DHIS2 Backend Technical Improvements Roadmap

[jbee]

A list of technical improvements in the order they need to be performed as items later in the list directly or indirectly depend on changes proposed further up in the list.

Please provide a short reasoning why the change is beneficial or needed.
Longer discussions or background information can be given below the list in a dedicated section on the particular change.

If items in the readmap list need to be reorder please update the list and make a note in the order log below the list so that we remember why items were put in that particular order.

Roadmap

• replace/remove non spring web technology (struts, velocity, ...)
• GeoJson hibernate that works with annotations (newer hibernate versions)
• hibernate XML => annotations
• spring => spring boot ("classic" spring appears to become more and more outdated)

Order Log

A bullet list of reordering

• ...

Discussions and Background Information

Spring => Spring Boot

Spring boot is apparently the future of spring.
This becomes clear by articles and documentation always being about spring boot.
Many of the features discussed in articles or documented in spring documentation do not exist in "classic" spring.
Given how "classic" spring appears almost abandoned it is unlikely that it will catch up to spring boot at some point.
Therefore moving towards spring boot seems the logical step to avoid working with outdated software that is poorly documented.

Hibernate XML mapping to annotations

Motivation

• .hbm.xml mapping will be deprecated in Hibernate 6. Therefore, new mapping features might not be available for xml mapping.

Require tasks

• Convert all .hbm.xml mapping to annotation. Although mixing between xml and annotation is allowed, I think we should try to stick with one mapping type in order to avoid problems may occur during the migration process.
• Need to introduce new DTO layer.