The **ABP Framework**& and the **ABP Commercial** v2.8 have been released. This post will cover **what's new** with these releases and the **middle-term road maps** for the projects.
You can see all the changes on the [GitHub release notes](https://github.com/abpframework/abp/releases/tag/2.8.0). This post will only cover the important features/changes.
We've published [a new package](https://www.nuget.org/packages/Volo.Abp.AspNetCore.SignalR) to integrate SignalR to ABP framework based applications.
> It is already possible to follow [the standard Microsoft tutorial](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/tutorials/signalr) to add [SignalR](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/signalr/introduction) to your application. However, ABP provides a SignalR integration packages those simplify the integration and usage.
See the [SignalR Integration document](https://docs.abp.io/en/abp/latest/SignalR-Integration) to start with the SignalR.
#### SignalR Demo Application
We've also created a simple chat application to demonstrate how to use it.
![signalr-chat-demo](signalr-chat-demo.png)
See [the source code of the application.](https://github.com/abpframework/abp-samples/tree/master/SignalRDemo)
### Console Application Startup Template
The new console application template can be used to create a new console application that has the ABP Framework integrated.
Use ABP CLI to create a new console application, specifying the `console` as the `-t` (template) option:
* Moved all samples to the new [abp-samples](https://github.com/abpframework/abp-samples) repository and created an [index page](https://docs.abp.io/en/abp/latest/Samples/Index) to see all.
### Deprecations
* Deprecated the `app.UseMvcWithDefaultRouteAndArea()` and introduced the `app.UseConfiguredEndpoints()` (see [#3880](https://github.com/abpframework/abp/issues/3880)).
* Deprecated the `UsePostgreSql()` and introduced the `UseNpgsql()` for the [Volo.Abp.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSql](http://nuget.org/packages/Volo.Abp.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSql) package. Switch to `UseNpgsql()` if you are using PostgreSQL.
Old methods are marked as `Obsolete` and will be removed in the next major versions.
The first version of [the chat module](https://commercial.abp.io/modules/Volo.Chat) has been released with this version. It has only the MVC / Razor Pages UI. Angular UI is on the way.
![abp-chat-module](abp-chat-module.png)
It currently has a simple **real time text messaging** functionality. More features like group messaging, sending images/files are on the road map.
* Implemented [module entity extension](https://docs.abp.io/en/commercial/latest/guides/module-entity-extensions) system for the Angular UI. Also improved the system to better handle float/double/decimal, date, datetime, enum and boolean properties.
* Managing product groups on a tree view for the [EasyCRM sample application](https://docs.abp.io/en/commercial/latest/samples/easy-crm).
## About the Next Versions
We publish feature releases in **every 2 weeks**. So, the planned date of the next feature version is **June 04** and the version number is **2.9**. This (probably) will be the **last 2.x version** and the following version will be **3.0**.
### ABP Framework 2.9 & 3.0
#### Organization Unit System
Organization Unit system for the Identity module was intended to be released with 2.8, but unfortunately we couldn't be sure about the stability of the feature, so deferred it to the 2.9.
#### gRPC
We planned to work on a gRPC integrated example application. Then we will plan to create gRPC endpoints for all [pre-built modules](https://docs.abp.io/en/abp/latest/Modules/Index) and to [the startup templates](https://docs.abp.io/en/abp/latest/Startup-Templates/Index). We want to use these endpoints with the new planned [Blazor](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/blazor/) UI option (there is a [huge demand](https://github.com/abpframework/abp/issues/394) on a Blazor UI, we know). It doesn't mean that we'll finish the whole work in 3.0, but we are starting and will continue in 3.0+ versions.
#### Oracle with EF Core
We see that the people using Oracle with EF Core has some pains, independent from the ABP Framework. Because there is no stable & free Oracle provider for EF Core 3.1 yet. We only see the [Devart](https://www.devart.com/) has created a [paid package](https://www.nuget.org/packages/Devart.Data.Oracle.EFCore).
[@ebicoglu](https://github.com/ebicoglu) has [created a gist](https://gist.github.com/ebicoglu/9f364c7eff9d87315af0178866186401) to demonstrate how to use it. We [planned](https://github.com/abpframework/abp/issues/3983) to work on an integration package to make it even easier.
#### API Documentation
We are [working](https://github.com/abpframework/abp/issues/1184) to create an API documentation for the framework and build a CD pipeline to automatically publish it in every new release. This will make easier to explore the framework classes.
#### Sample Application: Using SignalR on a Tiered/Distributed system
Using SignalR on a distributed/microservice system can be tricky since the services are not connected to clients and can not directly call client functions from the server. One way to overcome this problem is using a distributed message bus (like RabbitMQ) that transfers the message from the service to the web application to deliver to the client.
We will create an example application and document it to demonstrate such an architecture and how it is easy by using the ABP Framework.
While this topic is not directly related to the ABP Framework and the problem is not unique to an ABP based application, we find useful to create such guides to developers.
#### And...
We will spend more time to write more documentation, implement performance improvements, make more tests, creating more extensibility points and so on.
### ABP Commercial 2.9 & 3.0
#### Organization Unit Management UI
In parallel to the OU system in the ABP Framework (mentioned above), we are creating a UI to manage the organization units, which will be released with the 2.9.
#### Angular UI for the Chat Module
The Chat Module (mentioned above) only has the ASP.NET Core MVC / Razor Pages UI now. We are working to create the Angular UI for this module.
#### New Module Idea: File Management
We are looking to create a File Management Module that is used to manage (upload/download) and share files between users. You may think as a very simple and lightweight Google Drive :).
#### Easy CRM Angular UI
[Easy CRM](https://docs.abp.io/en/commercial/latest/samples/easy-crm) is a sample application we've released with the previous version of the ABP Commercial. In this version, we've added more features to this application. In the next version, we will work on the Angular UI for it.
We found this application very useful since it is very close to a real world application compared to the simple [BookStore](https://docs.abp.io/en/commercial/latest/samples/index#book-store) example.
#### And...
We are working to improve current [modules](https://commercial.abp.io/modules), [themes](https://commercial.abp.io/themes) and the [tooling](https://commercial.abp.io/tools) to provide a more comfortable developer experience with the version 3.0.
## The Road Map
We are frequently asked about the road map of the [ABP Framework](https://abp.io/) and the [ABP Commercial](https://commercial.abp.io/). While we've answered to it in various platforms, with this release, we've adding road map pages for these products to their documentation:
You can always check the milestone planning and the prioritized backlog issues on [the GitHub repository](https://github.com/abpframework/abp/milestones).
While we will **continue to add other exciting features**, we will work on the following major items in the middle term:
* **gRPC integration** and implementation for all the pre-built modules.
* **Blazor UI** for the framework and all the pre-built modules.
* **.NET 5.0**! As Microsoft has announced that the .NET 5.0 will be released in November 2020, we will prepare for this change before and move to the .NET 5.0 just after Microsoft releases it. We hope a smooth transition.
In addition, we will be working on the following items in the middle term:
* A startup template to create microservice solutions (that has Ocelot, Redis, RabbitMQ, ElasticSearch, IdentityServer... etc. pre-integrated and configured).
* More module extension points.
* Dynamic dashboard system.
* Real-time notification system.
* Subscription and payment system for the SaaS module.
* More authentication options.
* New application modules (we have tens of module ideas and will share by the time - the "file management" announced above was one of them).
* New themes & theme styles (including public/corporate web site themes).
While the ABP Framework and the ABP Commercial are the fundamental components of the ABP.IO Platform, we want to create a much bigger platform to bring the .NET community together to create reusable modules, share knowledge, help each other by taking the advantage of the ABP Framework's unified and standardized development model.
A platform that is used by developers/companies to publish their reusable application modules, themes, libraries and tools base don the ABP Framework. There will be free/open source and commercial products on this web site.
#### jobs.abp.io
We are getting too many emails from companies want to hire developers or other other companies to build their products based on the ABP.IO Platform. We, as [Volosoft](https://volosoft.com/), want to stay in the product side rather than customer basis projects. We generally lead them to experienced developers and companies.