exile.watch engineering
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  • April 2024
    • Why doesn't Dependabot update package.json?
  • March 2024
    • The savior amidst the chaos of dependency updates - Dependabot
    • Why project's local setup instructions are not part of README?
    • Leveraging Lefthook to enforce commit guidelines at exile.watch
    • The package manager of exile.watch
    • Lerna - the hidden powerhouse of exile.watch
      • 1. Separate repository and monorepo tool
      • 2. A module bundler - the fun begins
      • 3. Module registry (a place where packages get to chill)
      • 4. Versioning, Publishing, and Configuring lerna.json for Commit Conventions
      • 5. Some automation magic using the (Lerna) CLI
      • 6. How does one test lerna packages at exile.watch: locally and in the real world
    • To open source or to not open source
    • exile.watch architecture
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On this page
  • This is intentional
  • Let's start with the bad first
  • Single point of failure (SPoF)
  • Unintuitive and potentially annoying at the beginning
  • But what about GitHub's wiki? It's been built for this exact reason!
  • The good
  • Centralized documentation
  • Plenty of integrations
  • Easily accessible drafts with diff changes
  • Page / book flow
  • Limited README Exploitation for Hacktoberfest
  • Conclusion

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  1. March 2024

Why project's local setup instructions are not part of README?

4 min read

PreviousThe savior amidst the chaos of dependency updates - DependabotNextLeveraging Lefthook to enforce commit guidelines at exile.watch

Last updated 1 year ago

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Whenever you hop into any under , you'll spot the same pattern in the , resembling something like this:

This is intentional

Adopting this approach comes with its mix of pros and cons, but I'm inclined to argue the scale tips more towards the positives.

Let's start with the bad first

Single point of failure (SPoF)

Unintuitive and potentially annoying at the beginning

Typically, diving into a new company or open-source project, README.md and CONTRIBUTING.md are your go-tos. This is standard for most projects.

However, needing an extra click to access this information can be irksome, despite not being a deal-breaker given the benefits you'll soon discover.

But what about GitHub's wiki? It's been built for this exact reason!

No. Full stop.

GitBook, in contrast, excels in user-friendliness and functionality.

The good

Centralized documentation

In the realm of Open Source, having everything in one spot is a game-changer. Enough said.

Plenty of integrations

Easily accessible drafts with diff changes

Yes, GitHub offers similar functionality, but GitBook makes accessing drafts and seeing changes as easy as a few clicks—no terminal commands necessary.

Page / book flow

GitBook surpasses GitHub wiki in creating organized categories and subpages, enhancing the overall reading and navigation experience.

Limited README Exploitation for Hacktoberfest

Conclusion

To wrap it up, shifting to centralized documentation via GitBook is primarily about streamlining information access and safeguarding against low-effort Hacktoberfest contributions.

It's a strategic choice that, while not without its downsides, offers significant benefits in the grand scheme.


Rather than stuffing the heading and contribution links directly into README.md / , you'll find them on GitBook, our platform of choice.

Documentation is now part of 3rd party provider which is GitBook. If GitBook goes down, so does exile.watch documentation and local setup instructions.

GitBook offers a syncing functionality with GitHub and you can check how hideout repo could look like at .

GitBook does provide a GitHub syncing feature, offering a glimpse into what the hideout repo might look like . Honestly, while placing SPoF with a third-party isn't ideal, alternative communication channels like and make this concern less daunting.

Plus, GitBook runs on , so any potential outages should be swiftly handled.

GitHub's markdown support and wiki functionality are too basic and frankly, more trouble than they're worth. On top of that, .

Though exile.watch docs mainly use integration, the sheer ease of embedding various blocks with a simple slash command is a clear win.

Plus, outdoes by miles.

You heard that right. While it may seem counterintuitive for an open-source project, limiting README contributions helps sidestep meaningless spam.

For more context, check out .

Author: About exile.watch: Github: Visit to experience it first hand

CONTRIBUTION.md
SPoF (single point of failure)
https://github.com/exile-watch/hideout/tree/0330ad9b5392650b96ec2ca8f233cac0ce3fda59
here
GitHub's discussions
Discord
Cloudflare
there are no plans to add more features anytime soon
Lucid.app
GitBook's hint system
GitHub's alert feature
Hacktoberfest
this video
Sebastian Krzyżanowski
https://docs.exile.watch/
https://github.com/exile-watch
https://exile.watch/
project
exile.watch's GitHub profile
README.md file
exile.watch logo
exile.watch README.md