[devtools-rfcs] Clarify the status of node workflows in /devtools/

[Julian Descottes]

A new proposal has been posted on https://github.com/devtools-html/rfcs

subject: Clarify the status of node workflows in /devtools/
link: https://github.com/devtools-html/rfcs/issues/35

> We have a couple of package.json files in tree, the status of them is
unclear.
> Are they used? If yes, for what? By who? Do they still work?
>
> devtools/client/inspector/package.json
> Seems to be broken a while now. There is no documentation. Should we
get rid of it as
> well as bin, webpack files, local-toolbox?
>
> devtools/client/netmonitor/package.json
> There is a documentation for this one. Is this up to date? (It still
mentions
> Immutable.)
> But this setup seems to have been broken for quite a while without
any notice.
> See this bug.
> Is it used by anyone on the team?
> It seems to only be used for npm workflow to develop via launchpad in
a tab.
> Do we have contributors still using this workflow?
>
> devtools/client/webconsole/package.json
> I have the same feedback and questions regarding console. But this
time there is no
> documentation, unless it is somewhere else, outside of m-c? Is this
used only for
> running npm test or does it also allow to run the console via
launchpad? If that's
> only for tests, couldn't we get the test to run as mochitest?
>
> devtools/client/sourceeditor/package.json
> No documentation for this one. It seems used only for building a
webpack bundle. Is
> it used at all?
>
> If you don't take each folder individually it highlights that we have
some
> inter-dependency and duplicated efforts and files between console,
inspector and
> netmonitor. If we want to be serious about these alternative workflows,
we should
> maintain them seriously or get rid of them until we have time to invest
in them. By
> maintaining, I mean, having documentation, CI and more importantly,
always have people
> on the team using it daily.
>
> Answering these question would help prioritizing work to add npm support
on Taskcluster.

Comment on the GitHub issue if you want to join the conversation!