The DevInfo initiative has launched OpenDevInfo, an open source version of the powerful DevInfo database system endorsed by the United Nations Development Group to assist countries in monitoring achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

About OpenDevInfo

OpenDevInfo was developed in response to a demand for an open source version of DevInfo, to facilitate further customization of the database software and to accommodate specific needs of the broader user community.

The open source version of DevInfo developed and released by the DevInfo initative is called OpenDevInfo and comes with a publicly available source code, thereby enabling anyone to freely copy, modify and/or redistribute it. OpenDevInfo is a working baseline application containing the core data search and presentation features of DevInfo 6.0, developed using platform-neutral open source technologies such as Flex, PHP, MySQL, Apache and Linux.

FAQs

Q: Does OpenDevInfo have the same characteristics as DevInfo 6.0?

A: As of now, OpenDevInfo offers a limited set of DevInfo 6.0 functionalities and features. It is envisioned that with the broader participation of the global software development community, OpenDevInfo would gradually become more feature-rich.

Q: Is the current DevInfo 6.0 documentation suitable for learning how to use OpenDevInfo?

A: As OpenDevInfo contains a limited set of DevInfo 6.0 functionalities and features, only a subset of the current DevInfo 6.0 documentation would be applicable to learning OpenDevInfo.

Q: Can you use OpenDevInfo to create databases, enter indicators, and perform data entry?

A: OpenDevInfo contains features found in the DevInfo 6.0 User application only, not those found in the DevInfo 6.0 Data Admin application. You still need to use the regular DevInfo 6.0 Data Admin application to create databases, enter indicators and enter data.

Source code development process

All users and software developers are encouraged to contribute to the development of the OpenDevInfo code, with the goal of improving the functionality of the software to better monitor, track and disseminate data on human development. The DevInfo initiative will manage contributions by the global community in a collaborative manner. This process will allow OpenDevInfo to harness the power of distributed peer development and peer review, while meeting the needs of specific applications and users.

The following steps outline the work flow for OpenDevInfo source code development:

1. The DevInfo Support Group will always make the latest source code available for download in the Downloads section.

2. Developers from the global community can download the latest source code at any time.

3. Any source code updates made by the global community should be submitted to the DevInfo Support Group at support@devinfo.info.

4. The DevInfo Support Group will test and validate any updates.

5. The DevInfo Support Group will update the Downloads section with the latest source code.

In addition, the OpenDevInfo Forum  under di Forum will serve as a global platform for sharing both technical and non-technical issues related to the OpenDevInfo project.

Accessing OpenDevInfo

To access the latest OpenDevInfo online application, please click here.

To download the latest OpenDevInfo source code, please click here.

For more information on OpenDevInfo, please contact the DevInfo Support Group at support@devinfo.info.