Difference between revisions of "Category:RoadMap"

This page describe what is the Dolibarr release policy, calendar and rules. It also includes the list of all past and future releases. For a description of the process of building a release, see FAQ Release process.

Roadmap calendar

Number of releases per year:

• Major releases: 2 (This frequency was set and has not been changed since 2011)
• Minor maintenance releases: N (depends on bug reports and their criticity)

Dates are (YYYY is current year, YYYY+1 is next year):

Let's take an example :

Branch and Source control management

All new features have to be pushed into develop branch. Following the release calendar, branches with name of major version x.y are created by the release manager. According to when we are in the release cycle, those branches can be frozen branches or maintenance branches. See here what this means:

Freeze definition

When we make a freeze of code, it means we start the beta period. It does not means that we must not change the code for the targeted version. It means that we can do some thing, and we can't for some other. This is a generic definition of a Freeze.

A freeze is done with a goal of a stable version in mind. To start a freeze, a new branch of sources is created (or will be created soon), from develop branch, and called x.y branch. A freeze version is the version we want as the version x.y. Bug fixes start until then version x.y.0 is publicly released. When done, version x.y.* will be maintenance versions (see next definition).

• When a freeze has started, all following things are still allowed into this branch:
  • Any change of code to fix bugs (code change must however not introduce architecture change nor new library)
  • Any change of code for performance optimizing
  • Any change into translation (language files or adding translation key implementation)
  • Any change into data reference (stored into table llx_c_*. For example, update of vat rates, adding countries, ...)
  • Any change to finish works that was started BEFORE the freeze and that is not stable. This include changes of code non reachable into the stable version (like experimental code).
  • Any change into theme or looks (change into HTML to match W3C, or CSS changes).
  • Adding call to dol_syslog().
  • Adding a column into a table (+ upgrade script) or index or constraint, but only if it is required to fix a bug or performance troubles.
• The following things are not allowed:
  • Any change into architecture.
  • Code standardization nor normalization (except if this is to clean syntax of code).
  • Adding/removing new external libraries.
  • Adding/removing a table, removing a column.
  • Adding new features. However, adding a component whose code is isolated from the rest of the code may be accepted by project merger. For example:
    • a "widget file"
    • an "emailing target selector file"
    • a "script" file into /scripts,
    • an utility function
    • a new REST or SOAP API
    • a new hook
    • a new export or import profile

Maintenance definition

When a stable version is released, the branch x.y become a maintenance branch. This means, a lot of things are forbidden into this branch x.y anymore. This is generic definition of a maintenance branch.

The maintenance branch keep its name x.y, however, each version will be tagged with name x.y.* (* start to 1 and is increased for each new maintenance version). Only changes to fix "blocking", "annoying" or "security" bugs can be done. Bugs making a new feature not available (when feature was never available) must not necessarily be fixed. It 's just a feature not yet ready into this version, it will be available with next major release.

• The following things are allowed:
  • Any change of code for performance optimizing
  • Change code to fix "blocking", "annoying" or "security".
  • Change for translation (language files only or error of key in code, not changing key into language files).
  • Increasing size of a field.
  • Adding a performance index, only if application can't be used without.
  • Look fixes, only if it affects user readability.
• The following changes are not allowed:
  • Any change into architecture.
  • Code standardization, including renaming variables, translation keys, mutualizing code.
  • Adding/removing new external libraries.
  • Adding/removing a table, adding/removing/changing a column.
  • Adding a foreign key or unique key.
  • Adding new features, even isolated components or scripts.
• There is an exception: We can add backported code of version x.y+1 into a maintenance branch to prepare transition for developers of external modules, but only if code added is a complete new method or new function, with no other change.

Note that all branches are always open for contributions to maintenance purpose in GitHub, so if you install Dolibarr using a git clone (recommended installation method for experienced users), you may benefit of a very long term support of your major version, even if no more auto-installer binary packages are generated for this version.

Release Process

For information about the release process, see FAQ_Release_process.

List of past versions

This Roadmap page is an index of all dedicated pages to RoadMap of each version (past and future). List of each change is available into the ChangeLog file