Flow

CAUTION

Create merge request writes Closes #N, so the issue closes on merge, before QA - in every project uncheck Settings → Repository → Branch defaults → Auto-close referenced issues on default branch

• labels don't enforce the order - dragging a card only swaps labels
• status: blocked replaces any status - say why in a comment, restore the previous one after

QA on staging

QA after the merge, on one shared stand. A closed issue means released.

• Open with a milestone - in the sprint →
• status: in progress →
• status: in review →
• status: passed review →
• merge to main - deployed to staging →
• status: in staging - QA tests →
• status: ready to release →
• tag on main - production, the issue closes

A bug on staging - back to status: in progress, the fix is a new merge request.

QA on review apps

A temporary stand per merge request, QA before the merge - main holds only tested code.

• Open with a milestone - in the sprint →
• status: in progress →
• status: in review →
• status: passed review →
• status: in staging - QA tests the review app →
• status: ready to release →
• merge to main - the issue closes, the review app goes →
• tag 1.4.0-rc.1 - staging accepts the whole release →
• tag 1.4.0 - production

A bug on the review app is fixed in the same branch, a regression on staging is a new merge request and the next rc.

Needs:

• a runner, a Docker host or k8s cluster for the stands
• wildcard DNS *.review.example.com and a wildcard certificate
• environment: review/$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG with an on_stop job in every .gitlab-ci.yml
• frontend - a static build calling the staging backend, cheap
• backend - its own database per merge request, the most work and cost

start with review apps for frontends only