Apache Subversion Roadmap

Upcoming Releases ¶

The following is a preliminary timetable for the next few upcoming releases. Dates, feature deliverables, and even version numbers found in this list are all subject to change (and become increasingly more speculative the further out we attempt to project). Fortunately, the same dynamics that allow features to fall out of releases or for release dates to slip also allow for feature and release acceleration. That's the nature of open-source, community-driven software projects (and we think it's a great thing). So if you don't like what you see here, do something about it: your contributions are always welcome!

We try to roll releases on Wednesdays. Like most of the other information on this page, the day we roll isn't a hard-and-fast rule, but it is something that has been useful in the past. Rolling mid-week gives us enough time for the release preparation process in the couple of days prior to the release, and some time before the weekend for validation of the release tarballs. The release is finalized and announced as soon after the completion of the validation process as possible. See the documentation of our release process for more information.

How We Plan Releases ¶

Subversion uses a compromise between time-driven and feature-driven release planning. We schedule the next release for an approximate date (very approximate), and make sure it contains one or more new features or other significant differentiators, but we don't say exactly what those new features will be. This is because we're always working on several things at once, and we want to give each new feature time to mature. Especially given the decentralized nature of open-source development, we're wary of forcing technical discussions to premature consensus. At the same time, it's good for the project to have regular releases, so we try to keep to a schedule and to have something ready to roll out when the release date comes along.

In this context, "release" means an increment of the minor release number, which is the middle number in our three-component system. Thus, 1.2.0, 1.3.0, and 1.4.0 are successive minor releases in the "1.x" line, whereas 1.1.1, 1.1.2, and 1.1.3 are successive patch (bugfix) releases in the "1.1.x" line. We don't schedule patch releases far in advance, we just put them out when we feel enough bugfixes have accumulated to warrant it. Major new releases, such as Subversion 2.0, will probably be done much like the minor releases, just with more planning around the exact features. For more information about Subversion's release numbering and compatibility policies, see the section entitled "Release numbering, compatibility, and deprecation" in the Subversion Community Guide.

Our "Most Wanted" Features ¶

The following is a list of "most wanted" features/enhancements we've identified as important and achievable, in no particular order, along with the chain of dependendies we believe exist and stand in the way of our delivering these items in Subversion. This is not an exhaustive list! It merely represents some of the "the big ones" — big in impact, and probably big in development cost.

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Next Release Status (Subversion 1.8) ¶

The following table contains items currently targetted for the subsequent major release, along with their completion status. It is meant mainly for developers, but can help answer the oft-asked question "how is the next release coming along?" If you are interested in helping speed up the next release, consider tackling one of the incomplete items below.

This table is incomplete and does not contain all features planned for inclusion in Subversion 1.8.

Past Releases ¶

For information about past releases, see the release notes.