Review a patch as a Core Merger

Please see Review a patch for general information on how to review a patch, also the cheat-sheet on common review issues.

As a Core Merger you have a huge responsibility because your vote (or misvote) has an impact on dedicated work of contributors or colleagues. This swings both ways: You can also greatly impact confidence and participation by being involved in a public voting and commenting process.

Remember that you represent the TYPO3 project as a public-facing "Person with Power". Please try to always vote by explaining your reasoning, and feel free to correspond with your fellow Co-Mergers for impactful decisions.

Vote by clicking the Reply button

Voting +1

Practical considerations

The Core Merger who gave an early +1 should try and go back to transform the +1 into a +2 after a second review came in, if applicable.

Each newly pushed patch requires a complete new round of voting before it can be submitted. So everyone that reviewed once is invited to re-vote as soon as a new patch is pushed. Using Gerrit's Patch History feature allows to quickly see what has changed from the already reviewed patch to the new one.

Consider these rules when comparing patches:

  • If the patch was re-pushed due to the comments, check the diff between the versions of the patch.
  • If the patch needed to be rebased onto current main, the change set might contain the changes due to rebasing. So better check the diff between base and most recent version in this case.

Voting +2

Ready to merge

A Core Merger can give a +2 vote on Code Review and Verified if there is already a positive vote by another Core Merger.

Patches of low complexity

A Core Merger can give a +2 and submit right away in case of patches that are of very low complexity (like spelling corrections, indentation, or obvious bugs), and are highly unlikely to negatively impact anything.

A Core Merger can give a +2 and wait a bit before submitting (used to be called "FYI24", "FYI48", ...).

Voting -2

A -2 vote by a Core Merger blocks a patch from merging. In contrast to -1, a -2 is a veto. Use with care. With a -2, you are taking responsibility of the patch and basically stating that it will not be done until you actively remove your negative vote.

To date, we have had no real problem with someone giving -2 and then not acting responsibly. It would be great if it stays this way.