Initiatives

What is an Initiative?

An initiative is a coordinated effort to make the same type of change across multiple repositories. Instead of manually updating dozens or hundreds of repos one by one, you describe the change once, and Tidra generates the code changes across all affected repos.

Common examples:

Updating CI/CD pipeline configurations
Migrating from deprecated APIs to new ones
Standardizing security configurations
Adding required documentation files
Updating dependency versions

How Initiatives Work

1. Describe the Change

Tell Tidra what needs to change in plain language. For example:

"Update all CI/CD pipelines to use Node 20 instead of Node 16"

"Add a SECURITY.md file to all repositories with our vulnerability disclosure policy"

2. Select Repositories

Choose which repositories should receive this change. You can:

Select repositories manually
Use filters to automatically include repos (e.g., all repos with a specific language or topic)

3. Tidra Generates Code

Tidra reads your code to understand context, then generates the appropriate changes for each repository. This happens in parallel across all selected repos.

4. Review Changes

Before any pull requests are created, you can review the proposed changes. Tidra shows you:

What will change in each repository
Code complexity estimates
Which repos don't need changes

You can refine the changes if needed before proceeding.

5. Create Pull Requests

Once you're satisfied with the changes, Tidra creates pull requests across all repositories. Each PR includes:

The code changes
A clear description of what changed and why
A link back to the initiative

6. Track Progress

Monitor all pull requests from a single dashboard. See:

How many PRs are open, merged, or blocked
Which repos still need review
Overall initiative progress

Initiative Lifecycle

Active: Initiative is running. Pull requests are being created, reviewed, and merged.

Done: All pull requests have been merged or closed. The initiative is complete.

Cancelled: Initiative was stopped before completion. No further action will be taken.

Initiative Dashboard

The initiative dashboard shows:

Status Summary:

Pending: PRs not yet opened
In Progress: PRs open and awaiting review
Completed: PRs merged
Blocked: PRs that need attention
Not Started: Repos where changes haven't been generated yet

Code Complexity:

Low, Medium, High complexity estimates per repository
Helps prioritize reviews

Time Savings:

Estimated developer time saved
Based on repos affected and manual effort avoided

Tips for Success

Pick the right scope:

Too small (< 10 repos): Doesn't show the value of automation

Validate quality early:

Review 3-5 generated changes before creating all PRs
Make sure the pattern is correct
Refine your description if needed

Get team buy-in:

Let reviewers know this initiative is coming
Explain what changed and why
Make sure PRs will actually get reviewed

Track and measure:

Note how long it would have taken manually
Calculate time savings
Share success stories with your team

FAQs

Can I update an initiative after PRs are created? Yes, you can continue to work with an active initiative.

What if Tidra gets something wrong? Review the changes before creating PRs. If something isn't right, refine your description and regenerate.

Can I create PRs gradually? Yes, you can review and create PRs in batches rather than all at once.

What happens if a PR is rejected? The initiative continues tracking other repos. You can address rejected PRs individually.

Can I reuse an initiative? Not directly, but you can use a previous initiative as a template for a new one with similar changes.