noXXXep - The Insideous Bug Tracker

Maintaining development tasks must be similar to maintaining documentation - as part of the source code.

• Keep tasks up to date with code and subject to version control system.
• Bind tasks into context of code. Why write a description if the nearby snippet is worth a thousand words?
• Use grep, find & replace, log, diff, blame - all the tools that we love.

noXXXep itself:

• Supports task priority, tags, groups (blockers), inter-links and custom options (key=value and simplified JSON).
• Works with any programming or human language and document type (even binary).
• Requires zero configuration and dependencies sans vanilla PHP 7+.
• Works without JavaScript, if you so desire.

See noXXXep used in HeroWO.js - a JavaScript re-implementation of Heroes of Might and Magic III.

https://herowo.game/noXXXep/

The Syntax

Everything begins with a XXX that is not part of any word (\b).

After it, optional priority follows (by default: = normal, + ++ high/est, - -- low/est).

After priority go optional ,-separated tags (any \word symbols).

Extended syntax starts with : following priority (or tags, if specified):

1. Optional ,-separated groups (\w).
2. Optional globally unique task identifier (\w), after a space.
3. Optional key=value options (\w), after a space.
4. Final : ending the task declaration. This can be replaced or preceded by ... to indicate presence of a JSON block.

Examples:

case '-statistics':
  throw new Exception('-statistics is not implemented')   // XXX

$sounds = [
  'schoolOfMagic' => 'LOOPMAGI',    // XXX=check,fix
  'alchemistLab' => 'XXX+AUDIO',
];

var config = {
  // XXX-: LOG: Split this into separate options for fine-grained log control.
  log: false,
}

...

// XXX=:LOG: Do emit this line even in production (but need to fix LOG first).
if (config.log) { console.log(seed) }

(Optional) Configuration

When noXXXep.php is opened in a web browser, it scans files in its own directory, refreshing list of tasks as needed and then presents results to the user. Thus you can drop noXXXep.php into your project's root and browse it right away.

noXXXep.php can be also include'd into a PHP script as a library exposing the noXXXep class with configuration and useful methods. It won't do anything unless you ask it, perhaps by calling takeOver() on a new noXXXep() instance (this is what happens when requested in a browser).

Alternatively, you can configure it without including into your script by creating noXXXep-config.php in the current working directory or its parent (this is handy if you have git clone'd or git submodule add'ed noXXXep into your project's directory). $this inside that script points to the noXXXep instance that is going to serve the request.

Sample configuration (see all available properties at the beginning of noXXXep.php):

<?php
/* noXXXep/noXXXep-config.php */
$this->title = 'My Hideous Bug Tracker';
$this->readOnly = true;     // use in untrusted environment
$this->rootPath = '../app/';
$this->fileRE = '/\.(php|md)$/ui';

noXXXep comes with embedded JavaScript and CSS styles. Put your additions to noXXXep.css and noXXXep.js in the current working directory, or according to your $mediaPath prefix.

/* noXXXep/noXXXep.css */
.Xt__SomeTag > *,
.Xfilters [name="tag[]"] [value="SomeTag"] {
  background: teal;
}