[TYPO3-ect] Announcing TER cleanup process

[Tolleiv Nietsch]

Hi Jigal,

as you know we had the typo3.org sprint last week and we're all still a
bit puzzled. We don't quite understand how you want to  proceed with the
entire TER cleanup without talking to anyone of the typo3.org maintainers.

We do have a monthly Skype meeting on every last Tuesday of the month
5pm - please join in or invite us to a different meeting.

Cheers,
Tolleiv

Jigal van Hemert schrieb:
> TER "cleanup"
> =============
> 
> Everybody recognizes this situation: you're looking for an extension
> with a certain functionality and after you've installed it all kinds of
> errors appear about missing functions or even worse, you only see a
> blank page. Further investigation shows that the extension isn't
> compatible with your TYPO3 version.
> 
> For a long time extensions can set the TYPO3 version(s) they are
> compatible with. Unfortunately not many extension authors use that
> setting. You could take a look at the date of publication, but even that
> won't be a sure sign.
> 
> The plans
> ---------
> To reduce the chances for such problems some things will change:
> 
> 1. the dependency setting in an extension for a TYPO3 version (or a
> range of versions) will become mandatory; this means that extensions
> without a dependency for one of the currently supported core versions
> will be rejected during the upload.
> 
> 2. extensions without a TYPO3 dependency setting or with a dependency
> for none of the current TYPO3 versions will be marked as "outdated".
> 
> 3. "outdated" extensions will not show up at first in the TER search
> results; you can activate a switch to also show "outdated" extensions.
> 
> 4. "outdated" extensions will be clearly marked in the Extension Manager.
> 
> The schedule
> ------------
> - Announcements in as many places as possible (end of January)
> 
> - Mails to extension authors to notify them of the changes (February)
> 
> - Patches for TYPO3 Extension Manager to display "outdated" extensions
> differently (beginning of February)
> 
> - Rejecting extensions without valid dependency during upload (August
> 1st, 2013)
> 
> - Marking extensions without (valid) dependency in TER (beginning of
> August 2013)
> 
> - Hiding "outdated" extensions in TER search (beginning of August 2013)
> 
> Definition of an "outdated" extension
> -------------------------------------
> An extension is called "outdated" if it has set a dependency for TYPO3,
> but none of the versions it depends on is actively maintained. For
> example: it has a dependency for TYPO3 4.0-4.3; all these versions are
> 'end-of-life' and this extension is clearly not designed to work with
> any current TYPO3 installation.
> 
> Because a lot of extensions don't have a dependency set, we have to
> expand the definition a bit in the beginning: extensions which were
> uploaded before the release of the oldest, currently maintained TYPO3
> version are also "outdated". If an extension was uploaded before the
> release of TYPO3 4.5 it was obviously not tested with that version.
> 
> 
> And in the (near) future...
> 
> Shortly we will have a 'gap' in the range of supported versions: 4.5
> (LTS), 4.7, 6.0. This will mean that the check will be a bit more
> complicated, but the basic rule will remain the same:
> check if there is a match between the range of TYPO3 versions set in the
> dependency property and the currently maintained versions.
> 
> Implications for integrators
> ----------------------------
> If you search for extensions in TER after August 1st, 2013 these
> "outdated" extensions will not show up immediately. Only if you activate
> the option to include "outdated" extensions they will be included in the
> results. It is still possible to download these extensions, but you need
> extra effort.
> 
> If you search in the Extension Manager in the list of extensions in TER
> the "outdated" extensions will not show up.
> 
> If you try to install an "outdated" extension (uploading it in the EM)
> the behavior will depend on whether the TYPO3 dependency has been set or
> not in the extension. This is the current situation already.
> 
> If an extension you currently use is marked as "outdated" there is
> really no problem. It works for you, but it might not work in newer
> TYPO3 versions. You could ask the extension author to update the extension.
> 
> Please note that also not-"outdated" extensions might fail with a new
> TYPO3 core version. If the extension is compatible with TYPO3 4.5 it is
> not "outdated", but it may be incompatible with TYPO3 4.7 you want to
> upgrade to. Checks to see if your installation is upgrade-ready might be
> a nice feature for a new tool.
> 
> Implications for extension authors
> ----------------------------------
> If you try to upload an extension without a dependency for TYPO3 or with
> a dependency which is outside the range of currently supported TYPO3
> versions your upload will be rejected and an error message will be
> shown. Simply add to ext_emconf.php a dependency for the version(s) you
> tested the extension with:
> 
>   'constraints' => array(
>     'depends' => array(
>       'typo3' => '4.5.0-4.7.99',
>     ),
>   ),
> 
> You can set the minimum for a version of TYPO3 which is not supported
> anymore, but then the maximum must be within the supported range. You
> cannot set a maximum outside the range of supported versions.
> 
> 
> What happens with "outdated" extensions and their keys?
> 
> Really, nothing much. They will remain in TER, but not as visible as
> they were before. The extension keys will still remain with their owners.
> 
> If you upload a new version of an "outdated" extension it will appear
> again in the search results, because the dependency is set for one or
> more of the currently maintained TYPO3 versions.
> 
> Security issues and "outdated" extensions
> -----------------------------------------
> The security team will give more attention to extensions which are
> actively maintained. If a security issue is reported for an "outdated"
> extension the normal procedure will be followed.
> 
> Future developments
> -------------------
> The information about the TYPO3 versions an extension will work with can
> be used for other features of the TER and the Extension Manager.
> 
> In the future it will be possible to search for compatibility with a
> specific TYPO3 version.
> 
> It would also be possible to show in the EM the list of extensions in
> the TER which are compatible with the installed TYPO3 version.
> 
> A check to see if all installed extensions are compatible with a new
> TYPO3 version before you perform the upgrade would also be possible.
> 
> More information
> ----------------
> The Extension Coordination Team [1] handles this operation. See [2] for
> the wiki information. There is a mailing list / newsgroup
> "typo3.teams.extension-coordination" to ask questions and discuss the
> procedures.
> 
> [1] http://forge.typo3.org/projects/team-ect
> [2] http://forge.typo3.org/projects/team-ect/wiki/TER_Clean-up
> 

-- 
Tolleiv Nietsch
TYPO3 Core Developer


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