Software Engineering Process and Tools in the Mozilla Project

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Software Engineering Process and Tools in the
Mozilla Project

• How open-source CM tools made Firefox the fastest
  and safest web browser

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Before CM Processes

• Early Mozilla development began with few
  formalized requirements
• Many foundational codebase changes took place due
  to community need
• Almost anyone could check in code
• The result was chaos and gave Microsoft a 2 year
  headstart on Firefox

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CVS

• Mozilla has always used CVS as the method to
  alter the tree
• CVS allows
• Versioning
• Branching
• Concurrent development
• Worldwide access
• Preferred VV enforcement tool

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Bonsai - Graphical CVS Tool
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Bonsai

• Allows one to query CVS for the latest check-ins
  done to the repository
• Shows check-in comments with hyperlinks to the
  Bugzilla bug that was fixed
• Provides an interface to view differences between
  versions of files in the CVS repository
• Allows visual identification of which developers
  are responsible for which sections of a single
  code file

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Tinderbox

• Tinderbox is an automated system to track
  compilations and tests
• Red indicates compilation failed
• Orange indicates compilation succeeded, but the
  test-suite failed
• Green indicates compilation and tests ran
  successfully
• Yellow indicates compilation is still in progress

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Tinderbox Screenshot
Only Sheriffs can approve check-ins
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Firefox Tinderbox
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BugzillaManaging Software Development
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Bugzilla Features

• Track bugs and code changes
• Communicate with teammates
• Submit and review patches
• Manage quality assurance (QA)

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Bugzilla Benefits

• Improves communication
• Increases product quality
• Improves customer satisfaction
• Ensures accountability
• Increases productivity
• Adaptable to multiple situations

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Summary

• Anarchy reigned supreme in Mozilla prior to the
  use of CM tools
• CVS is the process enforcement tool
• Bonsai is a CVS to web interface tool
• Bugzilla manages issues and enables triage
• Tinderbox is software for automating verification
  and validation

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• http//getfirefox.com
• http//mozilla.org