NCT testing namespace

developer_manual/digging_deeper/api.rst

@@ -7,3 +7,19 @@ PHP public API
 
 The public API is contained in the OCP namespace. See the `OCP API reference
 <https://nextcloud-server.netlify.app/>`_ for further details.
+
+
+PHP testing API
+---------------
+
+To avoid releasing uncompleted public API, it is possible to release a
+testing version of the future API in the NCT namespace, following those rules:
+
+- An API can only be nested in this testing namespace for 1 (one) major release,
+- Once tested the API will be removed or copied to the OCP public namespace,
+- If the API is not removed, the version from the NCT namespace will be marked as deprecated,
+- Deprecated API from the NCT namespace are kept for 2 major releases,
+- Code quality, comments, tests and psalm check are expected to be identical than in the OCP namespace.
+
+.. note::
+  - API within the testing namespace might not have documentation other than in-code comments.