Orekit 10.3 has been released 8 months ago (21/12/2020). Since the last release, a lot of bugs were fixed, and a lot of new features were developed, representing 55 completed issues according to the issue tracker. To give you an idea, 55 issues were completed for 10.1, 35 issues for 10.2, and 43 issues for 10.3. So I think it’s time to release Orekit 11.0.
Below, a brief summary of the main changes already completed:
Orbit determination using TLE orbit propagator
Sequential batch least squares orbit determination
New method signatures for IOD using directly the measurement classes
Writer and parser for all CCSDS Navigation Data Messages in both KVN and XML formats
Version 2 of CCSDS Tracking Data Messages
Version 3 of CCSDS Orbit Data Messages
Support for Rinex navigation files
Support for IGS clock files
Support for IGS real time data including both SSR and RTCM messages and Ntrip protocole
Consideration of eclipses by Moon in solar radiation pressure force
New API for analytical GNSS propagators
Addition of the finish method to finalize propagation by step handlers. It replaces the previous isLast parameter of the handleStep method.
Removal of propagation modes (master, slave, and ephemeris)
Possibility to add several step handlers for the same orbit propagation
A lot of fixed bug
Are the previous features sufficient for a new release?
Do you have any feature under development that you would like to add in the program?
Regardless of the number of bugs fixed, the simple fact that the last version released was 8 months ago justifies the release of a new version, since you have fixed some very serious bugs in between.
I hope that one day, the project will see a much more sustained pace of patches release. The exceptional nature of the patches is probably the only criticism I can reproach for this project and its community, which are otherwise exceptional.
But we’re not days away and I agree with Evan that if there are any bug fixes that cause API incompatibilities or breaks in library operation, now is the time to do them.
I don’t think we will be able to fix all these issues for the release. It would be great to correct as many as possible, but if we want to fix the 32, the release can only be done in several months.
For instance, I would need a lot of time (i.e., at least two weeks) to fix #770 due to the complexity of some classes. Because it involves to change the name of some classes, this issue can only be fixed for a major version of Orekit. However, it is just a improvement of the existing classes, there is no bugs. So, for instance, this issue can be done for a 12.0 release.
I will do a survey on the existing issues with a 11.0 milestone in order to see the ones that need a major release and the other ones that can be done for a minor release. For the minor compatibles, I propose to set a 11.1 milestone if they need a significant time to be fixed.
For the ones that can only be fixed for a major release, we can discuss them individually here.
It would be great if you can fix these issues for the 11.0 release
This is very good news if you have time to work on these issues.
I will update the thread with the issues I propose to fix for the release.
Yes, I agree with releasing soon and I don’t think we’re getting all 32 of those issues done. I think 11.0 became a tag for “I’ll get to a later” so I don’t think many of those issues should make it into 11.0 because there isn’t enough time to do them. Thanks for doing the triage.
Did one MR yesterday, I’ll try to do another one today.
I’m looking forward to the release of Orekit 11.0.
I will use this opportunity to add support for the CCSDS Tracking Data Mesage (TDM) v2.0, so it will be in the 11.0 release. I plan to finish this in the next days.
I think Luc added support for TDM v2 yesterday (see #821 and commit @8395802d). As a result, it is included in the program of Orekit 11.0 release and already available in the development version.
Because @evan.ward followed the development made some comments on it, I would like to have his approval to merge it.
But yes, it will be included in the release.
I could imagine a minor release with the non-breaking API changes also.