# MCP: Create Windows working group

As a step towards the proposal sketched out in [compiler-team#288], we propose to create a **Windows working group** under T-compiler. As a working group, it would have indefinite duration. The idea would be to consult and make recommendations on how to resolve issues that arise that interact with Windows, either the MSVC or GNU subtargets. (Final decisions ultimately rest with the compiler team members.)

Initially, the working group would consist of a "notification list". These are folks that can be pinged by writing `@rustbot ping windows`. In the longer term, we might add a "lead" and "members", if the group wishes to take more affirmative action.

We would also create a `#t-compiler/wg-windows` stream for discussion and add the group to the [compiler-team website].

[compiler-team website]: https://rust-lang.github.io/compiler-team/

As described in [compiler-team#288], this proposal is a kind of template for other working groups within the compiler. These might cover other targets but also areas of the compiler, such as the borrow checker or type checker.

[compiler-team#288]: https://github.com/rust-lang/compiler-team/issues/288

## Template for a working group

Initially, we would create

* a dedicated Zulip stream (`t-compiler/wg-windows`)
* a notification list in the rust-lang team repository, which people are encouraged to subscribe to
* an entry on the [compiler-team website] and instructions on how to add yourself

Ultimately we may extend the group to also have

* lead(s) -- people who can be contacted with questions, identify new members, and maybe do a bit more organization
* a member list -- people who have contributed.
* a rust-lang repository for discussion and tracking proposals

It's not yet clear if those things are needed in this case.

## How to implement this

Currently, the team repository has a concept of 'meta-groups' for notification list and regular working groups. This means that we need two toml files to distinguish the "notification" list.

It would be better to extend the team repo so that teams can have, in addition to leads, members, and alumni, a "notify" list of names. This would be reflected on the website, but folks in the notify list would not be members of the rust-lang org.

## Phasing in to other areas

If this template is working out well, we can add in other areas, such as parts of the compiler ("type checker") and other targets ("arm"), as described in [compiler-team#288].