General - Call for Maintainers and Longterm Plan

[skipjack]

Adding this as general outline and todo list for what's planned in terms of high-level changes and organization. Please feel free make suggestions and, if you are interested in picking up something from here, let us know and we can give some guidance. I think it's important that most issues on this repo stay focused on content.

Infrastructure

We either need to finish #980 -- which still needs some work, possibly on the antwar level -- or port the site to a more stable build tool like phenomic or gatsby. Porting the site would also offer a few things, like full HMR, that #980 doesn't address but will require some serious thought. Either way these are the infrastructure issues we need to solve:

• Synchronized routing and /content structure with less configuration.
• Resolve <title> issues (e.g. Dev - Title Missing on Voting Page #720).
• Display index pages correctly (Dev - Display Index Pages Correctly #1085).
• Bail if YAML/Markdown parsing fails (Dev - Bail if YAML/Markdown Parsing Fails #1070).
• Interactive bundles contain duplicate code (Dev - Bundles Contain Duplicate Code #877).
• Easier specification of custom layouts per guide (e.g. Comparison is hard to read #1367).
• Migrate away from marked and clean up process (Markdown Syntax and Processing webpack-contrib/webpack-defaults#73).
• Better HMR, faster builds, and quicker build tests.
• Allow illustrations via Mermaid (Dev - Allow Illustrations Via Mermaid #469).
• Turn the site into a PWA (sync w @TheLarkInn).
• Consider a better hosting/deployment setup like Netlify (e.g. 404 CSS not loading for https://webpack.js.org/ #845).
• Mark releases (synced with main package) and archive them (Dev - Archive Versions #176, feat(automatic-release): Generation of automatic release #1017).
• Continue component/utility modularization and simplification.

The last one refers to outsourcing much of the custom dev-related stuff to more modular packages like the voting app or extracted banner.

Information Architecture (#438)

Certain infrastructure changes should make some of this much easier. Specifically the fact that in newer versions of Antwar as well as in Phenomic and Gatsby -- routing is automatically synchronized/based on the structure of the /content directory. This means far less configuration and a more intuitive repository.

• Top level pages should use a wider layout (e.g. Comparison is hard to read #1367)
• Support, Development, and maybe sponsors/backers => Contribute (Consider renaming the "support" page #1365)
• CLI nav link should be removed (it will instead just be found under API)
• The articles should then be organized and structured as discussed in Dev - Information Architecture (Page Groups) #438

Content

This is the main reason I've added this umbrella issue and closed many of the smaller dev-related enhancements and bugs. The main focus of this site should always be the content. We are making a lot of progress on #1258 but new issues and PRs crop up every day making it very hard to get things done without letting the repo slip back into chaos. This also provides a location for maintainers to quickly touch base and keep track of the overarching plan.

We really need a team of 3 - 5 consistent content writers/maintainers that can help ensure the docs have a fairly consistent voice/approach and each section has well-defined goals. Please ping me if you are interested. I've seen many people frustrated with the old docs and parts of the current docs but much fewer who will take the time to help us address these issues once and for all. Don't get me wrong -- we appreciate every one of the 400+ contributors 🎉 🎉 🎉 -- but at the same time it's very hard to build a coherent site without some core authors/reviewers.

Here's where we're at from a high-level:

• Finish open tickets and missing documentation (or at least keep them under control).
• Review, organize, and define clear goals for Concepts.
• Review, organize, and define clear goals for Guides (in progress -- Guides - Review and Simplify #1258).
• Review, organize, and define clear goals for Configuration.
• Review, organize, and define clear goals for API (including CLI -- sync with @ev1stensberg)

[skipjack]

Ok... I know some might be saying "woah" with all these issues closed but, as mentioned above I'd like the focus to be finishing the high-priority content issues and then pushing much of this forward. Also many of the issues I closed relate to similar build-process updates whether it be #980 or a port.

I did leave some of the more active threads open like #438 and #469 open... and once work has begun on any of the things above I think it'd be fine to open new issues or re-open the older tickets. My main problem with them is that many are related to one another and have been stagnant for far too long. My hope is that having them in one place will lead more discussion and action to get them resolved.

[montogeek]

I could help with the site issues, I have fixed some errors from antwar in the past and also improved a few pages.

[thescientist13]

Just saw @TheLarkInn 's tweet, and just wanted to drop a line to say I would love to help out! Just let me know what you need from me!

A little about me: At work I primarily work with JavaScript applications and the ecosystem of build tools around that, and I do a lot in the space around training and mentorship, with a big concentration in developer experience (new and senior alike). I also like technical writing.

[quantizor]

Gatsby I think would be a great choice for a different SSG. It addresses several of the items on your checklist simultaneously! https://github.com/gatsbyjs/gatsby/releases/tag/v1.0.1

[shaodahong]

Yes, there should be a more concise page, a more readable document and a smoother experience

[tanyagray]

Would be interested in helping with this. Haven't been a contributor before so not sure how the time demands would work out. My background is in teaching and in writing training materials for teaching programming in schools, so would offer a keen eye for how docs are interpreted by beginner devs.

Edit: and very keen webpack user 😎

[evenstensberg]

For anyone interested in contributing with the CLI, I'm willing to help anyone out on the webpack-cli and how that works. Do you want a summary of plans here or on slack @skipjack ?

[pspeter3]

Are you looking for individual contributions at all? I'd be interested in helping with TypeScript + Webpack.

[TheLarkInn]

My background is in teaching and in writing training materials for teaching programming in schools, so would offer a keen eye for how docs are interpreted by beginner devs.

@tanyagray I think you would bring considerable value for "Review, organize, and define clear goals for concepts section" if you'd be willing to tackle that with me. If so break that into a separate issue and tag me, and then we can audit together that entire content section.

[sushant-j]

Hi, came here after reading tweet by @theLarkin.. I would like to contribute but not sure how much can I help as a beginner myself.
I can think of contributing to sections which might be difficult for someone starting out, as I sometimes felt.
Thanks :)

[ChrisChinchilla]

I can help with the docs, been looking for a decent open source project to put some time into.

I am a full time technical writer and blogger, and also give presentations to developers about better writing.

This is my site - gregariousmammal.com
And LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/chrischinchilla

Current experience a little out of date, but the past few months I've been helping out with here, PagerDuty, OverOps, Coralogix, CodeShip, Tech Beacon, BCG Ventures and a few others.

I am one of the crazy ones who loves to write docs and spend most of my time reviewing and editing developer submitted documentation, and figuring out what they really mean in a way that everyone can understand. Oh, and I live in Berlin, so spend a lot of time reviewing non-native speakers.

[GemmaCroad]

Hey, I saw the tweet from @TheLarkInn so thought I would drop in and say hello and put my hand up.

I haven't contributed to any open source projects before, but I do love well written docs and consider myself a very detail orientated person.

[ematipico]

I follow up by giving my greetings! I'd like to contribute as well, it's been years that I use webpack on production projects, also enterprise level; and I am specialized in it.

I'd like to spend some time to help to create and fix some documentation :)

Thanks!

[FabioAntunes]

Just saw @TheLarkInn tweet, I would love to help. Recently I had to teach PHP developers about all this new front end eco system

[aendra-rininsland]

Hi! I also noticed @TheLarkInn's tweet. I wrote a book that involved a fair bit of Webpack config and I'd love to give back by helping out however I can — happy to do writing, editing or any of the site-related stuff (I have experience with both Phenomic and Gatsby).

[sbaidon]

Hi! I also saw @TheLarkInn tweet. I have been wanting to contribute to open source and I think this is a great opportunity. I also consider myself a beginner so I don't know if I could be of much help. I am thinking I could help out with translations to spanish if that is in the plans.

Thanks!!

[geoffdavis92]

@TheLarkInn @skipjack I commented on twitter that I'd be interested in reviewing content. Though I would be better suited for site updates if those are in the pipeline.

[Jorybraun]

Ok, I've never contributed to any open source library before could anyone pick a good ticket for me to dedicate my Sunday towards.

[TheLarkInn]

@Jorybraun et al: i'm going to try and spend 30 minutes today and make a list that might be great for "My first PR"

[Jorybraun]

@TheLarkInn : I was thinking about this : but its a big job #1397

[TheLarkInn]

That would be incredible. I'll tag you there and we can discuss breaking it down into measurable smaller pieces.

[skipjack]

@probablyup yep my bad -- the one @montogeek provided is correct (webpack-contrib/webpack-defaults#73) and I updated my comment.

Certainly one of the things that I had a lot of trouble with was module resolutions with bower_components & node_modules and defining how they're resolved. So maybe that?

@leggsimon sure is there a particular issue or section of the docs you were thinking about addressing in relation to module resolution? Maybe a review of the configuration page would be a good start?

[fokusferit]

@ev1stensberg thanks to @TheLarkInn 's tweet and Lauri Apple's discussion I came across this. I'd be interested in the CLI topic from a long-term perspective. Also trying to get a second developer here from Zalando who is also interested.

Regarding short term, I'm seeing already some help-wanted tags but not sure if they are a good starting point or already bigger topics ? I've also found an interesting overview here #1258 (comment) and maybe the checklist in #1258 there is a good starting point ?

[evenstensberg]

Hi @fokusferit , sweet! I don't have any participation in the short terms you mentioned, but I'm happy to help you with webpack-cli and getting you started there. As slightly mentioned @ematipico is also working with the CLI now.

If you're available, I can have a hangouts with you and Emanuele to walk you through the codebase?

If anyone else is interested in figuring out the internals of the CLI, give me a hover ✋

[skipjack]

@fokusferit if you could help pick up some of the help-wanted tickets that would be awesome. It seems we already have a few volunteers over at #1258 but if there's one you'd really like to tackle feel free to comment.

[fokusferit]

@ev1stensberg I will just ping @LeoAref @frontendherodk (hope it works), so we are all interested and up for a Hangout to go through the codebase :) Do you need sth ? Mail ?

@skipjack will go through that, thanks!

[evenstensberg]

@fokusferit shoot me an email, and I'll mail you to arrange a date :)

[LeoAref]

@fokusferit @ev1stensberg I'm ready for it 👍

[skipjack]

@ChrisChinchilla @dakebl I know this thread has gotten a bit noisy but if either or you are still interested please don't hesitate to reach out to me either via gitter or by email.

[evenstensberg]

Hangouts is next Tuesday 2 - 3 pm or 3 - 4 pm (Berlin-time), I'll post a link here a couple of hours before we start 🎆

[MoOx]

If you have any question about Phenomic, feel free to poke me. v1 alpha is still early (note: not in term of API stability because we learned from our 0.x ^^) but we would like to help you if possible as we think Phenomic is a perfect fit for webpack.js.org.

[frontendherodk]

@ev1stensberg Sounds good!

[fokusferit]

To everyone who is interested as we have some people also from Zalando interested in the topic:

• We organized the hangout regarding webpack CLI today from 3:30 - 4:30 pm (CEST, Central European Time), you can join us later this link see you soon!

[evenstensberg]

This is also a CLI meeting about future plans :)

[ChrisChinchilla]

@skipjack @dakebl I completely missed notifications on this post, but still keen and happy to coordinate a meeting. I am in CEST.

[skipjack]

@ChrisChinchilla no worries, are you on Gitter? @dakebl you? We could set up a little room there to discuss at first or just talk in the webpack/docs room.

[skipjack]

@MoOx will do, thanks for the offer! I think what I'll do is close this issue out once we finish finding content writers and open a separate issue specific to development work. I'll make sure to cc you.

[ChrisChinchilla]

@skipjack @dakebl I am now…

[skipjack]

Ok I'm going to close this out this weekend and open a dev-specific issue/checklist in its place (as I mentioned above). If anyone is still interested in contributing but hasn't found a section or issue, please don't hesitate to ping me. It'd be great if we could find one or two people to lead the content work on the /api section.

[skipjack]

Closing in favor of more targeted high-level issues (e.g. #1258, #1386, and #1525) now that we've started to get a bunch of help.

If anyone from this thread has not found an issue to tackle or section to dive into please don't hesitate to ping me on gitter and I will gladly help you with that. This site is finally under (just barely) one page of issues and we're going to try to keep it that way. Any and all help is much appreciated!

@thescientist13 @JessRudder if either or both of you wanted to tackle #1145 (writing PWA with webpack guide) that would be fantastic.