Major releases (e.g. 3.0, 4.0) should have a significant amount of features,
otherwise it's just a point release. I wouldn't go for 4.0 with just 1
change, that should be a point release (e.g. 3.1). As the assembly is
signed, people have to manually upgrade from 3.0 to 3.1 anyway, so it's not
as if people will run into big problems when installing 3.1 next to 3.0
For 4.0, as I've said in the NHusers list before (but I got ripped apart
because of it), what's really needed is a turn-key package, so when someone
downloads NHibernate, everything is in there, and the developer can just
turn things on or off through configuration. No more hunting down contribs
from all over the place, which have mismatching dependencies (e.g. what was
the case with FNH 1.0 for example), just 1 package, 1 source for the goods,
and nothing else.
The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get new users in and keep
existing users on-board. In todays world, developers don't want to spend
hours looking for libraries supporting their NH code, if a competing o/r
mapper has everything in 1 box: time is money.
Another, IMHO major, point is that it should be forbidden to post a blogpost
about a new feature unless the new feature is also properly documented with
official docs. The current docs are outdated, and it's a massive job to get
it up to par, but the longer you wait, the bigger this gap will become, and
it will again turn into a situation where a developer has to hunt down
blogposts for documentation about that specific feature or setting.
If NH takes itself serious and as a professional framework, it should get
itself together and promote itself as one: proper, up to date docs, proper
one-stop download site and configuration so getting started and getting up
and running with all cilinders running is easy and quick.
I know this all will take a lot of time, but IMHO it's time well spend, at
least better spend than on some edge case feature only 3 people will ever
use or yet another way to query your domain.
FB
> You have around 30 days to talk with people to have some ideas about what
> each one is thinking about NH next.
> The main matter is not about improvements, features or issues in general
but
> about the "other" big JUMP.
> Perhaps after 3.0.0, this time, we may wait a little bit before open the
3.x
> branch and start developing NH4...
> Perhaps we have to plan only a little minor release after 3.0.0GA...
> something like one month or month and half to release 3.0.1 with some bug
> fix.
>
> Personally I would release NH4.0.0 very quickly with one mayor change:
> Remove Iesi.Collection (sig) for external usage...
> That mean (phase1):
> 1) a separated ICollectionTypeFactory for back draw compatibility and to
> give the opportunity to convert existing projects
> 2) Adios no strongly typed <set> (no Iesi ? well... only the ISet<T> will
be
> supported)
> 3) The <set> will mean .Net4 ISet<T> by default
> 4) No more support for .NET3.5
>
> (phase2)
> After NH4.0.0 we can start the real hard work but it will be "only"
> internal... the remotion of the reference to Iesi.Collection We may walk
> some others routes but I prefer a drastic cut instead a long torture.
>
> During phase2 I would implements some others ideas but that will be matter
> of appropriate discussions.
>
> The other possibility is to give support to both (Iesi and .Net) ISet
> differentiating it through a specific <type>... in any case it mean: bye
bye
> .NET3.5
>
> Please try to avoid a quick answer and take your time to "digest" the
> matter.
>
> --
> Fabio Maulo
>
