Impact Framework Project Updates2024-06-05

## Who

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

## Overview

We had a good fortnight shipping some substantial updates to IF. We're especially happy to have `if-diff` merged with its advanced matching criteria fully implemented, a new `csv-lookup` generic builtin, major improvements to our logging that make it easier to diagnose and fix errors, and a big refactor of the SCI plugin code that makes it much easier to use.

@jawache and @jmcook1186 have also been scoping out and defining the next epic - you can join in the conversation on the discussion forum:

* Exhaust Scripts: https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/discussions/766
* Simplify Config: https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/discussions/767
* Idempotence : https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/discussions/768
* Global Time-sync: https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/discussions/771
* Parameter Metadata: https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/discussions/772

## Updates

Here's the details for our most significant updates this fortnight:

- Finished migrating if-plugins to `builtins`:
The final items to migrate were:
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/680
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/pull/748

- Simplified the SCI logic
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/pull/743

- Merged `if-diff` with the advanced matching criteria fully implemented
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/706
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/707

- Merged a new generic `interpolation` builtin feature
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/pull/732

- Built a csv-lookup builtin feature
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/674

- Fixed some minor issues with the release process and our CI/CD
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/issues/725

- Added a teads-curve manifest that uses only generic builtins
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/pull/752

- Added enhanced execution logging to the IF with a `--debug` command
- https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/if/pull/753

## Issues

We didn't really encounter any major issues, we were overall quite happy chugging through our latest epic!

## Outlook
* We will be announcing (softly) the IF Plugin Explorer website and [How to submit a plugin](https://grnsft.org/if/how-to-submit-plugin)
- #684
* We will be finalising the remaining details of the Automated Plugin Testing infrastructure:
- #636
* We will be completing the implementation of a few features that improve debugging
- #600
- #593
* We will aim to start implementation of the first steps of the Exhaust Scripts feature
- #760