more/formal_review_process.htm
2001-02-02 19:58:57 +00:00

116 lines
5.2 KiB
HTML

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0">
<meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document">
<title>Boost Formal Review Process</title>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<table border="1" bgcolor="#007F7F" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><img src="../c++boost.gif" alt="c++boost.gif (8819 bytes)" width="277" height="86"></td>
<td><a href="../index.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>Home</big></font></a></td>
<td><a href="../libs/libraries.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>Libraries</big></font></a></td>
<td><a href="../people/people.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>People</big></font></a></td>
<td><a href="faq.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>FAQ</big></font></a></td>
<td><a href="index.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>More</big></font></a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<h1>Formal Review Process</h1>
<p>The Formal Review process determines if a proposed library should be accepted
as a Boost library.</p>
<p>The final &quot;accept&quot; or &quot;reject&quot; decision is made by the <a href="#Review Manager">
Review Manager</a>, based on review comments received from boost mailing list
members.</p>
<p>Reviews are scheduled so that:</p>
<ul>
<li>Each library gets review time proportional to its size, complexity, and
importance.</li>
<li>Only a small number of libraries are under active review at any one time.</li>
<li>Members know ahead of time when a particular library will be under active
review.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h2>Comments</h2>
<p> Boost mailing list members are encouraged to submit Formal Review
comments:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Publicly on the mailing list.</li>
<li>Privately to the Review Manager. (See Formal Review Status page )</li>
<li>Privately to the library submitter.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>Private comments to a library submitter may be helpful to her or him, but
won't help the Review Manager reach a decision, so the other forms are
preferred.</p>
<h2>Preparing review comments</h2>
<p>Comments may be brief or lengthy, but basically the Review Manager needs your
answers to several questions.&nbsp; If you identify problems along the way,
please note if they are minor, serious, or showstoppers.</p>
<ul>
<li>What is your evaluation of the design?<br>
</li>
<li>What is your evaluation of the implementation?<br>
</li>
<li>What is your evaluation of the documentation?<br>
</li>
<li>What is your evaluation of the potential usefulness of the library?<br>
</li>
<li>Did you try to use the library?&nbsp; With what compiler?&nbsp; Did you
have any problems?<br>
</li>
<li>How much effort did you put into your evaluation? A glance? A quick
reading? In-depth study?<br>
</li>
<li>Are you knowledgeable about the problem domain?<br>
</li>
<li>Finally, do you think the library should be accepted as a Boost
library?&nbsp; Be sure to say this explicitly so that your other comments
don't obscure your overall opinion.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Results</h2>
<p>At the conclusion of the comment period, the Review Manager will post a
message to the mailing list saying if the library has been accepted or
rejected.&nbsp; A rationale should be provided, but its extent is up to the
Review Manager.</p>
<h2>Notes for <a name="Review Manager"> Review Manager</a>s</h2>
<p>Before a library can be scheduled for formal review, an active boost member not
connected with the library submission must volunteer to be the &quot;Review
Manager&quot; for the library.</p>
<p>The review manager:</p>
<ul>
<li>Sets the schedule, after discussion with the boost webmaster, currently
Beman Dawes.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Posts a notice of the review schedule.</li>
<li>Urges people to do reviews if they aren't forthcoming.</li>
<li>Follows review discussions regarding the library, moderating or answering
questions as needed.</li>
<li>Decides if
there is consensus to accept the library, and if there are any conditions
attached.</li>
<li>Posts a message informing members of the review results.</li>
</ul>
<p>In other words, it is the Review Manager's responsibility to make sure the
review process stays on track.</p>
<h2>Notes for Library Authors</h2>
<p>A proposed library should remain stable during the review period; it will just
confuse and irritate reviewers if there are numerous changes.&nbsp; It
is, however, useful to upload fixes for serious bugs right away, particularly
those which prevent reviewers from fully evaluating the library.&nbsp; Post a
notice of such fixes on the mailing list.</p>
<p>Library improvements suggested by reviewers should be held until after the
completion of review period. Such changes can then be incorporated in the <a href="submission_process.htm#Final">final
submission file</a> sent to the webmaster for posting.&nbsp; If the suggested
changes might affect reviewer's judgments,&nbsp; post a notice of the pending
change on the mailing list.</p>
<hr>
<p>Revised <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" s-type="EDITED" s-format="%d %B, %Y" startspan -->10 November, 2000<!--webbot bot="Timestamp" endspan i-checksum="39349" --></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</body>
</html>