Impact Framework Project Updates 2024-05-01

## Who

Sponsor: @jawache (GSF)
Product owner: @jmcook1186 (GSF)
Leads: @navveenb (Accenture), @srini1978 (Microsoft)

## Updates

- @zanete joined the team as project manager, with @jmcook1186 moving to product owner
- We clarified our near-term [roadmap](https://github.com/orgs/Green-Software-Foundation/projects/26/views/21) and separated our project board into views for [product design](https://github.com/orgs/Green-Software-Foundation/projects/26/views/14) and [development work](https://github.com/orgs/Green-Software-Foundation/projects/26/views/15) - making it easier to track what the team are working on in real time.
- We have designed and refined several new features for IF that are now in development, including:
- [`if-diff`](https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/637): a command line tool that can report differences between two manifest files
- [`if-env`:](https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/636) a command line tool that can recreate the development environment that was used to execute a particular manifest
- [`subtract` plugin](https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/672): a generic arithmetic plugin that subtracts values in a manifest's input data
- [`exponent` plugin](https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/673): a generic arithmetic plugin that enables values in input data to be raised to a given power
- [`csv-lookup` plugin](https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/674): a generic plugin that enables csv data to be queried and pulled into IF from any csv file on the local filesystem or on the internet.
- We have started designing the new plugin registry website and deciding our acceptance criteria for plugins to be listed there.
- We have started [re-examining and refining](https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/600) our error handling and logging protocols.
- We have [audited and planned](https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/640) out the migration of `if-plugins` into `if/builtins`, deprecation of some existing plugins and handover of some plugins to external maintainers.
- We've transitioned from weekly IF calls to a monthly call and are utiliing Project Update GH issues (such as this one) to keep stakeholders updated.

# Issues

- Discussions are still ongoing with external maintainers for our `if-unofficial-plugins` - it's not yet clear whether all the unofficial plugins will have non-IF owners.

# Outlook
- We will be reviewing and finalising the designs for the Plugin Registry site as well as formalising plugin acceptance criteria and listing process.
- - #661
- - #617
- We will be contacting external plugin owners to transfer maintenance responsibilities for some plugins. (#546)
- We'll continue refining our error handling and logging protocols and documenting best practice
- - #600
- - #602
- - We'll be continuing the implementation of automated integration testing within the release pipeline (#650) and start building the `if-env` and `if-diff` features to enable that
- - #636
- - #637
- We'll be implementing the above mentioned new plugins
- - #672
- - #673
- - #674
- We'll be moving some of the plugins to if/builtins
- - #676
- - #677
- - #678
- - #679
- - #680
- - #681
- - #682
- - #683