Community Proposals in Redis

Introduction

Redis, an open-source in-memory data structure store, is driven by a vibrant community that continuously contributes to its development. One of the primary ways community members can contribute is through community proposals. These proposals are suggestions for new features, enhancements, or changes to Redis.

Understanding Community Proposals

Community proposals are formal documents that outline a specific change or addition to Redis. They provide a structured way to present ideas to the community and the core development team. Proposals generally include the following sections:

• Title: A brief and descriptive title.
• Abstract: A summary of the proposal.
• Motivation: The reasoning behind the proposal, including the problem it aims to solve.
• Specification: Detailed technical description of the proposed changes.
• Alternatives: Other possible solutions and why they were not chosen.
• Implementation: A plan for how the proposal will be implemented.
• References: Links to related discussions, documentation, or external resources.

Creating a Community Proposal

To create a community proposal, follow these steps:

Step 1: Identify the Need

Before drafting a proposal, identify the need or problem that your proposal aims to address. Engage with the community through forums, mailing lists, or chat channels to validate the need.

Step 2: Draft the Proposal

Use the following template to draft your proposal:

Title: [Your Proposal Title]

Abstract:
A brief summary of the proposal.

Motivation:
Explanation of the problem and why this proposal is necessary.

Specification:
Detailed technical description of the proposed changes, including examples if applicable.

Alternatives:
Other solutions that were considered and why they were not chosen.

Implementation:
A plan for how the proposal will be implemented, including any required changes to existing code.

References:
Links to related discussions, documentation, or external resources.
                

Step 3: Share the Proposal

Once the proposal is drafted, share it with the community for feedback. This can be done through relevant Redis repositories on GitHub or community forums. Be open to constructive feedback and be prepared to iterate on your proposal based on the input you receive.

Example of a Community Proposal

Below is an example of a community proposal for a new feature in Redis:

Title: Add Support for JSON Data Type

Abstract:
This proposal suggests adding native support for JSON data types in Redis to improve the handling of structured data.

Motivation:
Redis is often used to store structured data, and adding native support for JSON would make it easier for users to work with such data. Currently, users have to serialize and deserialize JSON manually, which adds overhead and complexity.

Specification:
- Introduce new commands for setting, getting, and manipulating JSON data.
- Ensure that the JSON data is efficiently stored and retrieved.
- Provide functions for querying and updating JSON structures.

Alternatives:
- Continue using existing serialization methods (e.g., storing JSON as strings).
- Use third-party modules that add JSON support to Redis.

Implementation:
1. Define the new commands and their syntax.
2. Implement the commands in the Redis core.
3. Update the documentation to include the new JSON commands.

References:
- Discussion on GitHub: [Link]
- Documentation on existing serialization methods: [Link]
                

Submitting the Proposal

Once you've refined your proposal based on community feedback, the next step is to submit it for review. This typically involves creating a pull request (PR) on the relevant Redis GitHub repository. The core development team will review the proposal, provide feedback, and may ask for further revisions.

Example command to create a pull request:

$ git checkout -b new-feature-proposal
$ git add proposal.md
$ git commit -m "Add proposal for JSON data type support"
$ git push origin new-feature-proposal
$ gh pr create --title "Add proposal for JSON data type support" --body "This PR adds a proposal for native JSON support in Redis."
                

Conclusion

Community proposals are a vital part of the Redis ecosystem, enabling collaborative development and continuous improvement. By following the guidelines outlined in this tutorial, you can create effective proposals that contribute to the future of Redis.