devActivity Terms Definition
Welcome to the devActivity Glossary! This article provides clear definitions for key terms and concepts used throughout the devActivity platform. Whether you're a new user or looking to clarify specific features, this guide will help you understand the terminology essential for navigating and utilizing devActivity effectively.
Core Organizational Concepts
Organization (workspace)
Organizations are collections of teams (one or more) that work in one or more repositories.
Team
Teams are collections of users (admins, managers, and contributors) that usually work in one repository.
Roles and Permissions
Org Admin
Organisation Admin is someone who administrates a repository in GitHub and has access to all possible permissions in devActivity.
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Manager
Manager is a role in the organization, in which someone has greater access to devActivity insights than contributors. Managers can get info for performance reviews, see metrics and statistics, receive reports and alerts based on specified conditions, create challenges and achievements, etc.
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Contributor
A contributor engages with a software project, making contributions that enhance the project's functionality, quality, and community. In devActivity, a contributor is an individual whose contributions (actions in the repository) are analyzed and displayed on the dashboard. Contributors have access to see team reports, assign peer recognition, and embed achievement widgets in their profiles.
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External Contributor
An External Contributor is a person who makes contributions to some project but is not a part of that organization formally. In devActivity, an External contributor is like a Contributor, but without access to reports or team info.
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Contribution and Performance Metrics
Contribution
Contribution in the context of software development refers to the developer's positive impact, work, and value they add to a project, codebase, or development team. For example, we include commits, pull requests, tasks, and more.
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Contribution Score
The contribution score measures the impact and productivity of a software engineer by assigning weight to different types of contributions via the weight coefficient.
RELATED: Understanding Your XP (Contribution Score) on devActivity
Performance Review
Performance reviews in software development teams involve assessing and evaluating team members' individual and collective performance to provide feedback, identify areas for improvement, and recognize achievements. By getting a filled-out template (based on devActivity data) with the Contributor's results, the Manager can conduct a deeper and better review of that Contributor.
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Work Quality Metrics
Tracking work quality metrics is important for optimizing software development. Metrics such as cycle time, coding time, pickup time, review time, and deploy time can help improve software quality, reduce errors and delays, and increase agility in the development team.
RELATED: Understanding Your Work Quality Metrics on devActivity
Cycle Time
Cycle Time refers to the duration it takes for a development team to move a user story, task, or feature from the point of initiation (start) to the point of completion (release or deployment). devActivity collects and analyzes information about the type of activity and time stamps.
RELATED: Understanding Your Work Quality Metrics on devActivity
Coding Time
Coding Time represents the duration during which developers are actively writing, editing, or modifying source code to implement a specific feature, fix a bug, or accomplish a programming task. It is a subset of the broader development process. devActivity collects and analyzes information about the type of activity and time stamps.
RELATED: Understanding Your Work Quality Metrics on devActivity
Pickup Time
Pickup Time is the duration between the moment a task or user story is assigned to a developer or team member and the point at which they actively begin working on it. It includes the time spent understanding the requirements, preparing to work on the task, and transitioning from the previous task. devActivity collects and analyzes information about the type of activity and time stamps.
RELATED: Understanding Your Work Quality Metrics on devActivity
Review Time
Review time is the period during which peers or team members scrutinize a developer's code changes. It includes the time taken for code reviews, feedback discussions, and any necessary revisions before the code is approved for merging. devActivity collects and analyzes information about the type of activity and time stamps.
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Deployment Time
Deployment time represents the period during which the software application or system is released, installed, and made available for use in a production environment. It encompasses the activities involved in transitioning the software from development to a live operational state.
Alerts and Notifications
Alert
Alerts are notifications triggered by specific conditions to locate the operational bottlenecks.
Gamification Features
Gamification
Gamification in software involves integrating game-like elements, mechanics, and design principles into non-game applications. Gamification features in devActivity: XP (experience points), badges, leaderboards, and challenges. Using devActivity with gamification contributes to increased developer retention, improved team motivation, and the achievement of desired results.
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XP (Experience Points)
eXperience Points (XP) are often used to measure a developer's progress, achievements, or contributions within a specific system or platform. devActivity analyzes the developer's contribution and converts it to XP. So, XP is a way to recognize and quantify a developer's engagement, skill development, and contributions.
RELATED: Understanding Your XP (Contribution Score) on devActivity
Leaderboard
The leaderboard displays a list of contributors sorted by their level, with progress bars indicating how close they are to achieving the next level.
RELATED: Achievements Overview: Gamified Recognition in devActivity
Levels
Levels in software development gamification refer to a hierarchical structure that signifies the progression or expertise of individuals within a gamified environment. Developers can progress through levels based on their contributions, and achievements. On the devActivity dashboard, you can see the levels reached by team members. Levels are based on earned XP.
RELATED: Understanding Your XP (Contribution Score) on devActivity
Badges
Badges in devActivity are virtual representations or symbols awarded to developers based on specific achievements, XP, challenges, or milestones. These virtual badges are indicators of a developer's accomplishments and contributions.
RELATED: Achievements Overview: Gamified Recognition in devActivity
Achievement
Achievement refers to the successful accomplishment, realization, or attainment of a challenge.
RELATED: Achievements Overview: Gamified Recognition in devActivity
Challenge
Challenge typically refers to a specific task, goal, or mission that developers are encouraged to undertake within a gamified system. Challenges are designed to engage and motivate developers, foster collaboration, and drive specific behaviors that align with organizational objectives.
RELATED: Achievements Overview: Gamified Recognition in devActivity
Custom Achievement
Custom achievement refers to a unique or individualized accomplishment that is specific to a developer or team, that's set by a manager.
RELATED: Achievements Overview: Gamified Recognition in devActivity
Custom Challenge
Team leads or managers could choose or define in devActivity custom challenges based on the team's goals, project priorities, or areas that need improvement. By completing custom challenges, developers receive XP and badges.
RELATED: Achievements Overview: Gamified Recognition in devActivity, Understanding Your XP (Contribution Score) on devActivity
Collaboration & Transparency
Peer Recognition
Peer Recognition refers to devActivity feature that allows developers to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of their peers within the development team.
RELATED: Achievements Overview: Gamified Recognition in devActivity
Embeddables
Embeddables in devActivity are built-in widgets relevant to open-source projects and intended for use in the README or CONTRIBUTING files to indicate important points about this project. For example, most active members, active calls, achievement, cycle length, repo statistics, and more.
Public Dashboard
Public Dashboard allows teams or devs to create and share visual representations of key performance metrics or insights related to development projects. This dashboard is accessible to a wider audience, providing transparency and visibility into the overall performance and status of development initiatives.
Open Source Plan
The open source plan means that the use of the devActivity service with all functionality is free for all public repositories (so far for GitHub).
Public Repository
A public repository on GitHub is a version-controlled storage space where developers can host and share their code openly with the GitHub community and the public. It allows collaborative development, issue tracking, and facilitates transparency by providing visibility into the source code and project history.
Private Repository
A version-controlled storage space in GitHub that provides a secure and private environment for hosting code. Unlike public repositories, the content of a private repository is visible only to the repository owner and collaborators who have been explicitly granted access. It is often used for proprietary or sensitive projects.
Settings & Workflow
Work Schedule
A working schedule is a plan that shows when someone is supposed to work. It includes the hours and days they need to be doing their job. Alerts will be sent according to the working hours of the team member/contributor.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Organization (Workspace) in devActivity?
An Organization, also known as a workspace, is a collection of one or more teams that collaborate across one or more repositories. It serves as the primary container for managing your development activities within devActivity.
How does devActivity define a Contributor?
A Contributor is an individual whose actions in a repository (like commits, pull requests) are analyzed and displayed on the devActivity dashboard. They can view team reports, assign peer recognition, and embed achievement widgets.
What is the XP (Contribution Score)?
XP, or eXperience Points, is a metric used in devActivity to measure a developer's progress, achievements, and contributions. It quantifies a developer's engagement and skill development by assigning weights to different types of contributions.
What are Work Quality Metrics?
Work Quality Metrics track important aspects of software development such as cycle time, coding time, pickup time, review time, and deploy time. These metrics help teams optimize workflows, improve software quality, and reduce errors.
How does Gamification enhance devActivity?
Gamification integrates game-like elements such as XP, badges, leaderboards, and challenges into devActivity. This feature aims to increase developer retention, boost team motivation, and drive desired behaviors and results within development teams.
What are Alerts used for?
Alerts are notifications triggered by specific conditions within your development workflow. They are designed to help teams quickly identify and address operational bottlenecks, ensuring smoother and more efficient project progression.
