Difference between revisions of "Equinox p2 UI Plan"

Revision as of 13:48, 25 November 2008

This page describes the work planned for the next release (3.5) of the p2 UI. This includes improvements for the p2 UI in the Eclipse SDK, as well as issues that have to be addressed for alternate UIs (such as RCP app requirements). Important fixes will be examined for inclusion/backport to 3.4.x maintenance stream.

The overall p2 plan for 3.5 is located at Equinox_p2_Plan

The milestone plans for 3.4 have moved to Equinox p2 UI Eclipse 3.4 Plan

Issues for 3.4.1

• Improved progress reporting and honoring cancellation requests
• Improved presentation of errors (resizability, formatting)
• Fix confusing restart language
• Annoying /low risk bugs
  • Refresh artifact repos when metadata repos are refreshed

Issues for 3.4.2

• Enable a site when a user adds a disabled one (workaround until core fixes in 3.5)
• NLS formatting fixes
• Layout glitches (Linux only)

3.5 Milestone Plan

M1 - Aug 8, 2008

• UI/Usability
  • Usability review of general strategy (modality, overall organization, etc.)
    • Walkthrough with Eclipse UIWG
    • Solicit usability and user persona input from product teams
    • Write concrete user personas to guide use cases
  • Bugs
    • Bring 3.4.1 fixes into 3.5 stream

M2 - Sep 19, 2008

• UI/Usability
  • Develop use cases based on user persona input
  • Investigate integration of installed view with about dialog
  • Develop mockups for new workflows and solicit feedback
• Performance/Stability
  • revisit checkbox/filter/deferred fetch strategy Bug 233269 (continuing in M3)
  • investigate resolution in the background Bug 236495 (continuing in the scope of new workflows in M3)

M3 - Oct 31, 2008

• UI/Usability
  • Complete new workflows (installed view may not yet be integrated with about dialog)
  • Begin improved implementation of installed view Bug 224472
    • Allow drill-down in installed view of requirements that are visible as groups
    • Identify any necessary metadata changes to make this simpler/better (see Bug 227675)
• Performance/Stability
  • finalize checkbox/filter/deferred fetch strategy Bug 233269
    • Better/faster filtering without graying out filter box (postponed to M4)
    • Eliminate "duplicate nodes" problem on first repo read
  • resolution in the background to be provided as part of new workflows Bug 236495
  • Investigate repo adding/loading performance issues and identify necessary changes to core Bug 236485

M4 - Dec 12, 2008

• UI/Usability
  • Finish up installed view changes
    • Complete integration of installed view with about dialog
    • Install drill-down info also shown in install/update wizards Bug 250862
    • Investigate the separation of product base vs. "add-ons" Bug 215398
    • Investigate the ability to provide optional/related content Bug 247342. (Decision is not to do anything at this time)
  • Investigate better affordances in available view to show already installed, available updates, etc. Bug 216032
  • Investigate fast-path install scenarios Bug 223264
• Performance/Stability
  • finalize checkbox/filter/deferred fetch strategy Bug 233269
    • Better/faster filtering without graying out filter box
• Usability+Performance
  • Site management
    • Need to do a better job of deciding which repos to look up against Bug 234213
    • More selective loading of repos when sites are added Bug 236485
• API
  • Complete integration of installed view with about dialog
  • Separation of contributions from the rest of the code Bug 221760
  • Ability to reassemble groups (available, installed, history, repo management) into new locations (pref page vs. wizard, etc.)

M5 - Jan 30, 2009 - Major Feature Freeze

• UI/Usability
  • Complete implementation for fast-path install scenarios Bug 223264
  • Complete implementation for available view affordances Bug 216032
  • investigate streamlined license UI Bug 217944
  • better presentation of repositories
    • Access to sites from all workflows Bug 250316
    • user repo naming (regression of UM function) Bug 194224
    • improve presentation of enabled/disabled repositories Bug 218534
    • discovery mechanisms
• API
  • should UI be the one coordinating provisioning operations vs. having scheduling rules Bug 236493
  • event batching when multiple changes are made Bug 234489 and/or Bug 236498
  • improved error reporting and explanation of problems between the planner and the UI Bug 218055

M6 - Mar 12, 2009 - API Freeze

• API
  • javadoc, package.html, and API scrub
  • automated test cases for all API contracts
  • examples or work with clients to demonstrate/verify that we provide appropriate level of reuse

M7 - May 1, 2009 - Development Freeze

Items not yet assigned to milestones

UI/Usability

• ability to install/uninstall user-named groups of IU's

API

• Investigate other levels of detail provided by API (listed from most general to most granular)
  • One callable, preconfigured UI with pluggable policy (query providers, policies, etc.)
  • Expose all building blocks for RCP apps
    • Individual wizards, dialogs, actions
    • Content and label providers
• Ensure code is structured for managed scenarios (minimal UI that is required)
  • Silent/automatic updating, user never sees the update UI, it just happens (but may need confirmation, restart dialog, etc.)
  • User's environment is defined explicitly by someone external (administrator)
    • Upgrade or install to a new specification
    • Compare current installation to required one