Hello folks,

I want to give you a super-quick update on what's happening with Trongate Version 2. This is your official inside scoop - straight from the front lines.

Over the last six months or so, I've been overwhelmed with:
a) maintaining Version 1, and
b) building Version 2.

About a week ago, I made the decision to release Version 2 immediately. This way, I'll only have one framework to maintain and (hopefully!) things will move forward much more quickly.

HIGHLY TOP SECRET

While the current version of Trongate (available on GitHub) contains the Version 2 engine, I'm not calling it "Version 2" yet. I'm currently labelling it as Version 1.4.(something). The reason is simple - I don't want to formally launch until it's fully built and polished.

WHY DO WE NEED VERSION 2?

As Dan recently said, "Version 2 has been a millstone around Trongate's neck." He was right. As a marketing ploy, it failed, and I found myself constantly explaining how it's possible to update and improve a framework without breaking it. Few people - including AI bots - seemed to grasp that message.

So, I stepped back and reconsidered not just that but several aspects of Trongate that weren't quite perfect. One mistake I made was adding too much. I cannot stress enough how damaging that is for a framework like Trongate.

Therefore, I've decided to create a new Version 2 that is stripped down and built on the idea of "Pure PHP."

It's great to see Dom back again (hello!) posting code that makes the framework compatible with other databases. While I support that kind of work, "making Trongate work with [fill in the blank]" isn't the direction we're heading. Instead of piling on more functionality, I want to strip away everything non-essential. Early tests suggest the new Trongate is about 30% faster than the old one. It'll also be far easier to maintain.

AN AI-FRIENDLY FRAMEWORK

By streamlining the framework, we'll have code that is more robust, easier to learn, and far more future-proof. Another huge benefit is that it'll be simpler to train AI bots on how to use Trongate. My vision is that users will be able to paste large parts of the framework - or even a condensed version of the engine folder - into one or two prompts. This opens the door to complete AI mastery with Trongate.

It's something we absolutely should do.

WHAT ABOUT ALL THE FEATURES?

We're removing features like the API Explorer, Trongate Pages, and a few other bits and pieces. However, all of those - and more - will be just a few clicks away using the Trongate Desktop app. The vision is to deliver a rock-solid basic framework that gets you moving quickly. Oh, and the Desktop app is soon going to be a web app (that looks and works the same as the Desktop App).

THE BIGGER PICTURE

I hope this gives you a clear idea of the direction we're heading. We're returning to our roots by stripping away all non-essentials. The Module Market will soon be rebuilt and will become the go-to place for adding features to Trongate apps.

You'll be able to build powerful applications for free. It'll be faster than anything else in the PHP landscape - and more secure (Packagist is not secure - if you doubt me, search "Packagist" on Google News).

WHAT'S THE VERY LATEST?

The Trongate Comments module and Trongate Security have just been improved. The admin.js file has been rewritten (simplified), as has the entire framework loading process.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Over the next three weeks or so, I'll review and - where necessary - rebuild every part of the Trongate framework that needs work.

We have some challenges with the "Delete Module" feature in the code generator. I'll also need to rebuild the date and time pickers, and ensure module relations, uploaders, etc., are all solid. This will take time, and I expect a few errors.

Once that's done, I'll focus on rebuilding the Module Market. I'm confident I can complete it in ten days - and it'll be perfect.

Once all of this is complete, we'll host a proper launch event and officially call it "Version 2."

MARKETING

I've given up on attracting the super-woke PHP establishment to Trongate. That said, our benchmarks are strong, and I plan to prove it.

I already have a well-known IT YouTuber in mind whom I intend to approach. The plan is to pay this person to conduct a benchmark test comparing Trongate with other leading frameworks. Trongate will win. Whether it goes viral remains to be seen, but at least we'll have proof that our benchmark claims are real.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NOW?

If you have an existing Trongate project, keep working on it. Don't update yet - and relax. This is a good time to lay low while we finish the process.

Rest assured, once it's ready, the basic underlying architecture will continue to work. Your modules should still function, and if they don't, I'll personally step in to help.

I'll post more updates as news comes in.

Ahoy!