[Replay] Migrating sentry-replay into JS SDK mono-repo

[smeubank]

Problem Statement

There is the sentry-replay repo which has the Sentry Browser SDK package and rreweb packages as dependencies.

Meaning it has clear requirement dependancies, and similar requirement for CI/CD in terms of testing and creating releases, but cannot easily take advantage of everything which is already part of the JS SDK.

Possible benefits of moving into the JS mono-repo

• existing test infrastructure
• monitor file size over across changes
• existing releases
• could simplify reuse of code from within the JS SDK and for users to instrument in the future

Concerns:
Adds more dependencies into the JS repo, where there is already quite a number of integrations for different browser and Node frameworks, along with all the Sentry features, and SDKs which are dependant on the JS SDK (Electron and react-native)

Solution Brainstorm

Include sentry-replay to be more tightly coupled as part of the Sentry JavaScript SDK mono-repo

Outcomes:

• https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-replay included in sentry-javascript monorepo
  • can we define here what the ideal import and init will look like? @jas-kas
• @sentry/replay is available via the CDN bundle (e.g. combined bundle w/ @sentry/browser)
• Available via lazy loader

Progress

Phase I: Pre-Migration

• Preparations before merging into sentry-javascript sentry-replay#311

Phase II: Migration

• Migrate sentry-replay into sentry-javascript #6257
• Update build infrastructure of replay package #6280
• Release first official 7.x version from monorepo
• [Replay] Update readme & provide migration docs #6383
• fix(replay): fix rrweb issue & vendor it #6335

Phase III: Post-Migration

• Ensure replays do not have filtered out errors attached #6285
• [Replay] Generate CDN bundles #6362

More long-term tasks are tracked in

• [Replay] Post-Migration Improvements #6458
• [Replay] Refactors and Nice-to-have Improvements #6459

[AbhiPrasad]

Considering users already get very confused over conflicting versions between @sentry/electron and @sentry/react-native and the core deps (@sentry/core or @sentry/utils), I think keeping Replay in sync with the rest of the main dependencies is very beneficial for product experience.

We'll have to take some care to make sure that the test/build infra does not suffer as a result though - that IMO will fully make it clear if we can handle the extra dependencies.

Re-using the playwright test suite might be useful for the replay sdk so they can validate with more robust integration tests.

could simplify reuse of code from within the JS SDK and for users to instrument in the future

This should be a priority so that we make sure that bundle size is saved as much as possible. For example, the replay SDK instruments network requests like our performance monitoring SDK does, and duplicating that code is unnecessary.

[AbhiPrasad]

There's another set of organizational challenges that will have to be handled here. How do we handle the backlog? Do we use labels or a different project to triage/categorize incoming Replay related GH issues. How do we route things appropriately?

[github-actions]

This issue has gone three weeks without activity. In another week, I will close it.

But! If you comment or otherwise update it, I will reset the clock, and if you label it Status: Backlog or Status: In Progress, I will leave it alone ... forever!

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"A weed is but an unloved flower." ― Ella Wheeler Wilcox 🥀

[mitsuhiko]

Not ded according to slack :)

[smeubank]

@billyvg and @jas-kas we can already start collaborating here if we need to add to this issue, or split it up

[AbhiPrasad]

One important decision to be made here. Does @sentry/replay follow the same versioning structure as the rest of the repo? If it doesn't we need to adjust our publishing process around that!

[vladanpaunovic]

One important decision to be made here. Does @sentry/replay follow the same versioning structure as the rest of the repo? If it doesn't we need to adjust our publishing process around that!

I discussed this with @benvinegar and we agreed that @sentry/replay will follow the same versioning structure as the rest of the monorepo.

We will make sure to highlight in docs and release notes that this is still in alpha before jumping into a stable version.