1. PHP 5.3 + as option, another good CMS lowered the use of they're core, thanks to 5.3, can be good, but who will host it except WAMP/XAMP. Zikula 1.3.0 was released with minimum requirements of PHP 5.3 while most HSP are still on 5.2 and the result was clear - Let's move to something else.
2. GNU Gettext (.POT) files as for the core and modules, this define("something"); is the worst way for maintaining language files up to date.
3. Maintained up to date 3rd party libs
4. Re-designing the language files from scratch. Current are awful (Mith XOOPS, Skalpa XOOPS, DJ XOOPS, who was the 2.0.18+ maintainer, everyone adds something to the language files and the result is one big mess).
5. Ability to install module via the web interface. Most present day users are lazy and dummy, they're don't know what the heck means FTP and FTP client, since they're can install XOOPS or any other CMS from the provided hosting Control Panel (CPanel, Plesk, Kloxo).
6. Ability to install themes in the same way
7. Finally someone to adopt and make the default XOOPS core theme to be done in 960.gs way.
8. Integrating Extplorer (
http://extplorer.sourceforge.net/) as default file management
9. Build-in support for simple features like:
9.1. Multi-site
9.2. SEF (Over 5 cores and XOOPS still have no idea, what's this SEF (+unicode slugs))
9.3. Multi-lingual content management (similar to the old way used in XOOPS 2.0.13+ or like JoomFish(.net), 2nd way will give options to decide which table field to be translated and which not.
9.4. Media Manager as part of the extPlorer or sub function.
9.5. Preview for every theme, specially for the 960.gz block positions.
9.6. Creating 1 module for Users Management and not placing it everywhere in the administration.
9.7. Creating 1 module for System Management
9.8. Creating 1 module for Content Management and the related stuff such as Comments and Avatars plus 1 content module which supports minimal things such as:
- Avatars (+ Gravatar Integration)
- Comments (+Disqus, IntenseDebate integration)
- Tags
- SEF support with Unicode slugs
- Unlimited nested categories.
9.9. Create 1 module for themes, templates, sets, icons - not thrown everywhere in the administration.
10. Update routine for updating the core and modules from the administration.
11. Extended ACL controls for giving permissions per task, current way gives admin rights (full) to selected module, can't set partial rights.
12. Standards for writing/releasing modules/themes and documentations for XOOPS, currently there are modules which are larger then CORE. Yack.
13. Legacy module, to emulate and redirect old modules (well, not so old, but those for 2.3/2.4,2.5 to the new classes, routines. Current tons of changes done nothing good to XOOPS - one core, without (over 200 modules in past... now they're can be counted on the fingers of one hand) modules; themes (5 cores and themes are still in the old Nuke way).
14. AJAX support for the content, till when all CMS cores will load the content by reloading every page.
15. Cleaning core code and language from crap (sorry for the repeating, but if a language files looks like something collected from the garbage, how will be used).
16. To put list of the developers with they're profile names here and they're real names, I'm not scared of anything to stand behind my name, but some are. Who is Trabis, and/or Catzwofl - I still don't know if Catz is SHE or HE. For Herve (Thouzard) I know that's 100% man, but rest. Mamba (sorry), but no name. Onokazu (from so much changes I even forgot how was the first and last name of this great developer).
Nickname - Position (First and Last Name) or
and not in foundation (no one cares about politics), here - to who I (or the XOOPS user), have to direct his questions.
17. Lowering the strict rules regarding localized sites, in past XOOPS was the only CMS with over 25 localized support sites, now most of them are out of date or even closed. Even XOOPS news (main news page) release nothing regarding XOOPS, "New site build with XOOPS" - such news are for the forums, not for main page. But "New news module is released" - yeah, that's XOOPS news.
18. Support for plugins (3rd party addition for modules). Instead of downloading 8MB
X-Forum or the 7MB news module created by Herve and "improved" by unknown, to download max 2mb module and rest to be installed on request via Plugin interface.
19. Plugin support for the core, eg. you love tinyMCE, but I don't, I wish to use CK Editor.
20. Alternative authentication support (LDAP, GMAIL, Facebook) as plugins. Some (well, most need a CMS, to download, install and start playing with it. Why we should scare the lazy user with LDAP, Windows Active Directory things, while he/she need something simple to start with.
What's the purpose of any OpenSource project (CMS in that case), if the user liked it and decide to use it, later he/she will need customizations for payment of course, tons of developers are here (well in past) which can made any of the required customization for single installation.
21. Global Categories. Instead of making Category "XOOPS Developers", same for Content, same for Downloads, same for Gallery. One category creation for all.
What people look for in one or another CMS:
1. Extensibility - XOOPS is in worst position at this moment, Drupal and Joomla! takes the first position.
2. Templating - well, not XOOPS still undocumented and never used templates, but the themes. XOOPS have what - left, right and center and option to change the colors. (This was discussed from 2.2.0 of Mithrandir XOOPS, and the responses was everything but a promise to change this awful way).
3. Language support - thanks to define("something"); - there are not much core translations, what left for the modules. Well some people (will not give they're nicknames) translate they're modules with Google Translator and make false releases of something usually released with over 20 language, but in fact is only one!
4. Simplicity of use - present day developers start flying very high, or to smoke too strong weeds, but how something simple and PACKT award winner for 2 years, can be done in the worst way and even to not be included in the voting lists - Joomla! 1.6/7. Same is for XOOPS. Onokazu XOOPS 2.0.13 was with the simplest administration ever - point the mouse pointer to System module and u have access to every System related tasks. Now find/edit user is on place no one can imagine.
5. Localized support sites or localized support subforums - not everyone speaks English (I wish this language to be the only one used on whole planet, but unfortunately is not). How the user X will ask something here, since everything is on a language he don't understand. To this point, add drop down menu for all done translations, so the user can change at least the interface of the site.
6. More OO, XOOPS is known (in past) as extensible Object Oriented (in past there was good examples as Formularize, now such things don't exists).
7. The /Preloads functionality was good addition in XOOPS Cube, which looks dead from very long time.
8. The EXM XOOPS fork was good, after merge... nor this core uses something from they're ideas, nor they're exist anymore. One theme for the administration and that's it, well EXM wasn't only one administration template.
And in case the user select XOOPS (for every train there's passengers), there is no accessible option to Paid Support (taking only donations is begging). Best practices so far, are customizations per single user request for specific installation and requirements.
Well, my wishlists are longer then that, but will stack with this. My wish is XOOPS to be the same like when up to 2.0.18 (rest cores leads to nothing good), popular, used, advertised.
