DSpace 7.0 Release Now Available!

02/08/2021

The long awaited and much anticipated DSpace 7.0 is now available. This release introduces a brand new (Angular) UI which brings together the best of both the JSPUI and XMLUI worlds. All the features you've come to expect from DSpace are re-imagined and re-implemented. This new UI is also backed by a brand new REST API, which opens all data and features to the web, allowing DSpace to integrate or interact with external systems/services like never before. This release brings the entire user community under a single UI, allowing us to move more quickly together.

DSpace 7.0, the largest release in our history with over 1 million lines of DSpace code changed, is larger than the last 4 major releases combined. Despite a global pandemic, we sped up our development, releasing a total of 5 Beta releases, culminating in a community Testathon. This release is the result of the dedication, determination and commitment of our community who continuously fuel the DSpace program.

Kristi Park, DSpace Governance Chair and Texas Digital Library Executive Director

DSpace 7.0 was developed collaboratively by over 60 community developers, led by LYRASIS, Atmire and 4Science. Financial support was generously provided by over 25 institutions around the world. For a full list of contributors, please see the Release Notes. If you'd like to contribute to the next 7.x release, consider joining a future DSpace 7 Working Group meeting.

DSpace 7.0 Features

The DSpace 7.0 release includes the following features:

  • A new User Interface based on Angular (to replace XMLUI and JSPUI). The goal of the new UI is to implement all major features of both XMLUI and JSPUI in a single, modern UI.
  • A new fully-fledged REST API (using modern REST best practices). The goal of the new REST API is to implement a modern, secure, independent and scalable architecture.
  • Redesigned submissions and workflows featuring a one page submission process with a drag-and-drop interface and newly redesigned MyDSpace.
  • A new Configurable Entities object model, which allows for the creation of new "typed" Items, and storing relationships between Items. This feature allows for tighter integration with external identifier systems (e.g. ORCID), current research information systems (CRIS), journal publishing systems, etc.

DSpace 7.0 early technical documentation is available.

Because of the complexity of merging features of two UIs (XMLUI and JSPUI) into one, and the desire to make 7.0 available as soon as possible, the release contains the highest priority features (those deemed most widely used). Some features have been delayed for a later 7.x release. See DSpace 7 Release Goals for more information.

Get in touch!

Want more information about DSpace 7? Need some advice on how to get started or how to upgrade to DSpace 7? Get in touch with us!