Git Guidelines for Markdown File Management

Ensure Proper Repository Name

• The Product Manager (PM) must confirm the correct repository name before creation.
• Define whether the repo name should include course codes, project names, or versioning.
• Changing repo names later disrupts CI/CD, publish links, and documentation references.
• Maintain a consistent structure across all modules.

🚫 Restricted Actions

• No Force Push – Force pushing is strictly prohibited to maintain repository integrity.
  
• Do Not Modify GitLab CI/CD Files (.gitlab-ci.yml) – Avoid making changes to GitLab-related configuration files.
  
• Avoid File Conflicts – Ensure two contributors do not edit the same file simultaneously to prevent merge conflicts.

🔁 PR Raising Process

1. Create a Feature Branch – Always work on a separate branch (e.g., feature/update-docs).
   
2. Commit Changes – Use meaningful commit messages (e.g., docs: update README with PR process).
   
3. Open a PR – Raise a Pull Request (PR) targeting the main branch.
   
4. Request a Review – Assign at least one reviewer for approval.
   
5. Address Feedback – Make necessary changes based on review comments before merging.

✅ PR Review & Merging

• Pull Request (PR) Review Required – All changes must go through a review process before merging.
  
• Merge to Main Only After Approval – Ensure PRs are reviewed and approved before merging into the main branch.
• Before merging, update your branch with the latest changes from main to avoid conflicts.
• Regularly clean up outdated branches to keep the repository organized.

📢 Obtaining Publish Links

• Refer to the publish-links Folder – The repository contains a dedicated folder for publish links.
  
• CI/CD Processing Time – The pipeline takes approximately 45 minutes to run and update the publish links.
  
• Do Not Edit publish-links.md – Modifying this file may disrupt the publishing process.
  
• Use publish-links.xlsx for Editing – Download and update publish-links.xlsx if you need to make any modifications.
• For Further Updates, Follow the PR Process Again – If updates are required after publishing links are obtained, repeat the PR Raising Process to make necessary modifications.

💡 Additional Suggestions

• Maintain a changelog (CHANGELOG.md) to track documentation updates.
  
• Refer to templates as needed for consistency in documentation.
• Do Not Create Image Folders Inside Labs folder – Use the root image folder of the repository and organize images module-wise for better clarity and link generation.
• Skeleton Structure for the REPO Will Be Provided – Follow the predefined structure for consistency and clarity in documentation.

📂 File and Directory Structure Guidelines

• Follow Naming Conventions – Use lowercase and hyphens for filenames (getting-started.md, not Getting_Started.MD).
  
• Organize Files Logically – Keep documentation structured within relevant directories and do not keep dir names as Pictures for images.
• Use Relative Links – Reference files and images using relative paths to ensure correct rendering across platforms.

🖼 Image File Naming & Linking Best Practices

• Avoid Spaces in Filenames – Use hyphens or underscores instead (Picture-3.png instead of Picture 3.png).

• Preferred Syntax for Image Embedding in HTML:

  <img src="../Prepare-a-Flowchart-for-the-Consolidation-of-Data-Infrastructure/images/Picture-3.png" width="750"/>

• If Renaming is Not Possible: Use URL encoding for spaces (%20):

  <img src="../Prepare-a-Flowchart-for-the-Consolidation-of-Data-Infrastructure/Pictures/Picture%203.png" width="750"/>

• Ensure Correct Relative Paths – Validate the path relative to the Markdown or HTML file’s location.

This ensures better file management, image handling, and documentation quality.