1.. _feature-tracking:
2
3Feature Tracking
4#################
5
6For feature tracking we use Github labels to classify new features and
7enhancements. The following is the description of each category:
8
9Enhancement
10  Changes to existing features that are not considered a bug and would not
11  block a release. This is an incremental enhancement to a feature that already
12  exists in Zephyr.
13
14Feature request
15  A request for the implementation or inclusion of a new unit of functionality
16  that is not part of any release plans yet, that has not been vetted, and needs
17  further discussion and details.
18
19Feature
20  A committed and planned unit of functionality with a detailed design and
21  implementation proposal and an owner. Features must go through an RFC process
22  and must be vetted and discussed in the TSC before a target milestone is set.
23
24Hardware Support
25  A request or plan to port an existing feature or enhancement to a particular
26  hardware platform. This ranges from porting Zephyr itself to a new
27  architecture, SoC or board to adding an implementation of a peripheral driver
28  API for an existing hardware platform.
29
30Meta
31  A label to group other GitHub issues that are part of a single feature or unit
32  of work.
33
34The following workflow should be used to process features:.
35
36This is the formal way for asking for a new feature in Zephyr and indicating its
37importance to the project.  Often, the requester may have a readiness and
38willingness to drive implementation of the feature in an upcoming release, and
39should assign the request to themselves.
40If not though, an owner will be assigned after evaluation by the TSC.
41A feature request can also have a companion RFC with more details on the feature
42and a proposed design or implementation.
43
44- Label new features requests as ``feature-request``
45- The TSC discusses new ``feature-request`` items regularly and triages them.
46  Items are examined for similarity with existing features, how they fit with
47  the project goals and other timeline considerations. The priority is
48  determined as follows:
49
50  - High = Next milestone
51  - Medium = As soon as possible
52  - Low = Best effort
53
54- After the initial discussion and triaging, the label is moved from
55  ``feature-request`` to ``feature`` with the target milestone and an assignee.
56
57All items marked as ``feature-request`` are non-binding and those without an
58assignee are open for grabs, meaning that they can be picked up and implemented
59by any project member or the community. You should contact an assigned owner if
60you'd like to discuss or contribute to that feature's implementation
61
62
63Roadmap and Release Plans
64*************************
65
66Project roadmaps and release plans are both important tools for the project, but
67they have very different purposes and should not be confused. A project roadmap
68communicates the high-level overview of a project's strategy, while a release
69plan is a tactical document designed to capture and track the features planned
70for upcoming releases.
71
72- The project roadmap communicates the why; a release plan details the what
73- A release plan spans only a few months; a product roadmap might cover a year
74  or more
75
76
77Project Roadmap
78================
79
80The project roadmap should serve as a high-level, visual summary of the
81project's strategic objectives and expectations.
82
83If built properly, the roadmap can be a valuable tool for several reasons. It
84can help the project present its plan in a compelling way to existing and new
85stakeholders, to help recruit new members and it can be a helpful resource the
86team and community can refer to throughout the project's development, to ensure
87they are still executing according to plan.
88
89As such, the roadmap should contain only strategic-level details, major project
90themes, epics, and goals.
91
92
93Release Plans
94==============
95
96The release plan comes into play when the project roadmap's high-level strategy
97is translated into an actionable plan built on specific features, enhancements,
98and fixes that need to go into a specific release or milestone.
99
100The release plan communicates those features and enhancements slated for your
101project' next release (or the next few releases). So it acts as more of a
102project plan, breaking the big ideas down into smaller projects the community
103and main stakeholders of the project can make progress on.
104
105Items labeled as ``features`` are short or long term release items that shall
106have an assignee and a milestone set.
107