Code should be collaboratively editable real-time
| Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launchpad itself |
New
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Bug Description
Priority: Feature request
Summary:
The code being hosted on launchpad should be collaboratively editable, preferably real-time, by project members, similar to etherpad, apache wave, or kune.
Problem:
Project members have to install, learn, and locally use bzr to review and revise code. Though this is more than acceptable in many cases, in some cases (remote work, work during holidays, work requiring real-time collaboration, document-based projects' needs, and so on), providing an online (preferably real-time) collaboration-based interface for code revisions (including in documentation) is desirable.
Example:
Project members X and Y open a file residing on launchpad as part of their codebase as if they were opening a pad on etherpad. They make their edits in real-time collaboration thru Launchpad. Launchpad saves the edits in a temporary cache until the changes are committed. When one of them hits "save" during the revision session, launchpad pops up a commit message window on both ends to enter a commit message.
Use cases:
- Wiki / Documentation: Project leader assigned Member X and Member Y to document the project for their customers and users. Member X created a parent folder in the codebase that will hold said documentation. (This very folder can than be used as the project's wiki.) Member X and Y work on creating the documentation collaboratively. They then advertise the documentation that resides on launchpad to employees, customers, and users, who are invited to review and revise the documentation to their needs using the launchpad interface. (Solves bug #240067 - https:/
- Code review: An important security vulnerability was found in Project Z. Member X and Y will review the code and release an update ASAP. They are chatting online as they collaboratively edit certain blocks of code via launchpad's own interface. Back-and-forth feedback in a separate method (e.g. email) no longer being necessary, the code review and revisions are done quickly and effectively. Upon release, the community is invited to do further revisions via the launchpad interface. (The above proposed feature is implemented to some degree in github.) Without (preferably real-time) collaborative online editing, the code review will be interrupted by pulls, merges, and pushes.
- Expanding launchpad's reach: Project T, which produces texts (e.g. think tank, ngo, research, publishing, news, non-code translation, and so on), is considering project management tools. Launchpad now provides ways to host, share, and collaborate on documents, apart from tracking product status and requests, team management, mailing lists, organizational knowledge database (answers), and so on. As an open access proponent, they decide to host project management on launchpad. [Alternatively, as a proprietary-based company, they decide to implement launchpad internally and contract Canonical for services.] Without the above proposed new feature, launchpad is useless for them.
