The Release Management process targets the creation of public-releases of API versions, aligned with the Commonalities and ICM release in a given meta-release.
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Technically, an API release is created using GitHub features:
- A GitHub issue for the release
- A "release PR" associated to this issue
- If required, a GitHub release package (zip file of the whole API Sub Project repository)
- A GitHub release tag with the release name rx.y
API release numbering
API release numbers are GitHub tags of the format "rx.y".
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This section gives the overview of the steps to release an API. More details can be found in the API Release Process description.
- Create a GitHub issue defining the scope of the targeted API release. Descriptive information in this issue can be reused in the changelog/release notes.
- Create the API release tracker for the target API version as describer here: API release tracking process.
- On the main branch, develop the API scope in a "work-in-progress mode" (API version = wip and version in URL is vwip).
- during development and test, make sure to create and record the required release assets according to the API-Readiness-Checklist file
- Once the required stability is reached, create the "release PR" (see details below in the
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- section Create the release PR)
- Manage the "release PR" approval, merge the approved "release PR" and create the release
- An API release is created using the GitHub release feature.
- The release name shall be the same as the release tag and shall have the following format: rx.y
- The x.y number shall follow the release numbering scheme as defined in the above section on API Release Numbering.
- Outside the project the release name shall be the API name (for definition see the section on API versioning)
combined with - followed by the release number e.g. qod rx.y
- Repeat step 3, 4 and 5 for
- alpha releases up to M3 (for an API, the first release-candidate is created for M3)
- release-candidates between M3 and
M4the public-release for M4 - M4
- the public-release for M4
In case an update of a public-release API version x.y.z is required, the patched public-release API version x.y.z+1 shall be created through a maintenance-release on a separate branch referred to as a maintenance branch.
NOTE: a patch is the only case for which a separate branch is created and maintained.
Create the release PR
To create an API release, first a "release PR" (linked to the associated PR issue) must be created to do a release of the API's repository:
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- Directly after the PR is merged, the release (the release tag and optionally the release package) shall be created using the GitHub release functionality ("Draft/publish a new release")
- The release description shall be copied from the CHANGELOG.md (as described above)
- For releases with alpha and release-candidate API versions, use "Set as a pre-release", for public-releases "Set as latest release".
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Maintain a public release
The release of a MAJOR or MINOR change of a publicly released API version, the normal process as described in the above sections is applied;
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The release of a PATCH CHANGE is done using a dedicated maintenance branch which allows for a shorter release cycle as follows:
- A dedicated maintenance branch shall be opened for the PATCH of the API
- the branch name shall be maintenance-xrx.y .z where xrx.y .z is the current API version being patchedis the release number of the first public-release of the API being patched
- Subsequent patches shall be done on the same maintance branch
- The changes are proposed as usual through Issues and Pull Request (PRs) and commits to this maintenance branch (using wip version)
- The final API update results in a maintenance-release with the public-release API version x.y.z+1 (per semver 2.0.0)
This new maintenance-release of the patched public-release API version replaces the previously released existing public-release API version in the metemeta-release.
The PATCH of the API for the delivered through a the maintenance-release shall also be merged into a next MAJOR or MINOR API release on the main branch.
- The maintenance branch shall continue to exist for further PATCH updates of the public-release API version x.y.z+1 (incrementing z) as long as needed.
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- copy the API-Readiness-Checklist.md file(s) to the API Sub Project repository in the home/code folder.
- rename the file to include the prefix <API name> plus a dash ("-") e.g. qod-API-Readiness-Checklist.md
- provide each release asset as indicated in the column corresponding to the release type (alpha, release-candidate, initial public-release or stable public-release)
- for an available asset
- update the Status column with "Y" (yes) if the release asset is available or fulfilled in the current release, or "N" (no) otherwise. Example: an intermediate alpha or release-candidate release may not yet provide all mandatory release assets for the release type.
- update the Comments column with the link to the asset (if applicable), and any other additional comments as needed
- update the Status column with "Y" (yes) if the release asset is available or fulfilled in the current release, or "N" (no) otherwise. Example: an intermediate alpha or release-candidate release may not yet provide all mandatory release assets for the release type.
- NOTE: the checklists of a (final) release-candidate of an API version and the checklist of its subsequent public-release are the same, while additional release assets are required for a subsequent stable public-release of the API version.
Explanations
The following table explains each of the release assets expected to be delivered in the API release.
Nr | API release assets | Explanation |
1 | API definition | This is the OAS API definition file (following the https://spec.openapis.org/oas/v3.0.3 format). It shall be present in the home/code/API_definition folders of the API Sub Project and validated using the linting rules in point 6. |
2 | Design guidelines from Commonalities applied | This refers to the guidelines in the API-Design-Guidelines.md document. A subset of these design guidelines have been mapped to corresponding linting rules provided by Commonalities, that can be executed against the OAS API definition file if linting is enabled for the Sub Project. For the design guidelines that cannot (yet) be verified by linting rules, the API Sub Project team shall ensure coverage manually. Ideally, a checklist of such guidelines would be provided by the Commonalities team. In particular, API Sub Project shall verify data type alignment to the Commonalities/artifacts/CAMARA_common.yaml |
3 | Guidelines from ICM applied | This refers to the guidelines described in the documents available in the IdentityAndConsentManagement / documents folder corresponds to a set of linting rules provided by ICM that are successfully executed against the OAS API definition file. Other guidelines that cannot be verified by linting rules shall be covered manually by the API Sub project team. Ideally, a checklist of such guidelines would be provided by the ICM team. |
| 4 | API versioning convention applied | This shall be checked through a linting rule added to the Commonalities rule set on the format of the version field in the OAS API definition file. API versioning is described in the API-Design-Guidelines.md document. |
5 | API documentation | The API specification shall include all the needed documentation. It shall include the section on security as described in the API Design Guidelines API documentation beyond the one embedded in the API definition file, shall be located in the home/documentation/API_documentation folder of the API Sub Project. It shall follow the Commonalities/documentation/API-DocumentationTemplate.md |
6 | User Stories | User Stories (it is recommended to have at least 2) need to be documented by the API Sub Project team. User Stories shall follow the template: Userstory-template.md and be located in the home/documentation/API_documentation folder of the API Sub Project. Please note that User Stories shall be provided when an API is first submitted to the CAMARA API backlog. |
7 | Basic API test cases & documentation | At least one Gherkin feature file is provided for the API in the Test_definitions folder of the API Sub Project covering sunny day scenarios and main error cases (of course you may provide more if available). Details can be found in the API Testing Guidelines (in Commonalities GitHub). Basic tests are sufficient for an initial public-release. |
8 | Enhanced API test cases & documentation | Gherkin feature files are provided for the API in the Test_definitions folder of the API Sub Project covering sunny and rainy day scenarios. Details can be found in the API Testing Guidelines (in Commonalities GitHub). Enhanced tests are required for a stable public-release. |
9 | Test result statement | A statement in a discussion issue of the API Sub Project by at least one of the API Sub Project members that the Gherkin feature files have been successfully executed against their (lab) API implementation. |
10 | API release numbering conventions applied | This is verified using the information on the release tracker page. The API release numbering is described here: |
11 | Change log updated | Change log need to be provided following the template and are located here: Commonalities/documentation/SupportingDocuments/CHANGELOG_TEMPLATE.md . |
12 | Previous public-release was certified | The previous public-release API version had at least 1 certified implementation. Reference to at least 1 certification of the API is provided on the GSMA API market launch and certification page. |
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Note 2: the addition of a Security review release asset beyond the Commonalities linting rules is for further study.
Checklist per API version type
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