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Quality Policy Configuration

Quality policies are the backbone of TrendGate's automated quality gates. This guide covers everything you need to know about configuring and managing policies.

📋 Policy Types​

Test Pass Rate Policies​

Control the minimum percentage of tests that must pass:

policies:
  test_pass_rate:
    threshold: 95  # 95% of tests must pass
    enforce: true  # Block PRs that fail
    exclude_patterns:
      - "*.flaky.test.js"  # Exclude known flaky tests

Coverage Policies​

Set minimum code coverage requirements:

policies:
  coverage:
    line_coverage: 80     # 80% line coverage
    branch_coverage: 75   # 75% branch coverage
    function_coverage: 90 # 90% function coverage
    enforce: true
    exclude_paths:
      - "src/generated/*"
      - "**/*.mock.js"

Performance Policies​

Monitor performance metrics:

policies:
  performance:
    lighthouse:
      performance: 90
      accessibility: 95
      best_practices: 90
      seo: 85
    web_vitals:
      lcp: 2500  # Largest Contentful Paint (ms)
      fid: 100   # First Input Delay (ms)
      cls: 0.1   # Cumulative Layout Shift

Custom Policies​

Create specialized rules:

policies:
  custom:
    no_console_logs:
      rule: "console.log count"
      threshold: 0
      enforce: true
    
    test_execution_time:
      rule: "max test duration"
      threshold: 300000  # 5 minutes
      enforce: false     # Warning only

🎯 Policy Scoping​

Branch-Specific Policies​

Different standards for different branches:

branch_policies:
  main:
    test_pass_rate: 99
    coverage: 85
    enforce: true
    
  develop:
    test_pass_rate: 95
    coverage: 80
    enforce: true
    
  "feature/*":
    test_pass_rate: 90
    coverage: 70
    enforce: false  # Warnings only for features

Module-Specific Policies​

Target specific parts of your codebase:

module_policies:
  "src/payments/*":
    coverage: 95      # Critical module
    test_pass_rate: 100
    
  "src/utils/*":
    coverage: 80      # Utility code
    test_pass_rate: 95
    
  "src/experimental/*":
    coverage: 50      # Experimental features
    enforce: false

Team-Specific Policies​

Customize per team:

team_policies:
  backend_team:
    coverage: 85
    test_pass_rate: 98
    
  frontend_team:
    coverage: 75
    lighthouse_performance: 85
    
  mobile_team:
    coverage: 70
    test_pass_rate: 95

🔧 Advanced Configuration​

Baseline Comparison​

Configure how baselines are calculated:

baseline:
  source: main              # Compare against main branch
  computation: rolling_avg  # Use rolling average
  window: 7                 # 7-day window
  minimum_samples: 5        # Need 5 data points
  
  # Advanced options
  outlier_detection: true   # Remove statistical outliers
  confidence_level: 0.95    # 95% confidence interval

Regression Detection​

Fine-tune regression sensitivity:

regression_detection:
  test_pass_rate:
    sensitivity: medium    # low, medium, high
    threshold_delta: 2     # 2% drop triggers warning
    
  coverage:
    sensitivity: high
    threshold_delta: 1     # 1% drop triggers warning
    
  performance:
    sensitivity: low
    threshold_delta: 10    # 10% drop triggers warning

Policy Inheritance​

Create policy hierarchies:

base_policy:
  id: standard_quality
  test_pass_rate: 90
  coverage: 75

policies:
  production:
    extends: standard_quality
    test_pass_rate: 95    # Override base
    
  staging:
    extends: standard_quality
    # Inherits all base values

📊 Policy Conditions​

Conditional Enforcement​

Apply policies based on conditions:

policies:
  coverage:
    threshold: 80
    enforce:
      if_changed_files_match:
        - "src/**/*.js"
        - "src/**/*.ts"
      unless_pr_labeled:
        - "hotfix"
        - "emergency"

Time-Based Policies​

Schedule policy changes:

scheduled_policies:
  - start_date: "2024-01-01"
    end_date: "2024-03-31"
    policies:
      coverage: 75  # Q1 target
      
  - start_date: "2024-04-01"
    policies:
      coverage: 80  # Q2 target

🚨 Policy Exceptions​

Temporary Overrides​

policy_overrides:
  - reason: "Holiday code freeze"
    start_date: "2024-12-20"
    end_date: "2025-01-05"
    policies:
      enforce: false  # Warnings only
      
  - reason: "Major refactoring"
    pr_numbers: [123, 124, 125]
    policies:
      coverage: 60  # Temporary reduction

Permanent Exceptions​

permanent_exceptions:
  files:
    - "src/legacy/*"     # Legacy code
    - "**/*.generated.*" # Generated files
    
  tests:
    - pattern: "*.integration.test.js"
      reason: "Flaky in CI environment"

📈 Policy Monitoring​

Alerts Configuration​

alerts:
  policy_violations:
    channels:
      - email: qa-team@company.com
      - slack: #quality-alerts
    
    frequency: immediate
    
    include:
      - policy_name
      - violation_details
      - suggested_actions

Policy Effectiveness​

Track how policies impact quality:

policy_metrics:
  track:
    - compliance_rate      # % of PRs meeting policy
    - quality_improvement  # Quality trend since policy
    - false_positive_rate  # Invalid blocks
    
  report_frequency: weekly
  send_to: qa-lead@company.com

💡 Best Practices​

1. Start Conservative​

  • Begin with lower thresholds
  • Gradually increase over time
  • Monitor team feedback
  • Adjust based on data

2. Communicate Changes​

  • Announce policy updates in advance
  • Explain reasoning
  • Provide migration guides
  • Offer support period

3. Regular Reviews​

  • Review policy effectiveness monthly
  • Adjust based on metrics
  • Remove obsolete policies
  • Document changes

4. Balance Strictness​

  • Critical paths: Strict policies
  • Experimental code: Lenient policies
  • Consider team maturity
  • Allow for innovation

🛠️ Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Policy not triggering

  • Check branch patterns match
  • Verify file paths are correct
  • Ensure policy is enabled
  • Check for overrides

Too many false positives

  • Review threshold settings
  • Check baseline calculation
  • Adjust sensitivity
  • Add exceptions as needed

Team pushback

  • Start with warnings only
  • Gradually increase enforcement
  • Show quality improvements
  • Celebrate successes

Need more help? Contact support@trendgate.ai or check our Policy FAQ.