Beta Today Better Tomorrow
2024-12-17 - The Operaton Team
Beta Today, Better Tomorrow: Our Release Approach
You might be wondering: Why are we still releasing beta versions? Here’s why:
Heavy Refactoring
To ensure that Operaton is truly open and community-driven, we’ve been working hard to remove trademarks and address licensing concerns.
This wasn’t just a cosmetic change—it required modifying the codebase to:
- Remove trademarks.
- Eliminate potential risks and errors introduced during this process.
Most importantly, we’re committed to ensuring there are no breaking changes in the Java API after our first final release. This dedication to stability is why we’re proceeding cautiously.
Modernizing for the Future
We’ve made the decision to drop compatibility with outdated Java and Spring versions.
Why? Supporting legacy technology:
- Slows us down.
- Holds the community back.
By focusing on supported versions, we’re building a future-proof foundation for your BPMN needs.
Testing Challenges
Integration tests are essential for stable releases, but we faced a unique challenge:
- Some tests relied on a non-open Jenkins pipeline and non-public Docker images.
To uphold our commitment to openness, we’re transitioning these tests to public infrastructure. This change will:
- Allow everyone—not just us—to run and verify them.
- Foster greater transparency and collaboration.
Stability, Thanks to the Community
Thanks to the support from early adopters in our community, we’re confident in the stability of Operaton.
But “pretty sure” isn’t good enough. That’s why we’re committed to rigorous testing and verification to ensure our first stable release is rock-solid and ready for everyone.
What’s Next?
We’re working hard to:
- Port all integration tests to public infrastructure.
- Provide various distributions as Docker images, making it easier for users to test and integrate Operaton.
Once these steps are complete, you’ll hear about our first stable release—a version that’s tested, verified, and truly open for the community.
Together, we can make this the BPMN engine that truly belongs to everyone.