current process is useful and should stay, but it happens too late in the release process

hard to get APIs reviewed from people (even for TQtC-people)
the Python bindings require an early API freeze
want to involve documentation team (earlier)
- API design issues tend to surface when writing documentation
- Creator team triggers a process with the documentation team when .ui files change
- Updating examples (or at least doc snippets) when we introduce new APIs; make sure that new best practices are demonstrated in examples
adding tests when introducing new APIs

Proposal

gerrit can trigger an API review when public headers change - require a separate +2 on API changes
- add a topic/tag/label to make such changes searchable
- any approver can give that +2

have a group of “API reviewers” that support the community with API design
- knowledge of Qt and existing APIs and patterns
- people from documentation and support teams might be good candidates
- we don’t want to introduce more bureaucracy, or small group of extra-privileged community members

improve documentation of API design principles, make existing documentation more visible, update it (modern C++, QML)