Documentation

PRPriorityReviewabilityReviewsAgreementSize
(+)#36101 purpleKarrot doc: Add an error handling strategy
  • Establish a project-wide error handling strategy for Bitcoin Core developers
  • Resolve recurring design disputes over return values, exceptions, and process crashes
P2 · decision needed
  • P2 because it addresses a recurring architectural dispute affecting multiple active PRs
  • An agreed policy unblocks stalled design discussions across validation, I/O, and database code
Ready
  • Ready for review
0 -2
Blocked
  • Concept approval for establishing clear error handling guidelines (sedited, josibake, willcl-ark)
  • Strong objection to preferring exceptions over functional return values (ajtowns, l0rinc)
  • Concern that unconditional aborts risk wallet corruption and remote p2p crashes (furszy, mzumsande)
  • Concern that exceptions increase review burden and multithread safety risks (maflcko)
124
  • 124 lines added or modified outside tests
  • 0 lines added or modified in tests
  • 0 lines removed in total
  • 1 files, 1 commits
(+)#35858 pablomartin4btc doc: Add privacy.md consolidating network privacy recommendations
  • Consolidate fragmented network privacy advice from separate Tor and I2P guides into one document
  • Provide dedicated documentation for the private broadcast feature and its RPCs for node operators
P3 · new feature
  • P3 because it consolidates fragmented privacy advice and documents private broadcast options
  • Gives helpful reference clarity to privacy-conscious users without fixing urgent documentation defects
Ready
  • Ready for review, with clean CI and no blockers
0
Mild
  • Positive sentiment toward consolidating privacy recommendations
  • Concept approval with suggestion to expand on multi-network correlation risks (jonatack)
79
  • 79 lines added or modified outside tests
  • 0 lines added or modified in tests
  • 19 lines removed in total
  • 4 files, 2 commits
(+)#35518 fernandguil doc: document -blocknotify, -walletnotify and other -*notify options
  • Document that shell notifications run asynchronously without ordering guarantees
  • Prevent external scripts and integrations from assuming sequential notification delivery
P3 · user request
  • P3 because it fills a long-standing documentation gap on notification execution
  • Prevents script authors from making false assumptions about delivery ordering
  • Directs integrators to query state via RPC rather than relying on notify ordering
Author silent
  • Author has been silent for over two months after addressing all review comments
1
Strong
  • Resolved objection against duplicating command-level help text in markdown (sedited)
  • Strong support after condensing to focus on concurrency and ordering guarantees (sedited)
  • Agreed that notifications lack execution ordering guarantees (willcl-ark)
21
  • 21 lines added or modified outside tests
  • 0 lines added or modified in tests
  • 0 lines removed in total
  • 2 files, 1 commits
(+)#35395 hebasto doc: Improve test suite dependencies documentation
  • Consolidate functional test dependency instructions into a central reference to fix discrepancies across OS docs
  • Helps contributors set up test suite dependencies reliably across different platforms
P3 · cleanup
  • P3 because it prevents doc rot by unifying scattered and inaccurate test dependency instructions
  • Provides contributors with a reliable cross-platform reference for optional test packages
Ready
  • Ready to review: merges cleanly, CI passes, and previous feedback has been addressed
0 (+1)
Mild
  • General support for unifying optional test dependency instructions
  • Resolved objection about lost package names by adding a cross-platform package table (fanquake, maflcko)
  • Concept approval without stated reasons (l0rinc)
10 + 30 tests
  • 10 lines added or modified outside tests
  • 30 lines added or modified in tests
  • 67 lines removed in total
  • 7 files, 3 commits
(+)#35480 fernandguil doc: document ZMQ notification behavior during reorgs and evictions
  • Document existing ZMQ notification behavior during chain reorgs and mempool evictions
  • Clarify sequence order and event coverage for developers of external services and indexers
P3 · cleanup
  • P3 because it clarifies undocumented ZMQ behavior during reorgs, evictions, and assumeutxo
  • Prevents downstream service developers and indexers from making incorrect assumptions
Ready
  • Ready for review
  • All reviewer suggestions addressed with wording updates and a new functional test
0
  • No review verdicts recorded
Mild
  • Constructive feedback requesting text condensation and a functional test (sedited)
  • Author implemented all requested changes with no further follow-up yet
15 + 59 tests
  • 15 lines added or modified outside tests
  • 59 lines added or modified in tests
  • 0 lines removed in total
  • 2 files, 2 commits
(+)#32278 vasild doc: better document NetEventsInterface and the deletion of "CNode"s
  • Clarify peer connection lifecycles and interface calling orders in networking headers
  • Helps developers avoid introducing use-after-free or race condition bugs during networking refactors
P3 · developer docs
  • P3 because it documents complex concurrency and lifetime invariants in core networking headers
  • Helps developers avoid introducing subtle use-after-free or race condition bugs in future refactors
Author silent 87 days
  • Ready for review
  • Clean state with passing CI and no open technical blockers
0 (+1)
Strong
  • Supported as a clear documentation improvement (w0xlt)
  • Helped refine phrasing for interface order and teardown sequences (ajtowns)
  • Questions whether there is enough reviewer interest to keep the pull request open (sedited)
61
  • 61 lines added or modified outside tests
  • 0 lines added or modified in tests
  • 6 lines removed in total
  • 1 files, 1 commits
(+)#35890 GuTS805 doc: use overwrite (>) instead of append (>>) for one-shot PSBT files in offline-signing-tutorial.md
  • Prevent tutorial users from breaking subsequent commands when re-running offline signing steps
  • Avoid accumulating duplicate PSBT lines in output files when commands are repeated without manual cleanup
P4 · bug fix
  • P4 because it fixes a minor usability issue in an instructional markdown document
  • Prevents command-line argument errors without altering critical security advice
Ready
  • Ready for review with a minimal diff, no conflicts, and passing CI
0
  • No review verdicts recorded
Neutral
  • No technical review comments or ACKs submitted yet
  • Procedural objection about AI-generated text was resolved by rewriting the description (davidgumberg)
2
  • 2 lines added or modified outside tests
  • 0 lines added or modified in tests
  • 2 lines removed in total
  • 1 files, 1 commits
(+)#36155 csjones doc: remove json quoting from gettxoutsetinfo and getblockstats cli examples
  • Remove redundant inner quotes from CLI help examples for gettxoutsetinfo and getblockstats
  • Reduces visual noise and makes help text easier to read for CLI users
P4 · cleanup
  • P4 because it is a minor readability cleanup in CLI help text
  • The existing examples were already valid, so no broken guidance is fixed
Ready
  • Ready to review
  • Trivial two-line documentation update with clean CI and no pending questions
1Positive
  • Standard commit approval (nervana21)
  • PR description clarified to remove confusing test notes upon request (sedited)
2
  • 2 lines added or modified outside tests
  • 0 lines added or modified in tests
  • 2 lines removed in total
  • 1 files, 1 commits
(+)#30361 ryanofsky doc: Drop description of LogError messages as fatal
  • Clarify developer notes by redefining LogError as severe admin errors rather than strictly fatal shutdowns
  • Resolves mismatch where over half of existing LogError calls in the codebase are non-fatal
P4 · cleanup
  • P4 because adjusting developer guidelines for LogError is an internal cleanup with no direct user impact
  • Maintainers prefer fixing call sites in code rather than relaxing documentation standards
Author silent
  • Author has been inactive for over 300 days following concept objections
0 (+1) -2
Blocked
  • Unaddressed objection: notes should set standards to fix bad call sites rather than match them (ajtowns)
  • Unaddressed objection: guidelines should not be weakened to legitimize imperfect code (maflcko)
  • Retracted approval due to standing objections and suggested closing (sedited)
5
  • 5 lines added or modified outside tests
  • 0 lines added or modified in tests
  • 6 lines removed in total
  • 1 files, 1 commits
Reviewability: ReadyStalePaused
Agreement: StrongPositivePositive w/ caveatsNeutralMildDisputedBlockedCrickets
Reviews: current code-review ACKs, then (+stale ACKs) and -NACKs; greener = more ACKs.
Size: lines added or modified outside tests, then in tests; greener = smaller.
Ranking pass (2026-09-17): all PRs here were compared with each other; 4 notes on review order, overlaps, and band changes.

Covers

Documentation as the primary change: developer notes, design documents, build and usage docs, release notes, RPC help text when the change is to the text rather than the interface, and code comments when a PR consists mainly of them. The Docs label is a strong prior.

Not docs: a code change that also updates its docs (that area).

What matters here

Wrong documentation first: text that would lead a user or developer to do the wrong thing, especially around security, backups, and configuration. Then missing documentation for something users hit often or that a design decision depends on (a design doc that unblocks a project counts as leverage). Then release notes completeness. Then clarity improvements to frequently read pages. Then typo and style fixes, which are P4 unless they fix a meaning.

generated 2026-09-17 21:55 UTC