Since our recent updates to the resources site the feedback received has been great. We have managed to address a lot of the feedback, and we hope you like the changes we have made.
One of the changes was the new Featured Resource. We have now revealed the featured resource for July, as usual, this page will go into a lot of detail about the resource, the author, and will also feature screenshots. We have also implemented the archive section which allows you to go back in time and view all previous featured resources we have had at IPS Resources. Now that is out of the way, we go onto the main part of this blog post, information regarding our two community projects: IP.Tracker, and IP.Shoutbox.
IP.Tracker
IP.Tracker 1.1.0 has been received brilliantly, and we recently released an update to address issues found in 1.1.0, we would like to thank everyone that took their time to help test the release and make it as good as possible! IP.Tracker is now splitting into two stages: 1.2.0 will be available for IP.Board 2.3.x as 1.1.0 was and will also be ported for IP.Board3. Shortly after that time, a new release will be out for IP.Board3 with new features (2.0.0), however it will only work on IP.Board3.
Development has been rolling onto a stage where, in the next few weeks, we will be able to open up the beta testing process once again. IP.Tracker 1.2 builds and improves upon what was there in 1.1. Vital features such as sub-projects and custom fields are included with this release and we have finally rewrote the 'issue read' code. IP.Tracker can now tell whether you have read an issue or not, with no cookies!
Other features included in this release include latest post information (the same as on the main board index). We are also implementing a few new changes to the system to better record when a status, severity, etc. has been changed, however, there is nothing new on your end for it at this present stage. We have implemented the changes to the system now to prepare us for 2.x.x. A couple of features which will be introduced need the code implementing now so the features have a lot of information to work off when they arrive.
As it stands, IP.Tracker 1.2 is featured locked, and is again being worked on by the developers: Alex, krocheck, and Jaggi. However, we invite you to help us code the 2.x.x series, please read below to find out more!
IP.Shoutbox
Our community-driven shoutbox, IP.Shoutbox, is moving along nicely. We do not know of a release date for the first beta, and therefore we cannot give you much information about it. We'd like to make one thing clear, we have had a few users asking about the security of this modification because of the base we chose, please note, that said modification is a base for the project, and the end result will not resemble it at all in terms of code. The two developers, myself, and bfarber will be going through the code to make sure its safe, secure, and doesn't have high server loads. That's as much as we can really say on Shoutbox at this stage, but stay tuned for more updates!
Community Projects - Redefining what 'community' means
When we first announced the community-driven project scheme, we wanted it to be just that: community-driven. Many developers have told us that the main reason they cannot contribute to the projects is due to lack of up-to-date code. Over the past few weeks, we have been adding functionality to allow license holders to view the SVN code allowing you to code as we code. You will not be able to commit to our code, but upon release of IP.Tracker 1.2.0, there will be a subcategory setup for you to submit code changes, and bug fixes. This process is not yet complete and is still in development and will only start when IP.Tracker 1.2.0 is installed here at the company forums. We will keep you updated with news about this process and we hope this may encourage more of you to contribute to the community projects.
Hopefully this blog entry has been of interest to you and we can't wait to be able to show you the previews of IP.Tracker, and IP.Shoutbox. They are shaping up to be brilliant products!
By Alex