Upgrade to OJS 3.4.0.5

[pcmachado]

Title: Compatibility of FullJournalImportExport plugin with OJS 3.4.x

Environment

• OJS version: 3.4.x
• PHP version: 8.x
• Database: MySQL / MariaDB
• Plugin: FullJournalImportExport

Description

We are currently attempting to adapt the FullJournalImportExport plugin to work with OJS 3.4.x in order to enable full journal export and import between OJS installations.

During this process we encountered several compatibility issues related to changes in the PKP/OJS architecture.

Some of the main issues identified include:

• API changes involving Context handling and service layers.
• Changes in DAO access patterns and object retrieval.
• Differences in the UserGroup and Collector APIs.
• Adjustments required in Native XML import/export filters.

Additionally, we are facing XML schema validation issues involving the plugin schema (fullJournal.xsd), including errors such as:

• “The content model is not determinist.”
• Unexpected elements during validation (for example: email_signature).

These errors occur during execution of the CLI import/export process.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install OJS 3.4.x
2. Install or adapt the FullJournalImportExport plugin
3. Execute the CLI command:

php tools/importExport.php FullJournalImportExport import archive.tar.gz username journalPath

4. The process fails during XML schema validation and filter execution.

Questions

We would like to ask the development team:

1. Is there an official or updated version of the FullJournalImportExport plugin compatible with OJS 3.4?
2. Is this plugin still maintained or supported for recent OJS versions?
3. Is extending the Native XML import/export filters still the recommended approach to implement full journal export/import functionality?
4. Are there recommended alternatives for performing full journal migrations between OJS installations?
5. If the plugin is no longer maintained, would it be feasible to update it for compatibility with the current PKP architecture?

If necessary, we can share the modifications we attempted and additional error logs.

Thank you for your guidance.

[cmurdoch]

Hello @pcmachado, I'm currently working on a plugin to do a full migration (import/export) from OJS 3.3 to 3.4 (in our case specifically 3.4.0.9. the purpose is migration of journals on single instances of OJS to shared instances. We have around 30 production instances and will aim to have 2 or 3.

I currently have a working proof of concept - running from the command line. I'm working on an issue that the galleys aren't importing correctly but I don't think that will take long to fix. And I also hope to get it running from the GUI as well.

I don't have a lot of time to work on this, but I hope to have a fully working version by Easter at the latest.

Full disclosure - the code has mostly been written by Opus 4.6. It will be fully human-reviewed before being used on production journals.

If any of this is of interest I'd be happy to share or work with you towards our solutions.

[pcmachado]

Hello @cmurdoch !

Thank you very much for your detailed response and for sharing information about the plugin you are developing. It sounds exactly like what I need, as I have been struggling with XML exports where articles and submissions simply won't import, even when both OJS instances are on the same version.

I would be very happy to collaborate with you. Since I am currently facing these specific import issues, I can offer to help by testing your plugin/script in my environment and providing detailed feedback or logs that might help you identify bugs or edge cases.

I understand your time is limited, but please let me know if there is anything I can do to support your work or if you're ready to share a version for testing. I am looking forward to seeing your solution!

Best regards,

[diegoabadan]

Hello @pcmachado, here's a response to your questions from Lepidus:

Is there an official or updated version of the FullJournalImportExport plugin compatible with OJS 3.4?

We haven't worked on that at the moment. More details in the answer below.

Is this plugin still maintained or supported for recent OJS versions?

This plugin was custom-developed by the Brazilian universities Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB) for OJS 3.3.x. We also developed an earlier version for OJS 2.4.x for IBICT (https://www.gov.br/ibict).

We are receiving some requests for quotes to convert this plugin to OJS 3.4.x and 3.5.x, but none have been approved yet. If any institution ends up funding this development, we will announce it here.

We always strive to develop plugins like this as open source and in a way that is useful to as many people as possible.

Is extending the Native XML import/export filters still the recommended approach to implement full journal export/import functionality?

We also understand it that way.

Are there recommended alternatives for performing full journal migrations between OJS installations?

We are not aware of any alternative other than porting this plugin or developing a new one.