Improving iteration and collaboration with user stories

What this post added

This post details the development of the 'Deploy Freeze' feature, which allows users to specify windows of time when deployments are not allowed for an environment within a GitLab project. The feature is configured via the UI and leverages cron syntax, similar to Pipeline Schedules, to enforce these restrictions. The development process involved user research to understand the need for such a feature, particularly in enterprise and regulated industries, and iterative design to arrive at an MVC that focuses on UI configuration rather than YAML-based pipeline modifications. Key technical decisions included reusing cron syntax from Pipeline Schedules and implementing UI notifications for users when a freeze period is active.