Release Schedule

• Introduction
• Quick Overview
• 0.9 Developer Release
• 1.0 Public Release
• Why this release schedule?
• F.A.Q.

Introduction

After over three years of developing ideas, concepts and different architectures, each time playing with the core engine and structurally changing the way the library works, it is time to focus all efforts on a stable 1.0 release.

Since more then one year, the library has become more and more stable. Core structures did not change a lot if at all in the last half year. Some larger applications have been written using the Portal Foundation Classes and they are all in production without any reported issues.

Without setting any dates for release milestines besides for those that have already passed, we have created a preliminary schedule.

Quick Overview

The diagram below shows a quick overview of the current release schedule.

The actual release is divided in two phases:

• 0.9 Developer Release. This release can be considered a bare bone release without a lot of documentation or sample applications. All the code will be there, features have been frozen and not a lot will change for the 1.0 release.
• 1.0 Public Release. The final 1.0 public release will contain documentation to help developers use this library. Together with sample applications and some out of the box application frameworks, this release is meant to get developers into the PFC community.

The main difference between the two release will be documentation related. The developer release will already freeze the features that will be available in the 1.0 release.

0.9 Developer Release

Writing documentation for a moving target is a daunting task. We therefore choose to freeze the target. This also forces everyone to postpone their latest and greatest ideas for a time after the 1.0 release.

The developer release will therefore contain every feature the 1.0 release will contain. The only code changes allowed are:

• Bug fixing. We want the most stable version we can offer.
• Implementations of missing features without which the library would be useless for a larger group of developers.
• Improve on the stability and maturity of the code. This includes better debugging support, logging, auditing ...

In other words, the 0.9 developer release is meant for those people who would like to use the Portal Foundation Classes without having to wait for full documentation. Don't forget that the entire development is more then willing to assist you in any way they can.

1.0 Public Release

This public release will be the first one in the 1.x series. Besides the obvious code base we want these elements to be prominently available in the 1.0 public release:

• Quality Java Documentation (JavaDoc). As an online reference guide for any jave library, javadoc is extremely important for all developers.
• Quick Start Guide. After a download, a user should be able to get a first application up and running without much knowledge or efforts using these quick start guides.
• Sample Applications. One of the best ways to learn the library is to learn it by dissecting examples. We will include demo and sample applications showing most of the features present in the 1.0 release.

Within the 1.x series we would like to limit new versions to minor updates, bug fixes and similar smaller changes only. This will prevent larger porting efforts between 1.x releases for applications built using the Portal Foundation Classes.

Structural changes or any change that is not backward compatible with previous versions will be postponed to a new major version (2.x). Only if the change to the library requires none or only very minimal changes to existing applications, will the change be allowed in a 1.x release.

Why this release schedule?

As mentioned before, some applications currently in production have been written using some internal version of the Portal Foundation Classes library. We have learned, first hand, that it is important to be able to rely on a stable, fixed, known and documented version of the library. It is important to know that next year this version will still be around, with bug fixes and minor updates. Development teams want to plan their efforts and knowing they won't face a massive porting effort because of one supporting library changed drastically is more then just a convenience.

With a release schedule, the PFC development team hopes to give you a stable base-lined library you can develop and rely on. Although we would be naive to plan for many versions or years today, we at least want you to know we are aware of all the important factors in releasing a new version and what it means to you and your own efforts.

F.A.Q.

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