Project Plan For Eclipse Communication Framework, version 3.6

Introduction

Previously, ECF has had three major releases: ECF 1.0.0 as part of Europa Simultaneous Release, ECF 2.0.0 as part of Ganymede Simultaneous Release, ECF 3.0.0 as part of Galileo Simultaneous Release, and ECF 3.3.0 as part of Helios Simultaneous Release. This plan describes the work for ECF 3.6, which will occur in June, 2011 as part of the Indigo Simultaneous Release.

Release Deliverables

The major ECF 3.6 release deliverables are as follows:

  1. Fully implement OSGi 4.2 Remote Services Admin standard (chapter 122 in OSGi enterprise specification)
  2. Use (and extend) Google Wave provider to implement a multiplayer game
  3. Extend DNSSD discovery provider
  4. Introduce XML-RPC-based remote services provider
  5. Introduce SIP provider and improve/update/extend the ECF call API (VOIP/telephony)
  6. Improve and Extend the ECF Example Applications, with special emphasis on OSGi remote services and remote service admin examples
  7. Enable easier creation and use of Equinox+ECF remote services-based Server Runtimes

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Release Milestones

ECF plans on delivering milestone on the same general schedule as the Helios Simultaneous Release schedule, starting with M4. ECF has both +0 and +1 components. The +0 components will be on same release schedule as the Platform, and the +1 components will be as specified below.
M412/17/2010
M52/4/2011
M63/18/2011
ECF 3.6 API Freeze
M75/6/2011
ECF 3.6 Feature Freeze
RC15/20/2011
RC25/27/2011
RC36/3/2011
RC46/10/2011
3.66/22/2011
Indigo GA/ECF 3.6

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Target Environments

ECF's target environments are:
  • Eclipse
  • Eclipse-based Applications
  • Eclipse RCP
  • Other Equinox-Based Runtimes (e.g. Equinox servers and CDC1.1/Foundation 1.1 environments)

Internationalization

ECF doesn't perform internationalization directly, although we develop our plugins following common rules about string externalization to make the automation possible

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Compatibility with Previous Releases

ECF has a policy of maintaining API backward compatibility with minor and service releases. API is considered all exported packages (i.e. packages that do not have 

x-internal:=true
in their Export-Package declaration. As an example, with the following declaration in the org.eclipse.ecf MANIFEST.MF 

Export-Package: org.eclipse.ecf.core,
				org.eclipse.ecf.internal.core;x-internal:=true

The org.eclipse.ecf.core package is API, and the org.eclipse.ecf.internal.core package is not

Only with major releases (e.g. 2.0.0, 3.0.0) are incompatible API changes to be introduced (e.g. refactorings, renames), and even then only after discussion among multiple committers. For the parts of ECF used by the Platform (e.g. the core and file transfer bundles), NO incompatible API changes will be introduced, even for major releases, in order to maintain the platform backward compatibility constraints.

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Themes and Priorities

Remote Services Standards

Implement Remote Services Admin specification (impl of OSGI Remote Services Admin spec).

ECF Providers

Add XML-RPC-based provider

Extend DNSSD provider

  • Proposed

    • [call][provider] Create ECF Call API provider based upon SIP [193388] (target milestone: 3.6.0)
    • [wave][provider] implement wave protocol as new ECF provider [280347] (target milestone: 3.2.0)

VOIP

Add SIP provider

  • Proposed

    • [call][provider] Create ECF Call API provider based upon SIP [193388] (target milestone: 3.6.0)

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