Is SuiteCRM 8 suitable for module development?

Hello. Is SuiteCRM 8 suitable for module development? I want to create a module that adds “bulk action” functionality to the “listview” of all modules. “Bulk action” can be added as described in this guide (SuiteCRM Developer Insights - Adding Bulk Actions), but how can this be implemented so that the module can be installed via the Module Loader? To add “bulk action,” changes need to be made not in the root/public/legacy folder, but in root/extensions/defaultExt. On store.suitecrm.com, I don’t see any modules compatible with the new version 8. Does this mean that SuiteCRM 8 is not adapted for module development?

We use several modules that only work with version 7, but since SuiteCRM 7 support is ending soon, there is pressure to adapt the modules to work with version 8. But to be honest, after looking at version 8, it seems disastrous, with many broken or missing features and bugs. Since SuiteCRM 7 will only be supported until the end of this year, what’s next?

Won’t there be any answers?

I think @suitecrm_team will support v7.14 for longer time. Since most of users are using it. Also, you can try it out by creating module using Admin → Module Builder. But, if you want it in all modules, then I guess you need to customize code for all of them.

@roobke this is probably a better question for the dev team. However, if you’re looking for other users insights… I’ personally have been using SuiteCRM up to 7 for a decade almost and love it. I “wish” SuiteCRM 7 at least security updates would be extended for at least another year. SuiteCRM 8 is promising and offers a cleaner UI. However this comes at a cost. In my experience SuiteCRM 7 is more forgiving. If there is a PHP error, generally only the screen you’re looking at crashes out, in SuiteCRM 8 I’ve noticed even small errors can crash the whole thing. It makes it frustating. The Dev’s say the new structure of SuiteCRM 8 allows for easier addition of features and updates. Maybe it does, I’m still learning SuiteCRM 8.

The big issue for me and probably many others is many plugins (paid) are not SuiteCRM 8 compatible. Also, there may be many customizations done in SuiteCRM 7 that require some substanital re-development in SuiteCRM 8.

Many of the core functions that deal with the backend, work just fine in SuiteCRM 8 like logic hooks, workflows, entry points, bean logic, etc. But alot of the front end customizatons that were super easy in SuiteCRM 7 with a little bit of JS and/or leveraging Smarty templates will not work in SuiteCRM 8.

In additon, yes there is a bunch of functionality that doesn’t exist in SuiteCRM 8 either by choice or it’s just not done yet.

So this is where I see it’s at. I REALLY wish SuiteCRM 7 security updates would be extended further (hint, hint!)

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Yes, I agree, and I think it would be very, very interesting to hear the developers’ insights on these matters.

Hi @roobke
In my company, we have primarily developed with SuiteCRM 7, a platform I consider stable and very easy to customize from a development perspective. However, we recently started a project with SuiteCRM 8, and I must admit that the transition has been quite challenging.

We have encountered several functionalities that are not yet implemented, along with multiple bugs that we have reported to the official repository, even submitting some PRs to help address these issues. One of the biggest challenges has been customizing the frontend based on Angular, as the documentation on its structure is limited. This has forced us to dive deeper into studying the frontend every time a client requests a specific customization.

Additionally, I’ve noticed that when we raise questions about frontend (Angular) customizations, we rarely receive responses, which makes the process even more difficult. While SuiteCRM 8 has introduced significant improvements and holds great potential, I believe it is still not a fully stable version. Developing in this version takes considerably more time compared to version 7.

On the other hand, I believe that support for SuiteCRM 7 will likely be extended, as I don’t see many companies working with version 8 yet. It doesn’t seem to be at a sufficiently stable point, while version 7 remains very active and reliable for development.

Of course, everything mentioned above is my personal opinion.

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