Méli-mélo features

Reusable features that are into a preliminary state of experimentation. Features are built from custom CSS and/or Javascript code. Once a feature is developed and minimum requirements are met, a méli-mélo can be deployed and ready for use within one week on Canada.ca. Check out existing mélis-mélos.

Compilations

Every compilation's life expectancy is estimated to be approximately one (1) year, after which point it becomes "frozen" (deprecated). This should provide a feature's sponsor enough time to find resources to make their feature progressing towards an official GCWeb feature. Using a frozen méli-mélo compilation into any web page is not strongly discouraged. It must be replaced by the corresponding GCWeb feature, another méli-mélo compilation or simply removed.

Features are grouped into compilations in order to quickly:

• initiate usability research;
• initiate preliminary discussion with key organisation; and
• transforming the feature into a high quality reusable product adapted for GCWeb;
• regroup and ease a central coordination for new innovations.

Active méli-mélo compilations and their features

• 2023-10-mount-revelstoke

  • 2022-09-svgimagemap
  • 2021-05-conjunction
  • 2021-05-steps

• 2024-09-kejimkujik

  • 2021-05-conjunction

• gc-thématique

  • th-canadaday
  • th-winterlude
  • th-zev

(View frozen and deprecated méli-mélo compilations (in French only).)

Creating a Méli-mélo feature

Have a feature ready to be submitted as a méli-mélo? Here are the things you need to know.

Get started

Below are instructions on how to create a new méli-mélo feature in GCWeb.

1. Ensure your feature code is all included in one (1) JavaScript file and/or on (1) CSS file.
2. Create a new feature folder inside the /méli-mélo GCWeb root folder.
3. Name your feature and its folder by following this notation: YYYY-MM-[FeatureName]. The year and month must correspond to the feature's initial publication date. For example "2021-05-steps".
4. Create and publish your demo / working example for each individual sub-features and styles, meaning each JS configurations and CSS classes respectively, either using the GCWeb Jekyll theme or GCWeb itself.
5. Designate a sponsor for the feature.
6. Build and publish an implementation plan.
7. Ensure all minimum requirements listed above are met.
8. Optional: Test your code by following the instructions on developing for GCWeb.
9. Submit your new feature through a GitHub Pull request (PR) in the GCWeb repository; please consult contribution guidelines.
10. If changes are requested on your PR after technical review (as per checklist below), collaborate with the WET-BOEW team to get it approved. For reference, first-time contribution usually requires 3+ rounds of back-and-forth code review taking a week each time.
11. Once your PR is approved, your feature will be assigned to a méli-mélo compilation and released on Canada.ca at the next release window one (1) week after code is merged.
12. Strongly recommended: After release, update the méli-mélo feature code by executing the implementation plan and addressing all TODO's identified by the WET-BOEW team.
13. Recommended: Whenever possible, participate at the weekly WET Office hours on Tuesday afternoon. The WET-BOEW team will be able to help you progress in your contribution and execute your implementation plan by finding ways to remove any technical or procedural barriers you may encounter.

See 2021-05-steps and its folder on GitHub as a complete example of a méli-mélo feature containing all the required information.

Sponsor

A sponsor is an entity responsible for ensuring a méli-mélo feature progresses towards a stable & widely reusable feature as per the implementation plan. The sponsor will most likely be the author of a feature, representing their department.

Implementation plan

The implementation plan, also known as a planning horizon, is meant to set milestones in order to get a méli-mélo feature stabilized into the WET-BOEW / GCWeb code base. It must contain the following milestones:

• Engagement with the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) at Treasury Board Secretariat;
• Review and perform the identification of the feature transformation requirement to be able to complete the integration progress into GCWeb;
• Produce accessibility conformance report and attach usability report (if any);
• Transformation of the méli-mélo functionality into a GCWeb provisional feature;
• Complete feature stabilisation task, including amongst other things working example translation, writing guidance, publishing ACRs, feature API documentation, etc.

Each item of the plan must have an estimated due date as an indicator to measure integration progress into GCWeb. The expectation is to get the méli-mélo feature fully integrated into GCWeb within its lifespan of approximatively one (1) year. See an example of an implementation plan.

Versioning

This framework for méli-mélo compilations and features are excluded from the GCWeb public API. Any change or removal would only trigger a patch release of GCWeb. This means developers are fully responsible (but not required) to document any subsequent change they make to their méli-mélo feature.