All new public types, functions, and other APIs must go through an API review process. Foundation uses an API process inspired by the Swift Evolution review process.
A group of core contributors and stakeholders form the Foundation Workgroup, which runs reviews for community API proposals and makes decisions about which to accept.
This section outlines the general process for features with a larger scope. For minor API proposals, please refer to the Abbreviated review for minor proposals section.
- Consider the goal: Before proposing a change, please consider how your idea fits into the goals and themes for the upcoming release.
- Socialize the idea: Propose a rough sketch of the idea in the "pitches" section of the Swift forums, the problems it solves, what the solution looks like, etc., to gauge interest from the community.
- Develop the proposal: Expand the rough sketch into a complete proposal, using the proposal template, and continue to refine the proposal on the forums. Prototyping an implementation and its uses along with the proposal is required because it helps ensure both technical feasibility of the proposal as well as validating that the proposal solves the problems it is meant to solve.
- Request a review: Initiate a pull request to the swift-foundation repository to indicate to the workgroup that you would like the proposal to be reviewed. When the proposal is sufficiently detailed and clear, and addresses feedback from earlier discussions of the idea, the pull request will be accepted. The proposal will be assigned a proposal number as well as a Foundation Workgroup member to manage the review.
- Address feedback: In general, and especially during the review period, be responsive to questions and feedback about the proposal.
This section outlines the review process for features with a larger scope. For minor API proposals, please refer to the Abbreviated review for minor proposals section.
The review process for a particular proposal begins when a member of the Foundation Workgroup accepts a pull request of a new or updated proposal into the repository. That Foundation Workgroup member becomes the review manager for the proposal. The proposal is assigned a proposal number (if it is a new proposal), and then enters the review queue.
The review manager will work with the proposal authors to schedule the review. Reviews usually last a single week, but can run longer for particularly large or complex proposals.
When the scheduled review period arrives, the review manager will post the proposal to the Swift forums with the proposal title. To avoid delays, it is important that the proposal authors be available to answer questions, address feedback, and clarify their intent during the review period.
After the review has completed, the Foundation Workgroup will make a decision on the proposal. The review manager is responsible for determining consensus among the Foundation Workgroup members, then reporting their decision to the proposal authors and forums. The review manager will update the proposal's state in the repository to reflect that decision.
Minor API enhancement ideas that have gained community interest through GitHub issues or forum threads may take a shorter review process. Examples include extending existing types with new functions or variables, or adding new case to enum. Instead of requiring both a pitch thread and a review, these changes can be proposed directly with a proposal document on a pitch thread. The workgroup has appointed an API champion (currently @itingliu) to oversee this process. Here's what you would do:
- Develop the proposal: Prepare the proposal using the proposal template with a prototype.
- Request an abbreviated review: Initiate a pull request to the swift-foundation repository to indicate to the workgroup that you would like the proposal to be reviewed. Meanwhile, post the pull request on the "pitches" section of the Swift forums. Upon seeing the pitch on the forum, a workgroup member will be assigned to manage the review.
- Address feedback: Be responsive to questions and feedback and continue to refine the proposal as needed.
At the end of the review period, the review manager will accept the proposal if there is a broad agreement among workgroup members and the community.