ModeShape 2.8 provides a very capable JCR implementation with powerful and unique features not matched by other implementations. Version 2.8 makes minor improvements, adds an Infinispan 5 connector (limited use), and fixes a number of bug fixes and improvements.

ModeShape now implements all of the required JCR 2.0 features:

• repository acquisition

• authentication

• reading/navigating

• query

• export

• node type discovery

• permissions and capability checking
  and implements most of the optional JCR 2.0 features:

• writing

• import

• observation

• workspace management

• versioning

• locking

• node type management

• same-name siblings

• orderable child nodes
  ModeShape supports the following query languages:

• JCR-SQL2 defined in JSR-283

• JCR-QOM defined in JSR-283

• XPath defined in JSR-170

• JCR-SQL defined in JSR-170

• Full-text search that is similar to a search engine

At this point, ModeShape passes virtually all of the JCR Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) tests, except for a few known issues with ModeShape as well as bugs in the TCK tests. As soon as these are fixed, we'll start the process of attaining JCR 2.0 certification for ModeShape.

What's next for ModeShape? The ModeShape community has already started working on ModeShape 3.0, which will have some significant changes, including dramatic performance improvements and scalability through the use of the Infinispan distributed cache. This 2.8 release will likely be the last of the ModeShape 2 releases, although we may release a minor patch release (e.g., 2.8.1) if necessary.

We're always looking for suggestions and contributors. If you'd like to get involved on ModeShape, the first step is joining the mailing lists or hopping into our chat room on IRC (at irc.freenode.net#modeshape). You can also download the code and get it building, and start looking for simple issues or bugs in our JIRA issue management system.

But if nothing else, please contact us and let us know how you're using ModeShape and what we can do to make it even better.

And, if you haven't already, check out our Getting Started guide, which has examples that you can build and run to see ModeShape in action.