platform/incubation/reflection/doc/roadmap.md

Platform Reflection Roadmap

This document outlines the planned improvements and future direction of the Platform Reflection library.

Current Status (v0.1.0)

Implemented Features

✅ Basic reflection system ✅ Property access/mutation ✅ Method invocation ✅ Constructor handling ✅ Type introspection ✅ Basic metadata support ✅ Error handling ✅ Cross-platform support

Known Limitations

❌ No cross-isolate reflection ❌ Limited generic support ❌ No source location tracking ❌ No extension method support ❌ No mixin composition ❌ Limited metadata capabilities ❌ No dynamic proxy generation ❌ No attribute-based reflection

Short-term Goals (v0.2.0)

1. Enhanced Generic Support

• Better generic type handling
• Generic type argument preservation
• Generic method support
• Generic constructor support
• Type parameter constraints

2. Improved Type System

• Better type relationship checking
• Variance handling
• Type erasure handling
• Generic type instantiation
• Type parameter bounds

3. Metadata Enhancements

• Rich metadata API
• Metadata inheritance
• Custom metadata providers
• Metadata validation
• Compile-time metadata

4. Performance Optimizations

• Faster lookup mechanisms
• Better memory usage
• Optimized registration
• Improved caching
• Reduced startup time

Medium-term Goals (v0.3.0)

1. Dynamic Features

• Dynamic proxy generation
• Method interception
• Property interception
• Dynamic interface implementation
• Runtime mixin application

2. Advanced Type Features

• Extension method support
• Operator overloading
• Mixin composition
• Type alias support
• Named constructor factories

3. Tooling Support

• VS Code extension
• Dart analyzer plugin
• Documentation generator
• Migration tools
• Debug tools

4. Framework Integration

• Flutter integration
• Built Value integration
• JSON serialization
• Database mapping
• Dependency injection

Long-term Goals (v1.0.0)

1. Advanced Reflection

• Cross-isolate reflection
• Source location tracking
• Dynamic loading
• Code generation
• Hot reload support

2. Language Features

• Pattern matching
• Records support
• Sealed classes
• Enhanced enums
• Extension types

3. Enterprise Features

• Aspect-oriented programming
• Dependency injection
• Object-relational mapping
• Serialization framework
• Validation framework

4. Security Features

• Access control
• Reflection policies
• Sandboxing
• Audit logging
• Security annotations

Implementation Priorities

Phase 1: Foundation (Current)

1. Core reflection system
2. Basic type support
3. Essential operations
4. Error handling
5. Documentation

Phase 2: Enhancement (Next)

1. Generic support
2. Type system improvements
3. Metadata enhancements
4. Performance optimizations
5. Framework integration

Phase 3: Advanced Features

1. Dynamic capabilities
2. Language feature support
3. Tooling integration
4. Security features
5. Enterprise features

Breaking Changes

Planned for v0.2.0

• API refinements for generic support
• Enhanced metadata system
• Improved type handling
• Registration system updates

Planned for v0.3.0

• Dynamic proxy API
• Advanced type features
• Framework integration APIs
• Security system

Planned for v1.0.0

• Stable API finalization
• Enterprise feature integration
• Cross-isolate capabilities
• Advanced language features

Migration Support

For Each Major Version

• Migration guides
• Breaking change documentation
• Upgrade tools
• Code modification scripts
• Support period

Community Feedback Areas

Current Focus

1. Generic type handling
2. Performance optimization
3. Framework integration
4. API usability
5. Documentation quality

Future Considerations

1. Enterprise features
2. Security requirements
3. Framework support
4. Language feature support
5. Tool integration

Development Process

1. Feature Development

graph LR
    A[Proposal] --> B[Design]
    B --> C[Implementation]
    C --> D[Testing]
    D --> E[Documentation]
    E --> F[Release]

2. Release Cycle

• Major versions: Significant features/breaking changes
• Minor versions: New features/non-breaking changes
• Patch versions: Bug fixes/performance improvements

3. Testing Strategy

• Unit tests
• Integration tests
• Performance tests
• Platform compatibility tests
• Framework integration tests

Contributing

Priority Areas

1. Generic type support
2. Performance improvements
3. Framework integration
4. Documentation
5. Testing

Getting Started

1. Review current limitations
2. Check roadmap priorities
3. Read contribution guidelines
4. Submit proposals
5. Implement features

Support

Long-term Support (LTS)

• v1.0.0 and later
• Security updates
• Critical bug fixes
• Performance improvements
• Documentation updates

Version Support Matrix

Version	Status	Support Until
0.1.x	Current	6 months
0.2.x	Planned	1 year
0.3.x	Planned	1 year
1.0.x	Planned	2 years

Success Metrics

Technical Metrics

• Performance benchmarks
• Memory usage
• API coverage
• Test coverage
• Documentation coverage

Community Metrics

• Adoption rate
• Issue resolution time
• Community contributions
• User satisfaction
• Framework adoption

Get Involved

Ways to Contribute

1. Submit bug reports
2. Propose features
3. Improve documentation
4. Add test cases
5. Implement features

Communication Channels

• GitHub Issues
• Pull Requests
• Discord Server
• Stack Overflow
• Email Support

Timeline

2024 Q1-Q2

• Enhanced generic support
• Improved type system
• Performance optimizations
• Documentation improvements

2024 Q3-Q4

• Dynamic features
• Framework integration
• Tool support
• Security features

2025

• Cross-isolate reflection
• Enterprise features
• Language feature support
• 1.0.0 release

Note: This roadmap is subject to change based on community feedback and evolving requirements.