XOOPS 4.0 Roadmap

Overview

XOOPS 4.0 represents a fundamental modernization of the XOOPS Content Management System, bringing it into alignment with contemporary PHP practices while maintaining backward compatibility with the extensive ecosystem of existing modules.

Vision Statement

Transform XOOPS from a legacy CMS into a modern, PSR-compliant platform that developers love to work with, while protecting the investment of existing site owners and module developers.

Key Objectives

mindmap
  root((XOOPS 4.0))
    Modern PHP
      PHP 8.4+
      Strict Typing
      Composer
      PSR-4 Namespaces
    Architecture
      PSR-15 Middleware
      PSR-11 DI Container
      PSR-7 HTTP Messages
      JSON Manifests
    Developer Experience
      CLI Tools
      IDE Support
      Documentation
      Static Analysis
    Backward Compatibility
      Hybrid Mode
      Migration Path
      Compatibility Shims

1. Modern PHP Standards

Target PHP 8.4+ with strict typing and modern language features
Full adoption of PSR standards for interoperability
Composer-based dependency management
Namespace-based architecture following PSR-4

2. Architectural Modernization

PSR-15 Middleware Pipeline for request handling
PSR-11 Dependency Injection Container for service management
PSR-7 HTTP Messages for standardized request/response handling
JSON-based module manifests replacing xoops_version.php

3. Developer Experience

Modern CLI tooling with bin/xoops commands
IDE-friendly code with full type hints
Comprehensive documentation and migration guides
Static analysis support (PHPStan Level 5+)

4. Backward Compatibility

Hybrid mode supporting both legacy and modern modules
Gradual migration path for existing modules
Compatibility shims for legacy APIs

Documentation Structure

This section contains comprehensive documentation for XOOPS 4.0:

Roadmap

Core Specification - The complete technical specification
Architecture Vision - PSR-15 middleware and system design

PSR Standards

PSR Standards Overview - All PSR standards being adopted
PSR-4 Autoloading - Class autoloading implementation
PSR-7 HTTP Messages - HTTP message interfaces
PSR-11 Container - Dependency injection container
PSR-15 Middleware - HTTP middleware pipeline

Modernization

Smarty 4 Migration - Template engine upgrade
PHP 8 Compatibility - PHP 8.x improvements

Migration

From 2.5 to 4.0 - Complete migration guide

Implementation Phases

gantt
    title XOOPS 4.0 Implementation Timeline
    dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
    section Phase 1
        Foundation           :p1, 2026-01-01, 4w
        Composer Setup       :2026-01-01, 1w
        Manifest System      :2026-01-08, 2w
        CLI Entry Point      :2026-01-22, 1w
    section Phase 2
        Core Runtime         :p2, after p1, 4w
        Middleware Pipeline  :2026-01-29, 2w
        Router Integration   :2026-02-12, 1w
        View Renderer        :2026-02-19, 1w
    section Phase 3
        Services             :p3, after p2, 4w
        Cache System         :2026-02-26, 2w
        Search Engine        :2026-03-12, 1w
        Entity Registry      :2026-03-19, 1w
    section Phase 4
        Release Prep         :p4, after p3, 4w
        Legacy Adapter       :2026-03-26, 2w
        Reference Module     :2026-04-09, 1w
        Documentation        :2026-04-16, 1w

Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-4)

Goal: A working CLI that can verify a manifest

Set up composer.json with core dependencies
Implement ManifestMerger and ManifestCompiler
Build bin/xoops entry point
Implement module:scaffold and lint:manifest commands

Phase 2: Core Runtime (Weeks 5-8)

Goal: A “Hello World” HTTP request serving a template

Implement PSR-15 Middleware pipeline
Create RouteMatchInterface bridge to FastRoute
Build ViewRendererInterface with Smarty/Twig adapters
Implement ConnectionFactory and SafeUnsafe trait

Phase 3: Services and Integration (Weeks 9-12)

Goal: Complex modules interacting with each other

Implement VersionedCache with null safety
Build FederatedSearchEngine with bounded overfetch
Create TranslationCompiler with collision detection
Develop EntityAliasRegistry

Phase 4: Release Readiness (Weeks 13-16)

Goal: Beta Release

Complete module:convert legacy adapter
Implement bin/xoops doctor checks
Build reference “Vision 2026” module
Publish documentation

CLI Commands

Command	Purpose
`bin/xoops module:scaffold <slug>`	Create a new module structure
`bin/xoops manifest:compile`	Validate and compile manifests
`bin/xoops lint:translations <slug>`	Check for broken JSON or duplicate keys
`bin/xoops cache:warmup`	Prepare site for production deployment
`bin/xoops doctor`	Check server health and configuration
`bin/xoops module:convert <slug>`	Convert legacy module to modern format

Directory Structure

modules/my_module/
├── module.json           # The Manifest (Entry Point)
├── src/                  # PSR-4 Code
│   ├── Controller/       # Action Handlers
│   ├── Entity/           # Database Models
│   ├── Service/          # Business Logic
├── config/               # Optional split configs
├── templates/            # Templates
├── language/             # Translations
│   └── en/
│       ├── main.json     # @main.key
├── assets/               # CSS/JS/Images
└── migrations/           # Database Schema Changes

Environment Variables

Variable	Purpose	Values
`XOOPS_DEBUG`	Development mode	`true`/`false`
`XOOPS_MANIFEST_VALIDATION`	Schema validation level	`strict`/`warn`/`none`
`XOOPS_CACHE_STRATEGY`	Manifest invalidation strategy	`hash`/`mtime`
`XOOPS_SECURITY_LEVEL`	Security enforcement level	`strict`/`normal`

Governance

Amendment Policy

Freeze Period (90 Days): Only errata corrections allowed
Post-Freeze: Semantic changes require XEP (XOOPS Enhancement Proposal)

Conformance Requirements

The reference implementation must include tests demonstrating:

List path clear (assets.css: [])
Object path no-op (config: {})
Invalid type schema error (strict mode)
isPageAccurate false scenarios
Cached null round-trip

Architecture Overview
Module Development Guide
Database Documentation

Quick Links

#xoops-4.0 #roadmap #modernization #psr-standards #architecture