CODEOWNERS file for OpenFL repository

[noopurintel]

Problem

The OpenFL repository currently lacks a CODEOWNERS file, which results in below (inter-related) issues:

1. Inefficient code review process - without a CODEOWNERS file, there is no automatic mechanism to assign specific reviewers to pull requests. This can lead to delays in identifying the right people to review code changes, and may result in PRs being reviewed by individuals unfamiliar with the code they are reviewing.

2. Increased risk of errors - without designated reviewers, code changes may bypass thorough review from subject matter experts, potentially leading to the introduction of bugs, security vulnerabilities, or performance issues.

3. Lack of Accountability - a missing CODEOWNERS file can make it unclear who should be held accountable for specific areas of the project. This can hinder communication and accountability within the development team.

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Proposed Solution

• To have a properly configured CODEOWNERS file to address above issues and ensure that pull requests are automatically assigned to the relevant reviewers, improving the code review process, fostering accountability, and promoting better code quality.

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Key points

1. Permission – only people with write permissions can create/edit the file and be listed as code owners.

   

2. Syntax - follows simple text format, allows glob patterns. Similar to .gitignore file.

3. PR review blocking

• if a CODEOWNERS file is present and relevant owners are not set to review a PR, GitHub will block the PR from being merged until required reviews are provided.
• if a file has no assigned owner in the CODEOWNERS file, no reviewer will be automatically assigned for that file.

4. Combination with branch protection rules - for example, you may require that a certain number of owners or specific team members approve PRs before they can be merged.

   

5. Pattern precedence

• GitHub evaluates patterns from top to bottom in the CODEOWNERS file. The most specific pattern takes precedence over broader ones. For example, a pattern matching src/frontend/* will take precedence over src/*.
• If two patterns match the same file, the one listed last is applied.

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Additional Info

GitHub clearly shows whether given CODEOWNERS file is valid or not, so it's easy to debug and fix it.

Even the owners with NO write permission would be marked as invalid entries.

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[teoparvanov]

Thanks for kick-starting this effort, @noopurintel and @payalcha !