[Python-Dev] feature freeze questions

[Eli Bendersky]

>> I have a few questions about feature freeze:
>>
>> (1) Is increasing test coverage acceptable during feature freeze, even
>> if it does not involve fixing a bug?
>>
>> (2) When adding new tests (e.g. in the course of fixing a bug or
>> increasing test coverage), are we allowed to refactor other tests so
>> that supporting test code can be shared?  Or should the tests be added
>> in a less DRY fashion and refactored only after the branch goes back
>> to pre-alpha?
>
> You can do basically anything you want to tests just as long as you
> don't make them less stable.
>
>>
>> (3) What types of documentation changes are allowed during feature
>> freeze?  For example, are we only allowed to fix incorrect
>> information, or is it acceptable to improve or add to the information
>> about existing functionality?
>
> All documentation changes are accepted.

A follow-up question: during the RC stage, do documentation & test
changes require code review by an additional core dev?

This also leads me to think about minor (= bugfix) releases. For
example, current commits to the 3.2 branch will (presumably) go into
3.2.4 once it's out. Should these commits have the same restrictions
as commits to an upcoming release that's in RC stage? Common sense
would suggest they should (since any change can break existing
functionality and lead to regressions in a previously stable release),
but in practice I don't think this is followed. At least not to the
letter, with the devguide stating:

    You cannot skip the peer review during an RC, no matter how small!
Even if it is a simple copy-and-paste change, everything requires peer
review from a core developer.

Eli