* Research Planner Version 2 -- request for beta testing

[tatewise]

Helen, that is a really useful update.

Very few Plugins in the Store use three part Version numbering, and I wonder if we can advise that the PATCH level can be disregarded by authors of simple Plugins that are unlikely to need that much refinement?

Personally, I reserve the PATCH level for my internal use and for Plugins published as Forum Attachments for testing.
I remove the PATCH level and step on to the next MINOR version number for the Plugin Store.

[ColeValleyGirl]

I'd prefer to recommend a "standard" if possible (as far as Semantic Versioning is a standard -- although it's very widely used).

Plus, even the simplest plugins need bug fixes -- in fact, that's probably all they ever get.

I've modified the wording to suggest it's optional but recommended.

For stuff released to the forums for testing, I'd still use the full version number, incremented in the right place(s) -- the patch level will vary as new testing versions are made available. Then when the fully tested version goes to the plugin store, it should have the same version as the last tested version and users won't be prompted to update necessarily.

[tatewise]

Yes, the revised wording works well.

Regarding Plugin versions tested in the Forums and then published in the Plugin Store, there is one slight niggle.
The Last Updated Date of the version in the Forums, the Last Updated Date of the one in the Plugin Store, and the Updated Date shown in the Details of the Plugin Store probably won't all be identical.
For example, your Research Planner has a Last Updated Date of 6 December 2019 but its Updated date is 8 Dec 2019, but the difference can be much greater than that.
I have had users say they were confused when those dates did not match.
So I always change the Version and Last Updated Date for the Plugin Store upload so its Uploaded Date agrees.
But maybe just correcting the Last Updated Date and leaving the Version alone would work.

Which reminds me, we should say something in the KB about keeping the Last Updated Date current.

[ColeValleyGirl]

We should also say something about keeping a log of changes up to date in the plugin...

[tatewise]

I have revised the plugins:version_control_and_file_naming_advice|> Version Control And File Naming Advice regarding a change log and update dates, plus a few other minor adjustments.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Looks good, Mike. I think our work there is done (at least for now).

[E Wilcock]

Cole Valley Girl - I confess I do not understand most of this thread.
Nor am I sure whether I am a beta tester.
But I do want to thank you.

I read through 247 names on a census today, entered in fh the 19 that were relevant to my work and while doing this I used your research task planner to note the one person I needed to follow up on yet another internet database.

After making my initial list, I found and completed the task and thought the whole thing very brilliant.
I marked its status completed - very useful to have a record of what I have searched even if the result was negative. Most experienced fh users probably do this all ths time. But for me it was a first and I really appreciate what you have done.

[ColeValleyGirl]

I'm so glad you found it useful!