Renovate: Improve documentation with regards to the 4 steps (yarn install, build, test, and start)

[HonkingGoose]

What would you like Renovate to be able to do?

I noticed that the development docs have 4 steps that the user needs to do manually:

• Install dependencies with yarn install
• Build Renovate with yarn build, which should give no errors.
• Verify tests with yarn test, and those tests should pass with 100% coverage.
• Run yarn start and verify output: Fatal error: No authentication found for platform https://api.github.com/ (github)

This is tripping me up each time I want to contribute, oh yeah, I need to follow these steps.

That way we can tell a contributor: if the smoketest passes you're good to go to open a pull request.

Did you already have any implementation ideas?

Create a smoketest command in the package.json that bundles as much of this as possible.

Optionally we can automate the tests for the smoketest by validating that the correct output is given, and there are no failure codes given by the smoketest.

Preferably the smoketest command exits with a failure code when the yarn build errors, and when the yarn test coverage is below 100% and when the incorrect output is shown for yarn start.

So the only way to have a passing smoketest is:

• Yarn install succeeds.
• Yarn build succeeds with no errors.
• Yarn test passes with 100% coverage.
• Yarn start gives the wanted output.

Are there any workarounds or alternative ideas you've tried to avoid needing this feature?

Manually remember to do all steps, and remember to check the docs each time you want to open a pull request.

Is this a feature you'd be interested in implementing yourself?

Yes, but this would require a lot of mentoring, I think it will be quicker if somebody else programs this.

I can write the Given, When, Then, test scheme for this feature if you want.

[rarkins]

This is tripping me up each time I want to contribute

These steps should only really be needed on the first PR. It's not intended that everyone should need to do it repeatedly

[HonkingGoose]

It's not intended that everyone should need to do it repeatedly

So what does a contributor need to do after they've done the 4 steps once already?
Do they only need to run yarn install and yarn test repeatedly?

The developer docs are not really clear on this for me personally. :confused:

[rarkins]

Yes, that's right. The other steps are there to try to help people get a baseline that it works even without any changes. Otherwise they make changes then start trying to run tests and get doubts if they caused failures or not.

[HonkingGoose]

Oh the 4 steps are meant as a a baseline check that it all works as it should. :bulb:

I was thinking you needed to go trough the 4 steps each and every time.
Well that saves me some time waiting on the system when I contribute next time. :smile:

Do you want a pull request to mention that those 4 steps are a one time thing, and that you only need to run yarn install and yarn test repeatedly? Or you can close this issue, if you consider this a wont-fix :smile: .

[viceice]

We are always happy to improve the docs / contribution guidelines. So please suggest changes. 🥳

[rarkins]

In sure we can improve it to be less confusing. Essentially it's "PRs need passing tests to be accepted. Try testing master branch first so you know that your environment is fine"

[HonkingGoose]

I will open a pull request for this once the Docusaurus v2 migration is done.

[HonkingGoose]

Turns out I can just start my work. :smile:

[renovate-release]

:tada: This issue has been resolved in version 23.67.3 :tada:

The release is available on:

• GitHub release
• 23.67.3

Your semantic-release bot :package::rocket: