How to review merge requests in a free GitLab?

To verify merge requests in the free version of GitLab, we use the following approaches:

1. Code review:

   • Developers add changes.
   • Create a merge request.
   • Colleagues review the code, leave comments, and suggest improvements.

2. CI/CD pipeline:

   • When a merge request is created or updated, an automatic pipeline runs.
   • Pipeline stages include:
     • Linting and formatting: Checking compliance with coding standards.
     • Project build: Compilation, artifact building.
     • Unit tests: Testing individual components.
     • Integration tests: Testing component interactions.

3. Automated checks:

   • Static code analysis: Tools to identify potential issues (security, performance, errors).
   • Dependency check: Detecting vulnerable libraries.
   • Code coverage check: Monitoring the percentage of code covered by tests.

Example of a .gitlab-ci.yml file for running basic checks:

stages:
  - build
  - test

build:
  stage: build
  script:
    - echo "Building project..."
    # Add your build commands here (e.g., mvn clean package, npm install)
  rules:
    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' # Run on merge request event

test:
  stage: test
  script:
    - echo "Running tests..."
    # Add your test commands here (e.g., mvn test, npm test)
  rules:
    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == 'merge_request_event' # Run on merge request event

These methods ensure code quality and stability of the main repository even in the free version of GitLab. Merge approval occurs after all checks pass successfully and sufficient approvals from colleagues are obtained.