[Typo3-dev] TYPO3 version 4.0.0?

[Daniel Hinderink [TYPO3]]

Hi Kasper,

> I feel we are somehow locked into a bad version number cycle.
> 
> The next version of TYPO3 has been announced as 3.6.0. This is a step of
> 0.1 over 15 months!
> And if you look at the future plans for the core it is all about changes
> that cannot fairly be said to justify a jump to 4.0.0 more than the
> current release.
> 
> In one way we could say we don't care. But psychologically it might not
> be wise to stay with "3.6.0, 3.6.1, 3.7.0,.... 3.11.0" etc. I think it
> would be more close to the truth if we moved like "4.0.0, 4.0.1, 4.5.0,
> 4.6.0, 5.0.0" etc.
> 
> Please understand that I'm not suggestion to inflate the version numbers
> beyond recognition. I just think we are too "humble" currently (and
> traditionally!)

It is quite funny to have that coming from the development side of things.
Normally the evolution of version numbers is merely a technical matter and
marketing is trying to inflate these.
 
> The future could look like this:
> 
> 4.0.0   
> - Is the release we currently call 3.6.0, soon to come

Since this really is a marketing question, what exactly are the top five
features that you think justify this step in the eyes of customers?

> 4.0.1, 4.0.2, 4.0.3, 4.0.4
> - Are the versions I will regularly upload to
> http://130.228.0.33/t3dl/src/. Normally these uploads are more stable
> than CVS. Most of the time I use these versions for production on my own
> servers. Thus we could say, that a full number "x.x.x" should be used
> when the developers trust the source for production while "x.x.x-dev"
> should be used for non-trusted development (but that will most of the
> time be in CVS anyways!)

Fine.
 
> 4.1.0 or 4.5.0 (depending on what feels more right at the time)
> - When versioning has been implemented.

I don't get it. Somehow it seems like you are suggesting no rules at all?
The point is, either we have development goals, then we should have a
milestone for 4.1.0, 4.2.0, 4.3.0, 4.4.0 ... Each.
 
> 4.6.0
> - When LDAP is added

Why would that not be 4.2.0? Whats so special about this.

> 5.0.0
> - When some great, yet unknown feature arrives or we see reason to make
> the jump (can also be triggered by time alone).

Well, we can of course have jumps when big improvements have been made, but
i agree with Masi to rather divide the development strands have some things
scheduled for, let's say, version 5 and have the regular development going
on alongside on a fast paced but normally incrementing versioned strand.

I suspect there are several people who would love to hop on the version 5
train (e.g. For going PHP5 entirely) and just as many who are quite right
with staying with the main strand and improving on short term goals. It
would be a waste of creativity to not offer this possibility.

BUT all of this requires a general development roadmap! I am all for it, but
so far this was more or less out the question.
 
> I think this makes sense.
> - We will send a more clear signal about the development of TYPO3 which
> really *IS* ongoing and has been for years!

It might help, but I doubt version numbers alone are so very powerful a
communication signal. I think it also requires clear communication of the
achievements. In traditional software development this is easy, because the
management decides what to do and repares the product communication
accordingly. In our case, we have the todolist and the changelog and a knack
for surprises, which makes it very hard to communicate the novelties in
full.
In other words: spectacular version numbers alone, will not be pushing TYPO3
very much further. It will also need to be accompanied with a development
process that provides information in a way that has nooks and crannies for
communicating what the new stuff has to offer. You will have to make that
effort, i am afraid, since you are head of Development :-)

AND it will need features that are really sensational in terms of satisfying
wide spread important needs.

> - We will not inflate version numbering since even with these
> suggestions we will reach TYPO3 ver. 9.5.3 somewhere in 2011

That is really not the problem. TYPO3 X, here we come :-)

> - Generally, the core of TYPO3 is *not* what grows enourmously anymore;
> That is extensions!
> - We will avoid the question "TYPO3... hmm. Will there be a TYPO4?"

Well, in the words of Dan Brün: "I personally only use TYPO8."

:-)

> Just come up with some suggestions. We are not in a hurry. If we do a
> jump that will happen first 30 minutes before 3.6.0 is finally
> released...

Let's try to go one step back and look at what we want to achieve:
1. with version numbers as a form of communicating progress
2. with development

The discussion about development goals should come first, because this is
where value for the customers is actually created. When we have settled on
some agenda, we can think of how to get there. When we know that and have
all of this settled, we can think of how to label it with version numbers.

Cheers,

Daniel

-- 

Daniel Hinderink
TYPO3 - get.content.right
Innovation, Marketing, PR
http://www.typo3.com

-- 
It is a fine thing to be honest, but is also very important to be right.
Winston Churchill on S. Baldwin