""This proposal has now been submitted to the general@incubator.apache.org list and should not be modified""

Abstract

NPanday allows projects using the .NET framework to be built with Apache Maven. NPanday allows .NET projects to be converted into Maven projects thus allowing them to fully utilize the other technologies driven by Maven.

Proposal

NPanday primarily provides two capabilities: a set of Maven plugins, for constructing builds in Maven that use the .NET command-line tools; and a Visual Studio Addin that keeps a Visual Studio project in sync with the Maven POM and adds reference resolution from Maven artifact repositories. Together this allows you to use a single tool across .NET, Java or any other Maven-based projects, including the same benefits of dependency management, automated release and source control management.

Background

When building .NET projects traditionally you would use the built in components in Visual Studio or compile the source code by hand in the command line using .NET frameworks. NPanday gives an alternative building management option.

NPanday also allows developers to continue to build and develop .NET projects even without the aid of Visual Studio.

Rationale

NPanday allows developers to still use the .NET Frameworks and technologies that they need and at the same time allow their projects to be distributed and released with greater ease using Maven's conventions. NPanday also helps those developers maintain and integrate their project in a continuus integration that could host both Java and .NET projects.

Initial Goals

The initial goals for NPanday are:

  • Donate the existing codebase and import it.
  • Setup the incubation infrastructure (svn repository, build system, website) so we can run continuous builds with automated testing and publish all available documentation and releases, and migrate from Codeplex
  • Get people involved in advancing the code base in different directions, integrating it with other projects at Apache.
  • Work closely with current contributors and seek to add new committers
  • Prepare for a point release that meets incubator and Apache criteria
  • Start active development on NPanday 2.0

Current Status

The current codebase is developed and tested in both .NET and Java. It was developed at Codeplex for the last two years after originally being forked from the failed NMaven incubator podling.

We have a number of releases all of which have followed a clear transparent process. Documentation for the project is currently available in http://www.npanday.org/docs/1.2/, which can be donated and converted to the Apache NPanday website. The development team is currently using Codeplex discussion forums as the primary colaborative process.

Meritocracy

Some of the core developers are already committers and PMC members at Apache, so they understand what it means to have a process based on meritocracy.

NPanday has been operating under an Apache-like model since its inception.

Community

We've seen a number of new contributors joining the community recently.. Most of the community members have found NPanday through searching for Maven in .NET and have donated their own tweaks as they continue to consume NPanday. The community members have actively created issues that are improving the behaviors and bugs in the current version.

Core Developers

The core development team started mostly with members from MaestroDev and has been recently added with other independent developers. Most of the development team members have experience in other Apache projects.

Alignment

The initial codebase came from NMaven in the incubator, and because of that and the Apache committers involved it has always had an Apache development philosophy. It is designed to work with Apache Maven, though has some value to anyone that can use a POM. We would also like to reach out to other .NET-based projects at Apache.

Known Risks

The primary risk to growth is attracting .NET developers to the project.

Orphaned Products

There is already a growing community in existence and the members of the community are active towards enhancing NPanday even more, including some existing Apache committers. NPanday has also been advertised in the Philippines as a gateway for students and developers to get involved in open source projects. There are no signs of the project being orphaned or abandoned, but we realise that continuing to grow diversity of committers and traction among users will be important to secure its future.

Homogenous Developers

The committers of NPanday are from at least 2 different companies, MaestroDev and Itemis. NPanday also has contributors from other companies and are interested to be committers as well.

Reliance on Salaried Developers

Although NPanday mostly consists of MaestroDev employees the work for NPanday is done on billed time and non billed time.

Initial Source

NPanday has been in development within codeplex since 2008. Source and Intellectual Property Submission Plan The contributions are from three sources:

  • the original (cleared) NMaven code
  • contributions by MaestroDev employees (will be covered under a software grant/CCLA)
  • contributions by active individuals (will submit CLAs)

We wish to explore whether we should import this picking up the NMaven history.

Required Resources

Mailing lists:

  • npanday-dev@incubator.apache.org
  • npanday-commits@incubator.apache.org
  • npanday-users@incubator.apache.org
  • npanday-private@incubator.apache.org

Subversion:

Issue Tracking:

  • JIRA: Apache npanday (npanday)

Wiki:

  • Confluence: Apache npanday (npanday)

Initial Committers

  • Marecor Baclay <mbaclay@apache.org>
  • Odea Ching <oching@apache.org>
  • Lars Corneliussen <me@lcorneliussen.de>
  • Joe Ocaba <jocaba@maestrodev.com>
  • Adelita Padilla <apadilla@maestrodev.com>
  • Brett Porter <brett@apache.org>
  • Wendy Smoak <wsmoak@apache.org>
  • Craig Bachelor <craig.bachelor@gmail.com>

note: We also have a number of emeritus committers, and one that has been accepted but is awaiting approval from their employer. They are not initially listed, but we expect that they would be welcome back if available. The podling would vote on them as normal should that occur.

Affiliations

Brett Porter, Wendy Smoak, Odea Ching, Marecor Baclay, Joe Ocaba, and Adelita Padilla work for MaestroDev, Lars Corneliussen works for Itemis and Craig Bachelor works independently.

Sponsors

We have approached both the champion and an initial list of mentors that have agreed to mentor this project.

Champion:

  • Brett Porter

Mentors:

  • Dennis Lundberg
  • Gavin McDonald
  • Odea Ching

Sponsor:

  • Apache Incubator
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