Bugfix release 5.12

[Little John]

I wish a bugfix release 5.12, before another version with new features will be released. I think it's worth it.
Thanks for considering this.

[IdeasVacuum]

Sensible proposal +1

[LuCiFeR[SD]]

+1

even a few releases being bugfix only would be good.

[eesau]

Nah, better to go straight for 5.2.

[Fred]

We won't do a 5.12 as the 5.20 dev is in heavy progress, but for the next release, we will introduce a new 'LTS' system, like Ubuntu. So the 5.20 will be supported during 2 years, only bug fixes will be applied to that version, so long term projects can be based on LTS versions and switch from one to another (we plan to introduce a clear update plan from one LTS to another if some API changes). In between, we will still release other new versions, which introduce new features, and once the 2 year mark has been reached, it will be a new LTS and the old one won't be supported anymore. Please note than this new support will be in test at first, if it's too complicated for us to maintain 2 differents branchs, we could drop it. But at least we will have give it a try. It should answer some complains about upgrading the code too often when doing commercial projects.

[Tenaja]

Sounds like a great plan. Thanks for watching out for us.

[lakomet]

Fred
IDE in Unicode will be?

[skywalk]

Cool, what feature(s) require a branch

[Fred]

When maintaining 2 differents versions, you need to have 2 branchs in your source control system and port back the fixes from one branch to another. If the branches differs to much over the time, then the merge become increasily more complicated and can be hard to manage and error prone.

[skywalk]

Ok, I thought the branch was for major syntax changes or drastic IDE changes.
If I understand correctly, you will freeze version 5.2x with its features and bug fixes for 2 years.
But will you release 5.3x at any point within the 2 year LTS of 5.2x?

[Fred]

Yes that's it. It can have 5.30, 5.40 and more during the 2 years. So it's your choice to stick with LTS version or follow incremental release like it is now.

[skywalk]

Ok. Makes more sense now.
Other vendors do this but at major stops; 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, etc.

[Tenaja]

Ok. Makes more sense now.
Other vendors do this but at major stops; 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, etc.

Ubuntu Linux does not, however. Their versions are based on Year.Month, and the LTS is always April, with standard releases every October.

[Little John]

Hello Fred,

although what you wrote is not the answer I was hoping to get,
it is interesting news. Thank you!

[LuCiFeR[SD]]

Not the answer I was hoping to get either, but there is nothing Fred said there that I found even remotely interesting... I found it more worrying than anything. But I will leave it at that. I'm not going to rock the boat for the sake of it.