2.4 will be based on the excellent Community Responsive version, with a few extra changes to accomodate todays needs in terms of codebase. It is not going to be a full OOP codebase, that is coming in v3.
Put simply;
LOOK/THEME
You can expect v2.4 to LOOK just like the Community Responsive.
UNDERLYING CODE
There are changes that developers will have to comply with, not least the use of namespaces and PDO (to replace MYSQL(i)).
What this means (for example) is that a simple call to install a module that used to look like this http://pastebin.com/HfAiC2qY
Would instead look like this
http://pastebin.com/vEU6U1tb
In addition the module (in this case the GTIN product_info module) would also need to access the Registry namespace in order to link to the database.
Why are these changes being made?
PHP7 advises to use PDO to access a SQL database. MySQL commands are deprecated. MySQL(i) will still work, but PDO gives the option of more easily swapping from MySQL to another database system…
Namespaces are introduced to allow Developers to write code without the fear of breaking other parts of the code…
More on the new 2.4 to follow…
Does it mean 2.4 is going to break pretty much every single mode made for osC <= v2.3.4?
Yes. Let’s take it as a positive thing though…
I guess it would not be too hard for coders to covert BS add-ons to work with 2.4? I have just started my new large project, maybe I should wait for 2.4? Please advise. Thanks again, Eddy
I intend for the Community Build to eventually be a pathway to 2.4 …
When (I do not know a date) 2.4 is released, shopowners can go with 2.4, or with the Community build. As time goes by the Community build will be coded more and more towards the 2.4 … if shopowners stay up to date with the code changes, they will eventually end up with something that is near enough 2.4
Does it make sense ?
This ALL depends on shopowners not abusing the Community Build with poor coded addons and code changes to core files…that will make shopowners lives so much harder.
Thanks for clarification. It makes a lot of sense. I’ll keep working on my projects based on the Community build.