Integration level: thinnest/lightest, vs. tests & more

[dandv]

It seems that @splendido and I have been favoring different types of integrations: as light as possible, in hope original authors accept the PR; vs. with tests, favoring a solid solution.

That's fine, but now we have different packaging guidelines at https://github.com/MeteorPackaging/autopublish.meteor.com/wiki#step-by-step-guide vs. https://github.com/MeteorCommunity/discussions/issues/14 -> Get the integration working

@splendido, you agreed we should use exports, so maybe we can just copy a chunk of the issue 14/OT guidelines into the Autopublish wiki. I've made some edits there but for now, I've left your light integration steps in place.

Also, just saw your comment on nvd3.

[splendido]

This is a big question mark to me...

If we'd like to push harder to get the integration on the official repo I see it very difficult to get maintainers accept a number of new files to be put inside their repository (and as you know @dandv, this already happened)

...even more difficult would be getting them accepting changes to the initialization closure (as [described](http://www.meteorpedia.com/read/Packaging_existing_Libraries#Dealing with exports) on MeteorPedia), even if this arleady happened too.

So this is my feeling:

if we say all we need to keep packages up to date is a good triggering mechanisms (to get notified about both new releases and publishing errors...) I'm quite sure the right direction is leveraging autopublish.meteor.com and webhooks!

Once we've got a webhook from the official repository for a particular library we can start playing on MeteorPackaging without any constraint.

What I'm thinking in these last hours about a wrapping process is something like this:

1. create a new repo on MeteorPackaging with the same name of the library to be wrapped (say XXX)
2. put inside it all additional files we need to create a meteor package (and not the original repo nor a fork of it...)
   • package.js
   • update_version.sh
   • README.md
   • tests folder
   • pre_export.js and post_export.js
   • test apps
   • examples
   • whatever we wish...

Then we can configure autopublish.meteor.com to trigger an update cycle on the repo MeteorPackaging/XXX whenever we get the trigger for org/XXX which could be something like this:

1. get the build machine(s)
2. git clone https://github.com/MeteorPackaging/XXX.git package
3. cd package
4. git clone -b 3.4.0 https://github.com/MeteorPackaging/XXX.git upstream
5. ./update_version.sh a very simple bash script (which might suffice) to pick up the new version number from inside upstream/package.json and put it into the package.js, see this and this for example)
6. run tests
7. in case tests are ok:
   1. meteor login
   2. meteor publish
8. post success/failure to a particular issue on MeteorPackaging/autopublish.meteor.com (say successful publishes or failed publishes)

No forks, no submodules, complete control on the repo without any kind of concerns!

The only constraint would be having file paths inside package.js file in the form:

api.addFiles([
  'upstream/dist/css/bootstrap.css',
  'upstream/dist/js/bootstrap.js',
], where)

expecting that after the second git clone we will have the target release of the original repo under the upstream folder.

What do you think about this proposal?

[dandv]

Interesting. CC @paralin.

The file paths to addFiles isn't much of a constraint - does it affect development and testing of the integration before the build? Don't think so.

"./update_version.sh a very simple bash script (which might suffice) to pick up the new version number from inside upstream/package.json and put it into the package.js"

Do we need a bash script? Can't we just pick up the version from package.json with package.js code ?

[raix]

Just quick input - sorry if some seems off topic :)

I think we could get more done if we had a general node package that did one thing: convert bower/package.json etc. into a package.js file - we might have to rig a simple analyser to fetch addition of globals via window etc. We can in most cases get the exports and where the code run server/client.

The github hook could listen for semver tags, then convert the external package into a meteor package using the generated package.js

Then have the server login in as bower etc. and publish the new package.

Question is - what stops us from monitoring the bower db for versions or check tags on repos?

// Packages should be added manually, as they are requested - making sure only quality packages are added

Some of these package configs support testing - but we might just want to do an environment test - eg. testing the exports.

We could perhaps add some additional tests when adding the package eg. have a field where one could write tinytests

[splendido]

We could @dandv, but with that solution the package won't work as a local package!

When you run meteor publish the cwd is the package root and the relative path to the package.json results correct.

If differently you clone the package repo under your project's packages folder (or you use a symbolic link) and run your app, the cwd will be your project root and this time the path you try to access within the package.js won't be correct :-(

[dandv]

@raix's idea of monitoring bower's database is really interesting. Can we skip the request to the 3rd party library maintainer to create the webhook or authorize autopublish, @splendido ?

[dandv]

Alternatively, we could monitor the npm registry. Need to look into that, but here's how to get the latest version of a package:

http://registry.npmjs.org/summernote/latest

BTW, the above can be used as a fallback for when reading the version from bower.json fails (when the package is symlinked and the current directory is not the package). This would eliminate the need for the version replacement script. Of course, this assumes the library is published on npm.

Note: there is an effort underway to fold bower into npm.

[dandv]

not the original repo nor a fork of it... No forks, no submodules

An interesting radical approach.

Playing devil's advocate against it:

1. Having a history of the code might be useful. For example, the Meteor package of library X works for version 1.1 but no longer works for version 1.2. (That seems to be the case with summernote right now, for example). If someone needs the Meteor package to work right now, they could git clone the repo and check out an older commit. Without the upstream repo (or at lease version, if we include it as a submodule), this would be difficult.
2. It's useful to submit a PR updating the upstream README to mention how to to use the library with Meteor. This requires a fork. (However, editing the README can be done straight from GitHub's UI, so it's a weak argument.)

If we eliminate the need for package.js (auto-generate it as @raix suggested; or update it from the Bower/Npm registry) and the README patch is the only thing we submit in the PR, chances of acceptance increase even more.

[splendido]

So why don't we periodically ask for the latest release using the github API?

Would be a periodic poll in any case (every 24h?)... ...then we could look for the package.json or bower.json (with some priority order...) to pick up the files to be included by our package.js

This might work well for 3rd party libraries, but if we want to open the service to regular Meteor Developer, the hook might be a better solution.

Even if, in principle, keeping a wrapper repo wouldn't be needed following the approach proposed by @raix, I appreciate it will be useful to keep past history, plus dedicated tests, plus custom README.md, etc...

So a mixture of the two might be the way to go? Thoughts?

[raix]

I'm not sure its a good idea to wrap the whole bower? (rather have people request it - could be automated, eg. have a page "request bower package")

The github api got call limits? it's less work to diff the bower json/list? (I have nothing to back this up just thoughts)

But yeah, might still want to have some options for adding stuff manually, like tests etc. if not able to convert.

[splendido]

@raix, yes GitHub has some rate limits but it's not going to be a problem I guess (at least for now, but probably also later on...)

Having to poll/diff something (every 4 hours?), what do you guys think would have the larger amount of packages?

I'd say looking at new release on github would be enough, and we're going to get libraries both published on npm/bower and unpublished elsewhere.

The other way around: how many packages that can be found on npm/bower are not available as GitHub repositories?

I really have no idea about this... please shade some light if youhave some feelings about this!

@raix proposal to have a page for package requests is a good one! ...how much can we think we could manage to automatize in the process?

:white_check_mark: poll release number (simply one more entry to be added to the db and considered on timeout interval..) :white_check_mark: check whether there's a package.json or bower.json :white_check_mark: create a stub repo with some structure and files on MeteorPackaging (license, readme, package.js, ...) also based on previous point result :question: writing tests (at least stub tests...) :no_entry_sign: create organization on meteor.com :no_entry_sign: final check and first publish...

[bobiblazeski]

I think we're over designing and under building. The right answers for our questions could come only from usage. I mean 4 hours, if we update once a week people would be happy, the libraries are currently lagging months behind the latest version. Why don't we just try with minimal viable solution, just pulling from npm package.json and without negotiating with library authors for start. If it doesn't work there's always place to change the approach later.

@splendido @raix Correct me if I'm wrong but I hope packages won't be added automatically, just updated or we'll got flood of low quality crap. If I understand well your approach the process goes like this: 1 Packager adds the initial version of the package with build process,tests & examples in separate repository. 2 Autopublish checks for new versions in a certain interval in the npm/github whatever. 3 If there is a new version,autopublish runs the build process and if the tests pass pushes the new version in the atmosphere 4 If the tests fail show somewhere that autopublish failed and packager would have to check what happened manually. If the original packager is gone, there are other packagers or the very last the meteor user who needs the latest version. It's much faster to fork outdated package, fix the cause of failing tests and send pull request, then send please update the package to author who might have moved on other endeavors and pray for the best.

Like I said problem is social rather then technical, by leveraging the people who need the up to date library vs those who should provide it, we'll have a solution that scales. Packagers have a skin in the game and they wouldn't mind to invest some time to have up to date version of the library they're already using. Users also want the latest version. For the authors, meteor is just another platform and we have to explain for nth time why aren't we just using npm.

Regarding the organization, I believe that we should publish all automatic packages under one organization, organizations as d3js, nvd3 doesn't make much sense unless the author is behind them. Plus we'll have added brand benefit of up to date packages.

[raix]

Yep, we should make it a manual process adding packages (could be from npm/bower/github) - to ensure only quality packages.

1. The system could convert automatically and notify if failed - but still allowing users to add tests/readme etc. specific to Meteor (in the autopublish system - idea?) 2 if a package is published autopublish should update/publish

The system could do a simple check for exports to see if working correctly - maybe have a way to report back to the system if it fails.

Ideally imho - we should have a review team - paid - and a high quality version of atmosphere with optional paid packages to ensure quality and development. (if not we will end up having a jungle of packages)