Skosmos 3.0 and version 2 vs 3 development policies

[MikkoAleksanteri]

As you may have noticed, Skosmos version 3.0 development has begun (see 3.0 Roadmap). The current latest release 2.16.1 will probably be the last 2.X version of Skosmos (patch releases are possible). The main Skosmos development team at NatLibFi will focus its resources on 3.0 development from now on, and 2.X development will only include bug fixes.

3.0 will bring big changes especially to the front-end of Skosmos. Along with visual updates, the technical implementation of the front-end will be renewed for better maintainability and overall coherence. See the above linked Roadmap for more details. A consequence of the front-end changes is that any customized Skosmos designs need to be reimplemented, because the HTML and CSS code will change a lot in 3.0.

From Skosmos 3.0 onwards special attention will be given to code quality. We have adopted PHP and JavaScript code style guidelines and tools; see the CONTRIBUTING file for details. We have also started using the Cypress end-to-end testing tool to test front-end functionality and accessibility.

The target date for 3.0 release is Q2 (second quarter) of 2024. After the 3.0 release, only 3.X versions will be supported by NatLibFi.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding 3.0 development and 2.X support, don’t hesitate to ask. The Skosmos 3.0 development backlog can be found here. GitHub issues marked with the 3.0 milestone are considered essential for the 3.0 release, while issues marked with the 3.X milestone may be postponed to later 3.X releases.