Internal: Create a METplus "Release Guide" describing how to build releases for the METplus components.

[JohnHalleyGotway]

Describe the Task

Please see METplus meeting notes from 10/27/2020 for more details. This task is to create a 3rd document for METplus in addition to the user and contributor's guides. This document will describe the process for creating a METplus release and consist of up to 8 chapters:

1. Introduction
2. METplus Release
3. MET Release
4. METdatadb Release
5. METcalcpy Release
6. METplotpy Release (or combine METcalcpy/METplotpy into a single chapter if that makes sense?)
7. METviewer Release
8. METexpress Release

The docs/Release_Guide directory will contain .rst files for each of the items listed above. It should also contain a subdirectory named "release_steps". Each top-level .rst file should be very sparse and consist basically of 3 bulleted lists:

• official release (e.g. vX.Y)
• bugfix release (e.g. vX.Y.Z)
• development release (e.g. vX.Y-betaN or vX.Y-rcN)

Each element in that list should source on .rst files that live in the "release_steps" sub-directory. It'd be cool if that content could be hidden by default, but click on it to expand it. So while we have separate lists for each component, they serve up common content from the "release_steps" directory.

Migrate content from:
Existing wiki page:
https://github.com/dtcenter/METplus/wiki/Creating-a-new-METplus-release
Creating met-10.0_beta1 release:
dtcenter/MET#1523 (comment)

Time Estimate

4-8 hours for many different people.

Sub-Issues

Consider breaking the task down into sub-issues.

• Add a checkbox for each sub-issue here.
  May need to break this down, but not quite sure how to do so yet.

Relevant Deadlines

List relevant project deadlines here or state NONE.

Funding Source

2702691

Define the Metadata

Assignee

• Select engineer(s) or no engineer required: George (METplus), John HG (MET), Minna (METplotpy/METcalcpy), Tatiana (METviewer), Julie (docs infrastructure), Venita (METdatadb) and Molly (METexpress)
• Select scientist(s) or no scientist required: Keith (review and advise)

Labels

• Select component(s)
• Select priority
• Select requestor(s)

Projects and Milestone

• Review projects and select relevant Repository and Organization ones or add "alert:NEED PROJECT ASSIGNMENT" label
• Select milestone to next major version milestone or "Future Versions"

Define Related Issue(s)

Consider the impact to the other METplus components.

• METplus, MET, METdatadb, METviewer, METexpress, METcalcpy, METplotpy
  Details for each component will live in the common METplus Release Guide. So all changes will be in the METplus repo.

Task Checklist

See the METplus Workflow for details.

• Complete the issue definition above, including the Time Estimate and Funding Source.
• Fork this repository or create a branch of develop.
  Branch name: feature_<Issue Number>_<Description>
• Complete the development and test your changes.
• Add/update log messages for easier debugging.
• Add/update unit tests.
• Add/update documentation.
• Push local changes to GitHub.
• Submit a pull request to merge into develop.
  Pull request: feature <Issue Number> <Description>
• Define the pull request metadata, as permissions allow.
  Select: Reviewer(s), Project(s), Milestone, and Linked issues
• Iterate until the reviewer(s) accept and merge your changes.
• Delete your fork or branch.
• Close this issue.

[jprestop]

I have created branch "feature_673_release_guide" and have set up a very basic infrastructure for this task.

You can view what exists at this time by visiting:
https://ral.ucar.edu/staff/jpresto/work/METplus_jpresto/Release_Guide/index.html

Please let me know if you have any questions.

[georgemccabe]

An initial version for a release guide is now available for all METplus components. There are a few notes in the above comments to modify for clarity. Once those changes have been made, this issue could be closed. Please add a comment to this issue if there are any outstanding additions needed to any of the release guides that should be completed before closing this issue.

[georgemccabe]

The updates to the METplus Release Guide listed in #673 (comment) have been added. After any updates to the MET Release Guide have been completed, we can close this issue.

[JohnHalleyGotway]

I have updated the Release Guide instructions based on the MET version 10.1.0 release. I assume we can and should revise these instructions as needed for future releases. But minor doc-only updates do not require a GitHub issue to be created for each.

I'm going to close this issue now, since we have definitely created the release guide and are now actively using it! Thanks to everyone's input and effort in putting this together. I think its fantastic.

If any of the assignees want to keep this issue open, please feel free to reopen it.