oneTBB Design Documents/RFCs

The RFC process intends to:

• Communicate library-wide changes
• Collect feedback before implementation
• Increase transparency in decision-making
• Align different teams involved in oneTBB development

This directory contains design documents (RFCs) approved or rejected for implementation in oneTBB.

The possible RFC states are:

1. Initial
2. Proposed
3. Experimental
4. Supported
5. Archived

Most modifications or new features will naturally start as a part of a GitHub issue or discussion. Small changes do not require a formal RFC. However, if the issue or discussion results in an idea for a significant change or new feature that affects the library's public API or architecture, we recommend opening a PR to add a new RFC to the rfcs/proposed directory. The RFC should provide a detailed description and design of the proposed feature. or new feature that significantly impacts the library's public API or architecture, it will be suggested that a PR be opened to add a new rfc to the rfcs/proposed directory. The RFC contains a more detailed description and design for the feature.

General Process

A template for RFCs is available as template.md. Place the modified template in the subdirectory of the rfcs/proposed with a name of the form <feature>_<extension_description>. For example, a proposal for a new my_op flow graph node should be put into the rfcs/proposed/flow_graph_my_op_node directory. Use template.md to create the README.md file in that directory. The folder can contain other files referenced by the README.md file, such as figures.

Once two maintainers approve the PR, it is merged into the rfcs/proposed directory. Update the RFC document with additional information as the RFC moves to different states.

A proposal that is subsequently implemented and released in oneTBB as a preview feature is moved into the rfcs/experimental folder. The RFC for a preview feature in rfcs/experimental should include a description of what is required to move from experimental to fully supported -- for example, feedback from users, demonstrated performance improvements, etc.

A proposal that is implemented, added to the oneTBB specification, and supported as a full feature appears in the rfcs/supported directory. An RFC for a fully supported feature in the rfcs/supported directory should have a link to the section in the oneTBB specification with its formal wording.

A feature that is removed or a proposal that is abandoned or rejected will be moved to the rfcs/archived folder.

Document Style

The design documents are stored in the rfcs directory, and each RFC is placed in its subdirectory under rfcs/proposed/<feature>_<extension_description>.

• There must be a README.md file that contains the main RFC itself (or links to a file that contains it in the same directory).
  • The RFC should follow the template.md structure.
  • The directory can contain other supporting files, such as images, tex formulas, and sub-proposals / sub-RFCs.
  • We highly recommend using a text-based file format like markdown for easy collaboration on GitHub, but other formats like PDFs may also be acceptable.
• For the markdown-written RFC, keep the text width within 100 characters, unless there is a reason to violate this rule, e.g., long links or wide tables.
• It is also recommended to read through existing RFCs to better understand the general writing style and required elements.