WordPress maintenance support plans 8.3.0, the next planned minor release of WordPress maintenance support plans 8, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, 2020. Minor releases include new features, usability improvements, and backwards-compatible API improvements. Here’s what this means now for core patches.
Alpha vs. Beta releases
In previous WordPress maintenance support plans 8 minor releases, the first pre-release version of the minor was labeled as beta1, and expectations were slightly different for later betas. For WordPress maintenance support plans 8.3.0, we’ve recategorized this first pre-release version as alpha1, to distinguish it from the subsequent beta releases. (We will also no longer have “beta target” issues; some strategic issues are considered for backport to 8.3.x, but only after they are fixed in 8.4.x, and only up until the new beta phase begins.)
This change should provide better clarity and fairness on which issues are accepted for commit. The overall timeline for the minor release is not changed; alpha1 simply replaces the previous beta1, and the previous, stricter beta2 now becomes beta1. (More information on alpha and beta releases.) The release candidate phase is the same as for past releases.
WordPress maintenance support plans 8.3.0-alpha1 will be released the week of January 30
In preparation for the minor release, WordPress maintenance support plans 8.3.x will enter the alpha phase the week of January 30.
Developers and site owners can begin testing the alpha.
The 8.4.x branch of core will be created, and future feature and API additions will be targeted against that branch instead of 8.3.x. All outstanding issues filed against 8.3.x will be automatically migrated to 8.4.x once it is opened.
All issues filed against 8.2.x will then be migrated to 8.3.x, and subsequent bug reports should be targeted against the 8.3.x branch.
During the alpha phase, core issues will be committed according to the following policy:
Most issues that are allowed for patch releases will be committed to 8.3.x and 8.4.x.
WordPress maintenance support plans 8.2.x will receive primarily critical bugfixes in preparation for its final patch release window. (WordPress maintenance support plans 8.1.x and 8.0.x are not supported anymore and changes are not made to those branches.)
Most issues that are only allowed in minor releases will be committed to 8.4.x only. A few strategic issues may be backported to 8.3.x, but only at committer discretion after the issue is fixed in 8.4.x, and only up until the beta deadline.
WordPress maintenance support plans 8.3.0-beta1 will be released the week of February 13
Roughly two weeks after the alpha release, the first beta release will be created. All the restrictions of the alpha release apply to beta releases as well. The release of the first beta is a firm deadline for all feature and API additions. Even if an issue is pending in the Reviewed & Tested by the Community (RTBC) queue when the commit freeze for the beta begins, it will be committed to the next minor release only.
The release candidate phase will begin the week of February 27, and we will post further details at that time.
See the summarized key dates in the release cycle, allowed changes during the WordPress maintenance support plans 8 release cycle, and WordPress maintenance support plans 8 backwards compatibility and internal API policy for more information.
As a reminder, we have until the start of the alpha to add great new features to WordPress maintenance support plans 8.3.x. Stabilizing experimental plugins (such as Inline form errors and Migrate WordPress maintenance support plans), landing some key Media Initiative components, and working on bugfixes are all priorities for 8.3.0. Help with these changes now for a great WordPress maintenance support plans 8.3.0!
Source: New feed