mirror of
https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/mediawiki/skins/Vector.git
synced 2024-12-23 21:22:52 +00:00
52 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
52 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
# 4. Code sharing between Vector and Minerva Skins
|
|
|
|
Date: 2024-03-07
|
|
Updated: 2024-03-19
|
|
|
|
## Status
|
|
|
|
Accepted.
|
|
|
|
## Context
|
|
|
|
Exploring effective strategies for code sharing between Vector and Minerva Skins to reduce duplication and improve maintenance. Key options considered include creating a Composer library for shared functionalities, duplicating code in both skins, and moving shared code to the MediaWiki core.
|
|
|
|
On the short term this relates to solving the problem at T359606 and on the long term this might apply to things like the feature management system.
|
|
|
|
## Decision
|
|
|
|
After thorough consideration, the following options are under evaluation for code sharing between Vector and Minerva Skins:
|
|
- **Creating a Composer Library**: Centralizing shared functionalities to reduce duplication and improve update management.
|
|
- **Duplicating Code**: Implementing similar functionalities independently in both skins, prioritizing flexibility and skin-specific optimizations.
|
|
- **Moving Shared Code to MediaWiki Core**: Leveraging the core platform to provide shared functionalities, enhancing accessibility and consistency across skins.
|
|
|
|
After some more discussion some other options emerged:
|
|
- **A git submodule** that is initialized inside Minerva and Vector.
|
|
- **A shell script** that copies the files from Vector to Minerva.
|
|
- **Making Minerva depend on Vector** add a soft dependency on Vector from Minerva.
|
|
|
|
We assessed each option on development efficiency, maintenance, and the ability to support future enhancements. After discussion there was agreement among the team about the following:
|
|
- Composer libraries should not depend on MediaWiki in any way.
|
|
- Ideally shared skin code should live in MediaWiki core
|
|
- Code in core should not be specific to Minerva and Vector and should be generally useful and should not be rushed.
|
|
|
|
We recognized the fact that often the web team needs to balance shipping products and agreed on the following:
|
|
**On the short term we would make Minerva depend on Vector**
|
|
|
|
Reasoning:
|
|
- This minimizes disruption to third parties. If we were to use a submodule, this would alter how people upgrade/install Vector.
|
|
- We think that there are few installs where Minerva is installed but Vector isn't. In Minerva we can use a soft dependency to avoid breaking changes.
|
|
- It would avoid issues relating to ensure Minerva and Vector's submodules are in sync and using the same version. For example, it would be possible
|
|
with the submodule approach that Vector and Minerva use different versions of the shared skin.
|
|
- Minerva would automatically benefit from updates to Vevtor.
|
|
- Since Minerva and Vector are in the CI pipeline, our integration tests should protect against making breaking changes.
|
|
|
|
## Consequences
|
|
|
|
The shared repository is intended as a way to manage code shared between Vector and Minerva more efficiently. However the expectation is that when
|
|
code is shared it should eventually be upstreamed to core and a Phabricator ticket should document that.
|
|
For example, T360452 has been created for the long term solution for our immediate need.
|
|
|
|
The sharing of code, means we must consider the Vector code a stable interface for Minerva to use.
|
|
|