[Dspace-general] Next DSpace Version (1.3)

[Richard Jones]

Hi All,

With DSpace 1.2.1 recently out of the bag, we want to move rapidly on to
the next release.  It is suggested that a major release is required,
with some database schema changes necessary; this is essential to
include some of the functionality that people have been developing  to
be included.

This is therefore a call for contributions to the next major DSpace
release!  If you have some code and would like to see it appear in the
core distribution please create a patch against the last stable release
of the code, available from SourceForge, and submit it to the
SourceForge Patch manager.  Instructions for creating patches are
available here:

http://wiki.dspace.org/HowToContribute

and the DSpace Patches are available here:

https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=19984&atid=319984

In order to reach the next release in as short a timescale as possible
please have any patches that you would like considered for 1.3 submitted
to SourceForge by *18 March*.  If you can't make this date, don't worry,
patches submitted after that date will be lined up for inclusion into
the appropriate release after that.

There are already a number of features which should be available in the
upcoming release including:

- LDAP authentication support
- Submission authorisation UI improvements
- EPerson Group enhancements
- Parts of Tapir (https://sourceforge.net/projects/tapir-eul/)
- Customisable Submission Forms

Please help us add to this list by contributing your developments.

If you are interested in helping out with the general development of
DSpace, but don't have a particular patch that you are itching to
submit, why not take a look at the DSpace Feature Request system
(https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=19984&atid=369984) and see if
there's anything there that catches your eye.  Some developments that
seem particularly appropriate, and not too time consuming, that you
could consider are:

- New DC Qualifiers (754198)
- Sortable Task List (754195)
- Display handles (1087056)
- Collection item counts (1049094)
- Community edit flow (935524)
- Browse by date pull-down (681038)
- WF Rejection metadata (630443, 630441)
- Collection admin policies (630423)
- Handle format (620150)
- Configurable Item display (608493)
- File path (598927)
- Terms and Conditions (513988)

Where the bracketed number refers to the feature request number on SF.

In the mean time, there has already been the addition of customisable
submissions to the CVS copy of the core, which has been much requested,
and we could put out an interim minor release containing this addition
to the 1.2.1 code, bearing in mind that it has not yet been community
tested and may not be appropriate for a production service.

Please let the community know what you think about these issues, and
don't be afraid to contribute code to the effort or to make suggestions;
use the wiki (http://wiki.dspace.org) to share ideas and to see what
other people are up to.

Best Wishes,

Richard
-------
Richard Jones
Information Systems Developer  + A crash reduces
Edinburgh University Library   + your expensive computer
Information Systems            + to a simple stone

e: r.d.jones at ed.ac.uk
t: 0131 651 3811

Edinburgh Research Archive: http://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/
Tapir on SourceForge: http://sourceforge.net/projects/tapir-eul
Theses Alive! homepage: http://www.thesesalive.ac.uk/