DSpace 7 brings to DSpace a single, modern user interface and REST API and integrates current technological standards and best practices. This new UI combines with the existing core backend of DSpace 6, resulting in a lean, responsive, next-generation repository.
The preview release provides a first look at many of the new features that make DSpace 7 the largest development effort in the history of the software:
- New Angular UI that is modern, responsive, and built using a Bootstrap theme for easy customization.
- Configurable entities, an optional new item type inspired by the DSpace-CRIS project that allows for complex linked relationships between items. DSpace 7 will include the option to implement this feature for two use cases popular with the DSpace community:
- Journal Hierarchy: create and link objects for a Journal, Volume, Issue, Article, and Author
- Research Entities: represent objects that interact in the research lifecycle, including Publications, Projects, Faculty, Departments, etc.
- Click here for a technical deep-dive into configurable entities.
- A completely redesigned REST API that is self-documenting and human browsable.
- Redesigned submissions and workflows featuring a one page submission process with a drag-and-drop interface, and automatic metadata extraction from common formats like PDFs.
DSpace 7 is the first version of DSpace to be developed using test-driven development practices designed to identify and address issues earlier in the development process and lead to more stable releases. It is also the first release to use a working group model for decisions related to design and development.
Test the DSpace 7 Preview release today
You can login on both of these environments using "dspacedemo+admin@gmail.com" as the account name and "dspace" as password.Click here for instructions to download and build DSpace 7 Preview release locally
We need your help!
In order to get closer to the finish line, the DSpace community is actively seeking contributors in following areas
- Translating the DSpace 7 user interface
- Updating the DSpace 7 documentation
- Reporting DSpace 7 issues to the DuraSpace issue tracker
A big thank you to the DSpace community for all the work that has led to this Preview release, particularly the DSpace 7 Working Group, Entities Working Group, DSpace Committers, and DSpace Leadership and Steering groups.