XOOPS 4.0 – Vision, Direction, and Roadmap (Discussion)

Over the past months, a significant amount of work has been done to move XOOPS forward in a practical and future-proof way. I’d like to consolidate that into a clear starting point for discussion, feedback, and alignment.

Core Principle: Evolution, not Revolution

XOOPS 4.0 is designed with one key goal:

Do not break existing modules and themes — extend them.

• Existing modules will continue to work
• Developers can adopt new architecture incrementally
• No forced rewrites or disruptive migrations

This follows XOOPS’ long-standing philosophy: stability + gradual evolution

Key Building Blocks

1) XMF 2.0 (Modernized Foundation)
• Refactored core library with modern architecture
• Incorporates Domain-Driven Design (DDD) concepts
• Cleaner structure, better maintainability, future-ready




2) XOOPS Business Objects (XBO)
• Structured domain layer for module development
• Encourages better separation of concerns
• Works alongside XMF 2.0



3) XTF – XOOPS Theme Framework
• Unified framework for frontend and admin UI
• Eliminates duplication between themes
• Built on modern standards (Bootstrap-based)



4) New Admin Theme (Modernized UI)
• Built on XTF
• Extends the “Modern” admin concept
• Cleaner, consistent, and responsive UI



5) XMF Widgets System
• Reusable UI components
• Simplifies module and theme development
• Foundation for more dynamic layouts



6) PageBuilder
• Visual page composition
• Flexible content layout system
• Built on top of widgets and modern UI


More Info: https://xoops.org/modules/publisher/item.php?itemid=6107

7) Developer Experience Improvements

• XOOPS Helpers (simplified APIs)


• Smarty Extensions


• cssHolmes integration (CSS debugging & quality)



8) Impact on Modules
• Existing modules continue to work
• New architecture available progressively
• Developers can migrate at their own pace




Proposed Roadmap (for discussion)

2.7.x (LTS)
• Stability and bug fixes only
• Long-term support baseline

2.8.x (Optional Bridge)
• Limited, well-scoped improvements
• Preparation layer for future changes
• No large architectural shifts

4.0 (Next Generation XOOPS)

Focus areas:

1. Modern architecture (XMF 2.0 + XBO)
2. Unified UI framework (XTF)
3. Improved developer experience
4. Backward compatibility with gradual migration path
5. New capabilities (Widgets, PageBuilder, etc.)

Vision overview:



Priorities (what makes the most sense next)

To keep things practical and aligned, here’s a suggested priority order:

1. Stabilize 2.7x as LTS
2. Define minimal scope for 2.7.1+ (if needed)
3. Release XOOPS 4.0 as pre-alpha for feedback
4. Document migration paths for modules/themes
5. Iterate based on real usage and community input

Discussion

To keep things transparent and accessible, let’s use this thread to discuss:

• priorities
• roadmap adjustments
• feature ideas
• concerns or risks

The goal is simple:

Align on a clear direction and move XOOPS forward together