title: "Development Process" description: "A guide to the development workflow and processes for contributing to Navius" category: contributing tags:

  • contributing
  • development
  • workflow
  • process
  • guidelines related:
  • contributing/README.md
  • contributing/testing-guidelines.md
  • contributing/code-of-conduct.md
  • architecture/project-structure.md last_updated: March 27, 2025 version: 1.0

Development Process

This document outlines the development process for contributing to the Navius framework, including workflows, best practices, and guidance for specific feature types.

Table of Contents

Development Environment Setup

  1. Clone the Repository

    git clone https://gitlab.com/ecoleman2/navius.git
cd navius

  2. Install Dependencies

    cargo build

  3. Setup Development Tools

    • Configure IDE (VS Code recommended)
    • Install extensions (Rust Analyzer, etc.)
    • Setup linting (rustfmt, clippy)

  4. Start Local Development Environment

    # Start required services
docker-compose -f .devtools/docker-compose.yml up -d

# Run the application
cargo run

Development Workflow

  1. Issue Assignment

    • Select an issue from the issue tracker
    • Assign it to yourself
    • Move it to "In Progress" on the board

  2. Create a Branch

    • Create a branch from main with a descriptive name
    • Branch names should follow the pattern: feature/feature-name or bugfix/issue-description

  3. Implement Changes

  4. Run Tests

    • Run unit tests: cargo test
    • Run integration tests: cargo test --test '*'
    • Check code style: cargo fmt --check
    • Run linting: cargo clippy

  5. Create a Merge Request

    • Push your branch to the remote repository
    • Create a merge request with a clear description
    • Link the related issue(s)
    • Request a review from the appropriate team members

  6. Address Review Feedback

    • Respond to review comments
    • Make necessary changes
    • Push updates to your branch

  7. Merge the Changes

    • Once approved, your merge request will be merged
    • The CI/CD pipeline will deploy the changes

Branching Strategy

We follow a simplified GitFlow approach:

  • main: Stable code that has passed all tests
  • feature/*: New features or improvements
  • bugfix/*: Bug fixes
  • release/*: Release preparation branches
  • hotfix/*: Urgent fixes for production issues

Code Review Process

  1. Checklist for Submitters

    • Code follows project standards
    • Tests are included and pass
    • Documentation is updated
    • No unnecessary dependencies added
    • Performance considerations addressed
    • Security implications considered

  2. Checklist for Reviewers

    • Code quality and style
    • Test coverage and quality
    • Documentation completeness
    • Architecture and design patterns
    • Security and performance
    • Compatibility and backward compatibility

Testing Requirements

All contributions must include appropriate tests:

  • Unit Tests: Test individual functions and methods
  • Integration Tests: Test interactions between components
  • Property Tests: For complex algorithms or data structures
  • Performance Tests: For performance-critical code

Minimum coverage requirements:

  • Core modules: 90%
  • Utility code: 80%
  • Overall project: 85%

Documentation Requirements

All code contributions must be accompanied by appropriate documentation:

  1. Code Documentation

    • Public APIs must have doc comments
    • Complex algorithms must be explained
    • Function parameters and return values must be documented

  2. User Documentation

    • New features need user documentation
    • Examples of how to use the feature
    • Configuration options

  3. Architecture Documentation

    • Major changes should include design considerations
    • Data flow diagrams for complex features
    • API interaction diagrams where relevant

Working with Complex Features

Caching Features

When working with caching features like the Two-Tier Cache:

  1. Performance Considerations

    • Always benchmark before and after changes
    • Consider memory usage and optimization
    • Test with realistic data volumes

  2. Consistency Requirements

    • Ensure proper synchronization between cache layers
    • Implement clear invalidation strategies
    • Test race conditions and concurrent access

  3. Error Handling

    • Graceful degradation when Redis is unavailable
    • Clear error messages and logging
    • Recovery mechanisms

  4. Testing Approach

    • Mock Redis for unit tests
    • Use real Redis for integration tests
    • Test cache miss/hit scenarios
    • Test cache invalidation
    • Test concurrent access

Server Customization System

When working with the Server Customization System:

  1. Feature Flags

    • Ensure clean separation of features
    • Test all combinations of feature flags
    • Document impacts of each feature flag

  2. Build System Integration

    • Test compilation with various feature combinations
    • Ensure proper dependency resolution
    • Verify binary size optimization

  3. Default Configurations

    • Provide sensible defaults
    • Document recommended configurations
    • Test startup with various configurations

Release Process

  1. Versioning

    • We follow Semantic Versioning
    • Breaking changes increment the major version
    • New features increment the minor version
    • Bug fixes increment the patch version

  2. Release Preparation

    • Update version numbers
    • Update CHANGELOG.md
    • Create a release branch
    • Run final tests

  3. Publishing

    • Tag the release
    • Create release notes
    • Publish to crates.io
    • Announce to the community

  4. Post-Release

    • Monitor for issues
    • Update documentation website
    • Plan next release

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Build Failures

If you encounter build failures:

  1. Update dependencies: cargo update
  2. Clean build artifacts: cargo clean
  3. Check for compatibility issues between dependencies
  4. Verify your Rust version: rustc --version

Test Failures

If tests are failing:

  1. Run specific failing tests with verbose output: cargo test test_name -- --nocapture
  2. Check for environment-specific issues
  3. Verify test dependencies are installed
  4. Check for race conditions in async tests

Performance Issues

If you encounter performance issues:

  1. Profile with cargo flamegraph
  2. Check for memory leaks with appropriate tools
  3. Look for inefficient algorithms or data structures
  4. Consider parallelization opportunities

Additional Resources