Views in Drupal Core initiative: Status report and roadmap

Last updated on
6 October 2020

Note: This page is no longer maintained. Views is in Drupal 8 core. :)

Core issue: #1805996: [META] Views in Drupal Core

What we've already done

May 2012 through December 2012

Here is what the Views in Drupal Core initiative has completed to date:

  1. Initial port of Views and dependencies to Drupal 8.
  2. Over 300 existing handlers, plugins, tests, and other objects converted to PSR-4 and reorganized.
  3. Resolved all CTools dependencies.
  4. 230+ handlers and plugins converted to the new core plugin architecture with annotations.
  5. Request handling converted to the HTTP Kernel.
  6. Updated to the new Cache API.
  7. Converted default views to YAML for the configuration system.
  8. Converted to a new View storage class (extending configurable entities) for loading all View objects.
  9. Improved the View object's architecture by refactoring its components into the View and ViewExecutable classes.
  10. Updated, simplified, and modernized all CSS.
  11. Refactored the Views administrative listing user interface.
  12. Significant basic code cleanup and refactoring.
  13. Views merged into core, Oct. 22, 2012.
  14. Moved core module-specific Views integrations into their respective modules.
  15. Added Views and Views UI to the standard profile.
  16. Improved test coverage.
  17. Conducted a usability study and identified actionable UX issues.
  18. Coordinated basic accessibility testing on the Views UI (Core accessibility gate).
  19. Profiled the main core node listing as a view to explore performance considerations.
  20. Added bulk actions integration.
  21. Added core token support.
  22. Made the administrative UI responsive.
  23. Added support for REST and data serialization.
  24. Added core autocomplete support.
  25. Added numerous small usability improvements.
  26. Added a "clone as" feature (to clone a page display into a block display, etc.)

What we still need to do

Our remaining tasks are sorted into three phases, based on what needs to be completed before feature completion, before code freeze, and before release. (For more details on the Drupal 8 timeline, see Dries' blog post.)

During feature freeze (Dec. 1, 2012 to Feb. 18, 2013)

December 1 2012 through February 18 2013

Core issue: #1805996: [META] Views in Drupal Core

Drupal 8 is now in its feature freeze phase, when features already in development must be completed. We have until Feb. 18, 2013 to complete the Drupal 8 Views feature set. We have already added several new features for Drupal 8 (see above), and our last remaining new feature is #1849356: Add a HTTP response code area handler.

In the weeks that remain until feature freeze, we will begin converting core listings to Views, add administrative Views, reintroduce core data integrations, and work to resolve architectural issues in other systems that affect Views (Plugins, Blocks, the Configuration System, etc.).

Before code freeze (July. 1, 2013)

February 18 2013 to July 1 2013

July 1, 2013, is the beginning of code freeze for Drupal 8. Before code freeze, the core Views API needs to be stabilized and all major refactorings should be completed. Between Feb. 18 and July. 1, we will focus on cleaning up the Views API to core standards, improving Views' architecture, migrating core listings to Views, and integrating Views with core modules and subsystems:

  1. Convert remaining core listings to Views.
  2. Complete data integrations for remaining core modules.
  3. Convert class and method names to core standards.
  4. Explore further integrations with other new core features (e.g., the Field and Entity APIs, Blocks and Layouts, other core query builders, etc.), potentially including:
    • #1740492: Implement a default entity views data handler. (Dependent on the Entity Property API.)
    • Convert the query plugin to load entities after queries are executed. (Dependent on the updated Entity API.)
    • Ensure Views properly implements core multilingual functionality. (Dependent on the Multilingual Initiative.)
    • Integrate Views' display architecture with new Drupal 8 blocks and layouts functionality. (Dependent on the Blocks and Layouts Initiative.)
    • Test the deployment workflow for Views using the configuration system. (Dependent on the Configuration Management Initiative.)
    • Convert all storage and export functionality to core APIs, and reintroduce view "revert" functionality once CMI supports it.
  5. Resolve usability and accessibility issues.
  6. Additional cleanup and refactoring.

Before release (Drupal 8.0)

July 2013 to Drupal 8.0

During code freeze, core APIs need to remain stable so that site builders and contributed module developers can begin testing. (This is one of the greatest advantages of having Views in core, because hundreds of contributed modules rely on the Views API.) The goal during this phase will be to make Views (and the rest of core) ready for production release. After July 1, we will focus on the upgrade path, non-API cleanups, bugfixes, QA, performance, and documentation:

  1. Provide complete upgrade path from Views 7.x-3.x to core Views.
  2. Provide full functional and unit test coverage.
  3. Provide full API documentation.
  4. Move the old advanced help documentation onto Drupal.org and update it for the new architecture.
  5. Identify and address remaining performance concerns.

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