Great news on Open Web Studio (OWS)!

 

If you are using DNN, I'm sure you have at least heard of Open Web Studio, (OWS), a RAD development platform for DNN that is open source, free, and lets you create things for which you would otherwise need full-blown module development. For example: Database - bound grids, forms, queries and templates to view results, AJAX calls, conditional display of information and much more.

 

In the past few years, OWS has been stuck to version 2, with frequent updates including updates for working with DNN 7, but no new functionality. Although the community is very active, documentation is still lacking and many people keep asking about the future of OWS, worrying that it may be (or has already been) abandoned.

 

I had a recent chat with Kevin Schreiner, the lead developer for OWS, and with his permission I'm copying here his thoughts and plans on OWS. If you don't want to read all of it, bottom line is that Kevin is actively supporting OWS and preparing for OWS 3!

 

Here's what I asked, among other things:

 

I am curious (just as so many people) to learn news about OWS's future (if such a future exists). I've used it so much I have lost count - and I'm eager to see it evolve. As far as I understand, you're (or were) the only developer maintaining it. Should I keep my hopes up high or go desperate? :)

 

And here's Kevin's reply:

 

No worries, I understand the anxiety. I created ListX which became OWS while working for Bi4ce - which became R2integrated, and I'm still the only developer maintaining it. This shouldnt be a cause for concern. I've been holding off on releasing OWS3 due to a myriad of complications revolving around the changes to the DNN platform and adjustments to the core libraries needed for the new UI all while keeping the platform releases for OWS2 still working within the latest DNN versions. The issues with the OWS3 UI stem from the fact that DNN which typically struggles to release ANYTHING on newly released technologies, adopted the latest jQuery version in the DNN7 release. Doing this caused the UI Layout Manager plugin which I was relying on for the OWS3 release to malfunction and I've had to resort to building a new logical structure for handling it. Plus, there have been some issues with the logic in use of the UI because it has been confusing while working within multiple configurations and multiple actions simultaneously. You can see from the original comps how this could be confusing, because when you have more than 1 action opened, you dont know which action is linked to which configuration.

Hopefully something that should make the community rest easily, I rely on OWS for 99.9% of my own livelihood, using it as my core development platform, extending its core functionality and keeping it up to date for the latest DNN releases. Obviously, this being the fact means that OWS isnt going anywhere ;)  (...) Once I feel comfortable with the OWS3 release stability, I will most assuredly release it to the general public. It has always been and will always be primary in my focus to release something that is solid and stable as it is so important to all of our runtimes.

 

In the meantime, rest assured that nothing is going to happen to my baby :) It's a labor of love, and something that I personally rely on.

 

I am extremely happy with his answer! What about you?