Project Roadmap

Seems like every project with a future should have a road map. I’ve certainly worked on too many that don’t; it can make it pretty tough to explain any kind of development process to your users.

Here then is a road map as detailed as I think is appropriate for slidePresenter at this stage. This simple list can be modified and expanded later — for example, to include target release or date for a feature — to match the expansion of the project.

Features that slidePresenter could have, and should develop as it grows, listed roughly in order of descending priority:

version 0.50

  • Multiple presentation instances allow several presenters simultaneously to present a single presentation, each to a distinct audience.
  • User permissions to limit certain functions to users with sufficient authorization
    • viewing, on a per-presentation basis
    • presenting, on a per-presentation basis
  • Improved interface provides better appearance, more intuitive controls

version 0.60

  • Add option for database back-end: This could increase complexity for the user (more so for some than for others), but in theory provides better security than a file-based solution; would have to be at the user’s discretion to use database or file-based storage.

Later versions

  • Converting uploaded image files into thumbnail images for use in a left pane for the presenter.
  • Text-based slides: Allow presentations to be either graphical (as now) or text-based, using HTML code for slide title and contents

Under consideration:

These items require further thought before deciding how they might fit into slidePresenter:

  • Allowing the presenter to open external URLs in the browser; useful for leaving the audience with something other than a final slide image, or for opening examples from other sites.

Obviously some tasks are harder than others. But more important than their level of difficulty is their value to actual slidePresenter users.

Completed Items

These items were in the Roadmap list above, but were moved here when they were completed.

version 0.40 (mar. 12, 2008)

  • Upgrade features to automate conversion of existing presentation data files from earlier versions to the data format used in version 0.40

version 0.40-beta (jun. 24, 2007)

  • Thorough re-write of data management code (required for cursor indicators feature, and database back-end option in version 0.60)
  • “Slide x of y” display to indicate how far along the presentation is, in the View interface
  • Degrade gracefully if Javascript is not enabled (essentially, explain to the user that Javascript is required, instead of just breaking without explanation)
  • Cursor indicators to allow the presenter to point to particular areas of a slide

version 0.30 (Mar. 30, 2007)

  • Importing images from files on server: for adding zipped or single images to a presentation without having to upload them through the Web interface (allows for doing large uploads via ftp rather than http, if desired)
  • “Jump to” control for moving to a specific slide, in addition to the forward and back arrows
  • “First slide” and “last slide” controls for jumping to first and last slide in presentation
  • “Slide x of y” display to indicate how far along the presentation is, in the Deliver interface

version 0.20 (Jan. 11, 2007)

  • Genuine upload progress meter for AJAX uploads of slide images

version 0.10 (Dec. 8, 2006)

  • Creation and management of presentations: provide a graphic interface so users don’t have to edit config files for each presentation (completed on 2006/12/08, version 0.10)

version 0.03 (Nov. 20, 2006)

  • Internationalization of all on-screen content: use of templates and language files to allow for translation of user interface
  • Error handling: provide more intelligent and public-safe messages in case of errors

version 0.01 (Nov. 13, 2006)

  • Initial release