Hi all, I'm writing to initiate a discussion about an important decision regarding Maven 4.0's namespace strategy. We have two competing approaches represented by different pull requests, and the *primary question is about timing and acceptable breakage* for this release cycle. Background
As we approach Maven 4.0 GA (currently at RC-4), we have two PRs that represent different philosophies: - *PR #2475*: Create a new modelVersion 4.2.0 (my approach, targeting 4.1.0/master) - *PR #10952*: Keep Maven Namespace the same (@elharo's approach) The Core Issue: Timing vs. Technical Merit *My position:* I don't disagree with @elharo's proposed change from a technical standpoint. The benefits are: - Adheres to XML namespace best practices - Makes XML processing tooling easier by not having to convert between namespaces *However*, this represents a *major breaking change*. While my PR targets 4.1.0 (master branch), since we already have a stable branch for 4.0.0, the timing question remains critical for our overall versioning strategy. My Proposal: Defer to Maven 5.0 Instead of rushing this change into 4.0, I propose we: 1. *Continue with my approach for Maven 4.1.0* (new modelVersion 4.2.0, already targeting master) 2. *Plan properly for Maven 5.0* with a brand new namespace that we would then consider stable 3. *Design the Maven 5.0 namespace from the ground up* with long-term stability in mind This approach would give us the benefits @elharo is seeking while allowing proper planning, testing, and ecosystem preparation. Key Questions for the Community 1. *Timing*: Should we introduce a major breaking change in the 4.x series, or wait for 5.0? 2. *Risk tolerance*: What level of ecosystem disruption is acceptable for a 4.x release? 3. *Long-term vision*: Would a properly planned Maven 5.0 namespace overhaul better serve our goals? I'm interested in hearing the community's thoughts on this timing vs. technical merit trade-off. Best regards, Guillaume Nodet ------------------------------ *References:* PR #2475: https://github.com/apache/maven/pull/2475 PR #10952: https://github.com/apache/maven/pull/10952
