After submitting new GitLab-ci configuration feedback can be inconsistent.
Problem to solve
After submitting new GitLab-ci configuration feedback can be inconsistent. Sometimes there is no indication of the GitLab-CI doing anything.
When a job isn't immediately created the user is left without feedback that CI is actually functioning. This only happens in some cases but provides a blocker towards understanding CI correctly.
This screenshot shows a scenario where a .gitlab-ci.yml file was created, but no ci status is visible immediately after pushing the commit.
Intended users
Further details
This problem has been surfaced through the baseline experience recommendations effort of 2019 Q2: gitlab-design#518 (closed)
The problem of this issue has been validated with UX scorecard - Setting up GitLab-CI and can be reviewed with insight issue: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/uxr_insights/issues/819
User thoughts:
I see my file has been created successfully and the ci configuration is deemed valid. This is good to know, though I have no indication of it actually doing something.
Proposal
Always offer an auto-updating status of the running pipeline, including a link towards it for verification inside of for example the commit or file view. Make sure there is always something presented indicating the system is aware of the ci configuration and there is something happening in the background.
We need to make sure a CI status is always present immediately after a commit has been pushed inside a repo with a .gitlab-ci.yml regardless if it will soon be picked up yes or no.