Our Visions of the Future
Modules/Blocks API - Continuing development of a function rich and robust Applications Programming Interface
Superb Documentation - Provide the best quality documentation anywhere. This includes developers documentation (<a href=http://www.mcdee.net/pn/pnMDG.pdf.gz target=_blank>Modules Developers Guide and <a href=http://www.mcdee.net/pn/pnAPI.pdf.gz target=_blank>API Guide), website admin documentation and end user module documentation.
Build a Development Community - We're stronger together that we are alone. We must centralize module development to aid reuse. Developers need to be taught the advantages of collaborative development and using the <a href=http://sourceforge.net/projects/pn-modules target=_blank>Modules CVS structure (CVS, code review/help, bug trackers, feature enhancement requests, etc.). This will be required for official modules. This also reduces the risk of orphan modules in case the developer disappears.
Support - All Official Modules support forums will be located on the Postnuke site. A admin or user should be able to go to a single place for every module they're using.
The Current Status
We are currently going through major changes related to modules:
New Modules API - Postnuke now has a real API for blocks and modules. The new API is very powerful and comprehensive. Future releasess of PostNuke will no longer support the old phpNuke module architecture. This will require that all modules be rewritten to work with the new API.
Modules move out of Core - Modules have been moved out of the Postnuke core CVS and into the <a href=http://sourceforge.net/projects/pn-modules target=_blank>Modules CVS. The separation of core and modules will allow a website admin to tailor their installation by installing the basic Postnuke core and then adding modules whenever they desire. The separation will also allow more frequent module releases.
Modules CVS - The <a href=http://sourceforge.net/projects/pn-modules target=_blank>Modules CVS is currently hosted on Sourceforge. The state of the current CVS is poor. Many modules have not been converted to the new API, do not have a owner, the Sourceforge CVS does not offer granular (by module) security, or project staffing shortages exist. The Project Management Team (PMT) is working to resolve these issues and more announcements will be posted shortly.
Module Classification System - As all modules have to be rewritten to the new API, we're taking the opportunity to look at the Official, Beta and Nonstandard classification system for modules. A new review system is being developed to evaluate modules to determine if they should garner official status. This review will include Security, Documentation, Installation, Support Structure, Quality and Standards Compliance. A website admin should be confident that they're getting the best available when they install an Official Module. In the interim, all modules are being decertified and stripped of their Official Status.
Module Validation Site - A new module validation site has been implemented and the module support forums have been moved to the main Postnuke site. Check out the new site at <a href=http://www.testnuke.com target=_blank>www.testnuke.com.
Module Registration/Search System - We've started development of a system to register modules and collect various information about them. In the future, this will be the place to search for a particular widget module for Postnuke version X.XX
Staffing - And finally we come to staffing. There are a number of opening in the Project and we need people to successfully accomplish our goals. We'll post more at a later time on open positions in the project. Most of all we need developers for converting modules to the new API structure. Please come and adopt a module.