Create developer-notes.md

Moves coding guidelines and development tips/tricks into a single file.
Also adds a section explaining pull request terminology.

2 files changed, 49 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/doc/README.md b/doc/README.md
index 3ec5f11df2..50753b5ee0 100644
--- a/doc/README.md
+++ b/doc/README.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Development
 ---------------------
 The Bitcoin repo's [root README](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/README.md) contains relevant information on the development process and automated testing.
 
-- [Coding Guidelines](coding.md)
+- [Developer Notes](developer-notes.md)
 - [Multiwallet Qt Development](multiwallet-qt.md)
 - [Release Notes](release-notes.md)
 - [Release Process](release-process.md)
diff --git a/doc/coding.md b/doc/developer-notes.md
index 43294dbe4c..eaeb90da1d 100644
--- a/doc/coding.md
+++ b/doc/developer-notes.md
@@ -89,6 +89,41 @@ Not OK (used plenty in the current source, but not picked up):
 A full list of comment syntaxes picked up by doxygen can be found at http://www.stack.nl/~dimitri/doxygen/manual/docblocks.html,
 but if possible use one of the above styles.
 
+Development tips and tricks
+---------------------------
+
+**compiling for debugging**
+
+Run configure with the --enable-debug option, then make. Or run configure with
+CXXFLAGS="-g -ggdb -O0" or whatever debug flags you need.
+
+**debug.log**
+
+If the code is behaving strangely, take a look in the debug.log file in the data directory;
+error and debugging messages are written there.
+
+The -debug=... command-line option controls debugging; running with just -debug will turn
+on all categories (and give you a very large debug.log file).
+
+The Qt code routes qDebug() output to debug.log under category "qt": run with -debug=qt
+to see it.
+
+**testnet and regtest modes**
+
+Run with the -testnet option to run with "play bitcoins" on the test network, if you
+are testing multi-machine code that needs to operate across the internet.
+
+If you are testing something that can run on one machine, run with the -regtest option.
+In regression test mode, blocks can be created on-demand; see qa/rpc-tests/ for tests
+that run in -regtest mode.
+
+**DEBUG_LOCKORDER**
+
+Bitcoin Core is a multithreaded application, and deadlocks or other multithreading bugs
+can be very difficult to track down. Compiling with -DDEBUG_LOCKORDER (configure
+CXXFLAGS="-DDEBUG_LOCKORDER -g") inserts run-time checks to keep track of which locks
+are held, and adds warnings to the debug.log file if inconsistencies are detected.
+
 Locking/mutex usage notes
 -------------------------
 
@@ -136,3 +171,16 @@ Threads
 - BitcoinMiner : Generates bitcoins (if wallet is enabled).
 
 - Shutdown : Does an orderly shutdown of everything.
+
+Pull Request Terminology
+------------------------
+
+Concept ACK - Agree with the idea and overall direction, but haven't reviewed the code changes or tested them.
+
+utACK (untested ACK) - Reviewed and agree with the code changes but haven't actually tested them.
+
+Tested ACK - Reviewed the code changes and have verified the functionality or bug fix.
+
+ACK -  A loose ACK can be confusing. It's best to avoid them unless it's a documentation/comment only change in which case there is nothing to test/verify; therefore the tested/untested distinction is not there.
+
+NACK - Disagree with the code changes/concept. Should be accompanied by an explanation.