Assigning TODOs
When a TODO is introduced, it's likely to remain unresolved for an extended period of time because its author may forget to address it. Additionally, when a TODO lacks clear ownership, it becomes the responsibility of everyone.
To help prevent this problem, Catana implements a convention that requires each TODO to be assigned to a team member. Assignees will receive email reminders about their TODOs and will be assigned on issue tickets when a TODO expires.
TODOs can only be assigned to GitHub team members. A team member is a user who has access to the repository where a TODO lives.
Implicit and explicit assignment
Implicit assignment occurs when Catana automatically assigns a TODO to its git author. On the other hand, explicit assignment allows developers to directly assign a user to the TODO.
By default, Catana requires assigning TODOs explicitly. Explicitness helps identifying TODO assignees in a quick glimpse, without having to leave your code editor. You can configure this behavior in your Catana dashboard and choose to opt-in for automatic assignment.
Assigning users when enrolling a repository
When a repository is enrolled for the first time, Catana will attempt to assign each TODO to its original git author. Catana will leave the TODO unassigned in the event where the TODO author is no longer a team member. You'll be able to manually assign it, either through the Catana UI or by modifying the TODO and explicitly assigning a user.
Assignees leaving your organization
When a user leaves an organization, triaging its TODOs across all repositories is usually overlooked and yet another common cause for finding them unresolved years later.
Catana will surface TODOs assigned to a user that left your organization by opening a ticket in your issue tracker. Triaging these TODOs and/or re-assigning them is crucial for keeping your codebase well maintained.
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