@@ -10,16 +10,20 @@ parent: active ZEPs
1010nav_order : 1
1111---
1212
13- ## ZEP 0 — Purpose and process
13+ # ZEP 0 — Purpose and process
1414
15- Author: Sanket Verma
< [email protected] > 15+ Author: Sanket Verma [ (@MSanKeys963 )] ( https://github.com/msankeys963 ) , Zarr
16+
17+ Email address:
< [email protected] > 1618
1719Status: Active
1820
1921Type: Process
2022
2123Created: 2022-14-03
2224
25+ Discussion: < https://github.com/zarr-developers/governance/pull/16 >
26+
2327## What is ZEP?
2428
2529ZEP stands for Zarr Enhancement Proposal. A ZEP is a design document providing
@@ -65,17 +69,17 @@ Zarr community.
6569- ** Core protocol ZEP**
6670
6771Describes a ZEP which involves changes in the core specification of Zarr. Core
68- protocol ZEPs (commonly known as Core ZEPs) are a part of SPEC ZEPs and apply to
69- [ Zarr Specifications] and its various implementations under the
70- [ zarr_implementations] GitHub repo. The core protocol ZEPs should be adopted by
71- every implementation of Zarr and, in general, the overall Zarr community. Core
72- ZEPs must go through a thorough review process, including involvement,
73- discussion, and voting from the author of the proposed ZEP, Zarr Steering
74- Council, author(s) of various Zarr implementations, and open-source
75- projects/research groups using Zarr and the general Zarr community. The general
76- advice is that everyone should be made aware of changes introduced by core
77- ZEPs. Core protocol ZEPs require community consensus, and developers or users
78- are typically not free to ignore them.
72+ protocol ZEPs (commonly known as Core ZEPs) are a part of SPEC ZEPs and apply
73+ to [ Zarr Specifications] and its various implementations under the
74+ [ zarr-developers/ zarr_implementations] GitHub repo. The core protocol ZEPs
75+ should be adopted by every implementation of Zarr and, in general, the overall
76+ Zarr community. Core ZEPs must go through a thorough review process, including
77+ involvement, discussion, and voting from the author of the proposed ZEP, Zarr
78+ Steering Council, author(s) of various Zarr implementations (ZIC) , and
79+ open-source projects/research groups using Zarr and the general Zarr community.
80+ The general advice is that everyone should be made aware of changes introduced
81+ by core ZEPs. Core protocol ZEPs require community consensus, and developers or
82+ users are typically not free to ignore them.
7983
8084Note: Currently, Specification ZEPs only deal with the core specification of Zarr.
8185The scope of SPEC ZEPs will be extended in the future.
@@ -100,19 +104,22 @@ is also considered a Process ZEP.
100104
101105## ZEP Workflow
102106
103- The ZEP process begins with a new idea for Zarr. It is highly recommended that
104- a single ZEP contain a single key proposal or new idea. Small enhancements or
107+ The ZEP process begins with a new idea for Zarr. It is highly recommended that a
108+ single ZEP contain a single key proposal or new idea. Small enhancements or
105109patches often don’t need a ZEP and can be injected into the Zarr development
106- workflow with a pull request to the Zarr ZEP repo. The more focused the ZEP,
107- the more successful it tends to be. If in doubt, split your ZEP into several
108- well-focused ones.
110+ workflow with a pull request to the [ ZEPs ] or [ zarr-specs ] repo. The more
111+ focused the ZEP, the more successful it tends to be. If in doubt, split your
112+ ZEP into several well-focused ones.
109113
110114Each ZEP must have a champion -- someone who writes the ZEP using the style and
111115format described below, shepherds the discussions in the appropriate forums,
112116and attempts to build community consensus around the idea. The ZEP champion
113117(a.k.a. Author) should first attempt to ascertain whether the idea is suitable
114- for a ZEP. Posting to [ Gitter] or creating an issue on the [ community] repository
115- or posting on the organization [ discussions] are the best ways to go about doing this.
118+ for a ZEP.
119+
120+ ** Asking around during the [ ZEPs meetings] /creating an issue in the
121+ [ ZEPs] repository/posting to [ Gitter] /posting on the organization [ discussions]
122+ are the best ways to do this.**
116123
117124The ZEP champion is the lead author of the ZEP. A ZEP should have a lead
118125author and can have multiple co-author(s).
@@ -130,34 +137,29 @@ mentioned below. This allows the author to flesh out the draft ZEP to make it
130137properly formatted, of high quality, and address initial concerns about the
131138proposal.
132139
133- After the PR for the ZEP is in place, an issue should be created in the [ ZEPs]
134- repository, containing the sections up to “Backward compatibility” to limit
135- discussion there to usage and impact. Discussion on the pull request will have
136- a broader scope, including details of implementation.
137-
138140Spec ZEPs consist of two parts, a PR to the [ zarr-specs] repository containing
139141changes to the spec and a PR to the [ ZEPs] repository containing a narrative
140142document explaining the need, importance and use-case for the change. It is
141143also highly recommended that the specification ZEP be accompanied by an
142144implementation PR in at least one of the repositories represented in the
143- [ zarr_implementations] .
145+ [ zarr-developers/ zarr_implementations] .
144146
145- ### Submitting a ZEP
147+ ## Submitting a ZEP
146148
147- For Spec ZEPs, the proposal should be submitted as a draft ZEP via two GitHub
149+ For SPEC ZEPs, the proposal should be submitted as a draft ZEP via two GitHub
148150pull requests, one to the [ ZEPs] repo and the other to the [ zarr-specs] repository.
149151
150152The first PR should contain the narrative text of the ZEP and should be
151- submitted in the zep repository with the name ` zep-<n>.md ` under /zeps/draft/
153+ submitted in the zep repository with the name ` zep-<n>.md ` under [ /zeps/draft/]
152154where ` <n> ` is an appropriately assigned four-digit number. The draft ZEP must
153155use the [ ZEP X - Template and Instructions] [ template.md ] file.
154156
155157The second PR should contain actual changes and should be submitted in the
156- [ zarr-specs] repository. That PR repository should mention the assigned
157- four-digit ZEP number from the zarr-developers/zep repository.
158+ [ zarr-specs] repository. The PR should mention the assigned four-digit ZEP
159+ number from the [ zarr-developers/zeps ] repository.
158160
159- For ZEPs other than spec , the proposal should be submitted as a draft ZEP via a
160- GitHub pull request to the [ zarr-developers/zep ] repository with the name
161+ For ZEPs other than SPEC , the proposal should be submitted as a draft ZEP via a
162+ GitHub pull request to the [ zarr-developers/zeps ] repository with the name
161163` zep-<n>.md ` where ` <n> ` is an appropriately assigned four-digit number (e.g.,
162164zep-0000.md). The draft ZEP must use the
163165[ ZEP X - Template and Instructions] [ template.md ] file.
@@ -168,20 +170,28 @@ A few points to consider while submitting your ZEP:
168170- The title should accurately describe the content.
169171- The ZEP’s language (spelling, grammar, sentence structure etc.) and code style should be correct and conformant.
170172
171- The [ Zarr Steering Council]
172- and the Zarr Implementations Council will not unreasonably deny publication of
173- a ZEP. Reasons for denying ZEP include duplication of effort, being technically
174- unsound, not providing proper motivation or addressing backwards compatibility,
175- or not taking care of Zarr [ CODE OF CONDUCT] .
173+ The [ Zarr Steering Council] and the [ Zarr Implementations Council] will not
174+ unreasonably deny publication of a ZEP. Reasons for denying ZEP include
175+ duplication of effort, being technically unsound, not providing proper
176+ motivation or addressing backwards compatibility, or not taking care of Zarr
177+ [ CODE OF CONDUCT] .
178+
179+ → ** In conclusion: The submission of SPEC ZEPs needs two PRs, and other ZEPs need one PR.**
176180
177- ### Discussing a ZEP
181+ ## Discussing a ZEP
178182
179- As soon as the draft ZEP is committed to the ZEP repository, the author(s)
180- should create a discussion thread for the ZEP to provide a central place to
183+ As soon as the draft ZEP is committed to the ZEP repository, the author
184+ (s) should create a discussion thread for the ZEP to provide a central place to
181185discuss and review its contents. The ZEP author(s) may create an issue in
182- [ ZEPs] repository and or similarly create an issue in [ zarr-specs] repository
183- for specifications ZEPs. The discussion regarding the ZEP should follow Zarr’s
184- [ CODE OF CONDUCT] at all times.
186+ [ ZEPs] repository for informational and process ZEPs and or similarly create an
187+ issue in [ zarr-specs] repository for specifications ZEPs.
188+
189+ If the author prefers to hold the discussion for SPEC ZEPs in the second PR
190+ submitted in the [ zarr-specs] repository (as mentioned above), there's no need
191+ to create an issue.
192+
193+ The discussion regarding the ZEP should follow Zarr’s [ CODE OF CONDUCT] at all
194+ times.
185195
186196ZEP authors are responsible for collecting community feedback on a ZEP.
187197However, to avoid long-winded and open-ended discussions, strategies such as
@@ -197,7 +207,7 @@ avoids fragmenting the discussion, and makes sure it is fully considered as
197207part of the ZEP review process. Comments, support, concerns and other feedback
198208on this designated thread are a critical part when reviewing the ZEP.
199209
200- ### Review and Resolution
210+ ## Review and Resolution
201211
202212The possible paths of the status of ZEPs are as follows:
203213
@@ -209,10 +219,14 @@ Eventually, after the discussion, there may be a consensus that the ZEP should
209219be accepted - see the next section for details. At this point, the status
210220becomes ` Accepted ` .
211221
212- Once a Specification ZEP has been Accepted, the second PR which was submitted in
222+ ** Once a Specification ZEP has been Accepted** , the second PR which was submitted in
213223the [ zarr-specs] repository must be merged. After that, the status will be
214224changed to ` Final ` .
215225
226+ ** Once an informational or process ZEP has been Accepted** , the author should
227+ implement changes in the procedure, guidelines, decision-making process, etc.
228+ ASAP.
229+
216230To allow the gathering of additional design and interface feedback before
217231committing to long term stability for specification change or standard library
218232API, ZEP may also be marked as ` “Provisional” ` . This is short for
@@ -248,7 +262,7 @@ obsolete. The `Replaced-By` and `Replaces` headers should be added to the
248262original and new ZEPs respectively. Process ZEPs may also have a status of
249263` Active ` if they are never meant to be completed, e.g. ZEP 0 (this ZEP).
250264
251- ### How does a ZEP become accepted?
265+ ## How does a ZEP become accepted?
252266
253267A ZEP is ` Accepted ` by the consensus of all interested contributors. We need a
254268concrete way to tell whether the agreement has been reached.
@@ -258,15 +272,16 @@ concrete way to tell whether the agreement has been reached.
258272We believe Core ZEPs are of utmost importance and should follow a thorough
259273review before acceptance. Core ZEPs introduce changes in the core
260274specification, which are necessary for every other implementation and everyone
261- in the general community to follow. The [ Zarr Steering Council] and
262- [ Zarr Implementations Council] closely review the Core ZEPs, while the author(s) should
263- simultaneously engage the community in their ZEP at several discussion forums
264- mentioned previously. The ZSC and ZIC would take community consensus into account
265- while taking the final decision on the Core ZEPs. Author(s) should ensure that
266- the involvement and discussion form the consensus on the ZEP from the author of
267- various Zarr implementations, open-source projects/research groups using Zarr,
268- the general Zarr community, and anyone else they, ZSC and ZIC think should be
269- included in the discussions. The Core ZEPs are accepted by:
275+ in the general community to follow. The [ Zarr Steering Council] (ZSC) and
276+ [ Zarr Implementations Council] (ZIC) closely review the Core ZEPs, while the
277+ author(s) should simultaneously engage the community in their ZEP at several
278+ discussion forums mentioned previously. The ZSC and ZIC would take community
279+ consensus into account while taking the final decision on the Core ZEPs. Author
280+ (s) should ensure that the involvement and discussion form the consensus on the
281+ ZEP from the author of various Zarr implementations, open-source
282+ projects/research groups using Zarr, the general Zarr community, and anyone
283+ else they, ZSC and ZIC think should be included in the discussions. The Core
284+ ZEPs are accepted by:
270285
271286- Unanimous approval of the [ Zarr Steering Council]
272287
@@ -290,7 +305,7 @@ For ZEPs, other than specifications, the author(s) must form a consensus around
290305their proposal. They may refer to [ Discussing a ZEP] ( #discussing-a-zep ) section to pick an avenue
291306for discussion and engaging the community.
292307
293- ** When you think ZEP is ready to accept** , create a new issue in [ zarr-developers/zep ]
308+ ** When you think ZEP is ready to accept** , create a new issue in [ zarr-developers/zeps ]
294309with a subject like:
295310
296311> ` Proposal to accept ZEP <number>: <title> `
@@ -299,8 +314,8 @@ with a subject like:
299314
300315- Link to the latest version of ZEP,
301316- Briefly describe any major points of contention and how they were resolved,
302- - Include a sentence like: “If there are no substantive objections within 7 days
303- from this post, then the ZEP will be accepted;
317+ - Include a sentence like: ** “If there are no substantive objections within 7 days
318+ from this post, then the ZEP will be accepted** ;
304319
305320After you create the issue, you should make sure to link the newly created
306321thread in the ` Discussion ` section of the ZEP, so that people can find it later.
@@ -317,10 +332,10 @@ There may be a case that a ZEP didn’t attract needed attention towards it, the
317332engagement from the community is low, and ` 7 days ` pass by. In this case,
318333the author(s) of the ZEP must make necessary efforts to spread the word about
319334the ZEP through [ Gitter] or using the organisation [ discussions] feature of
320- GitHub or, if needed, creating an additional issue in the [ community] repository.
321- In addition, the author(s) should get in touch with the [ Zarr Steering Council ]
322- to prevent the case that the ZEP was accepted due to less participation from the
323- community.
335+ GitHub or, if needed, creating an additional issue in the [ community] or [ ZEPs ]
336+ repository. In addition, the author(s) should get in touch with the
337+ [ Zarr Steering Council ] to prevent the case that the ZEP was accepted due to
338+ less participation from the community.
324339
325340If all the above options are exhausted by the author(s), then it’s the
326341responsibility of the [ Zarr Steering Council] to take the final decision on the
@@ -332,7 +347,7 @@ side of asking for more feedback and looking for opportunities to compromise.
332347
333348If the final comment period passes without any substantive objections, then the
334349ZEP can officially be marked ` Accepted ` . You should create a follow-up
335- issue in [ zarr-developers/zep ] repository notifying everyone
350+ issue in [ zarr-developers/zeps ] repository notifying everyone
336351(celebratory emoji optional but encouraged 🎉✨), and then update the ZEP by
337352setting its ` :Status: ` to ` Accepted ` , and it's ` :Resolution: ` header to a link
338353to your follow-up discussion (the last issue created) thread.
@@ -344,7 +359,7 @@ later once the objections are resolved.
344359In unusual cases, the [ Zarr Steering Council] may be asked to decide whether a
345360controversial ZEP is ` Accepted ` .
346361
347- ### Maintenance
362+ ## Maintenance
348363
349364In general, SPEC ZEPs are no longer modified after they have reached the Final
350365state. The changes made to the Zarr’s core specification in the
@@ -361,7 +376,7 @@ ZEPs are UTF-8 encoded text files using the [GitHub flavoured markdown] format.
361376Please see the [ ZEP X - Template and Instructions] [ template.md ] file and the
362377[ GitHub Markdown Spec] for more information.
363378
364- ### Header Preamble
379+ ## Header Preamble
365380
366381```
367382Author: <list of authors’ real names and email addresses>
@@ -397,6 +412,7 @@ This document has been placed in the public domain.
397412[ GitHub flavoured markdown ] : https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/writing-on-github/getting-started-with-writing-and-formatting-on-github/basic-writing-and-formatting-syntax
398413[ GitHub Markdown Spec ] : https://github.github.com/gfm/
399414[ template.md ] : https://zarr.dev/zeps/template/template.html
415+ [ ZEPs meetings ] : https://zarr.dev/zeps/meetings/
400416
401417<!-- governance specific links -->
402418[ CODE OF CONDUCT ] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/.github/blob/main/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
@@ -406,8 +422,9 @@ This document has been placed in the public domain.
406422<!-- github links: capitalization matches that of the repo -->
407423[ community ] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/community
408424[ discussions ] : https://github.com/orgs/zarr-developers/discussions
409- [ zarr_implementations ] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/zarr_implementations
425+ [ zarr-developers/ zarr_implementations] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/zarr_implementations
410426[ zarr-specs ] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/zarr-specs
411427[ ZEPs ] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/zeps
412428[ https://github.com/zarr-developers/governance/pull/16 ] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/governance/pull/16
413- [ zarr-developers/zep ] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/zeps
429+ [ zarr-developers/zeps ] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/zeps
430+ [ /zeps/draft/ ] : https://github.com/zarr-developers/zeps/tree/main/draft
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