Forums & Discussion

Join iDempiere community discussions across forums and chat platforms

Community Discussion Platforms

iDempiere offers multiple platforms for community discussion, collaboration, and support. Choose the platform that best fits your needs.

Google Groups Forum

Primary forum for in-depth discussions, questions, and announcements

Mattermost Chat

Real-time chat for quick questions and live collaboration

Google Groups Forum

The iDempiere Google Groups forum is the main platform for:

• Questions and support - Get help from experienced community members
• Feature discussions - Propose and discuss new ideas before creating JIRA tickets
• Announcements - Stay updated on releases, events, and important news
• Best practices - Learn from implementation experiences and success stories
• Problem solving - Work through complex issues with community expertise

Getting Started with the Forum

1. Join the Group

   Visit groups.google.com/group/idempiere and click “Join group” to become a member.

2. Search Before Posting

   Use the search function to check if your question has already been answered. Many common topics have existing discussions.

3. Create Clear Topics

   When posting:

   • Use a descriptive subject line
   • Provide context and relevant details
   • Include version information
   • Attach screenshots if helpful
4. Engage with Responses

   • Respond to follow-up questions
   • Mark helpful answers
   • Share your solution if you find one

Forum Best Practices

Use clear, descriptive subject lines that summarize your question

Include relevant system information (iDempiere version, database, OS)

Provide reproduction steps for issues

Search for existing discussions before posting

Be patient and respectful - this is a volunteer community

Share solutions when you find them to help others

Mattermost Chat

The iDempiere Mattermost server provides real-time communication channels for the community.

Available Channels

Support Channel

The support channel is active during business hours and provides:

• Quick answers to common questions
• Real-time troubleshooting assistance
• Community interaction and networking

Development Channels

Connect with developers working on iDempiere core and plugins:

• Discuss code contributions
• Coordinate development efforts
• Share technical insights

Topic-Specific Channels

Find channels dedicated to specific topics:

• Implementation discussions
• Regional/language-specific groups
• Special interest topics

When to Use Mattermost

Mattermost is ideal for:

• Quick questions that need fast answers
• Real-time collaboration on issues or features
• Informal discussions and community networking
• Coordinating development or testing efforts
• Getting feedback before formal proposals

For detailed technical discussions or questions that require async responses, the Google Groups forum is often more appropriate. Mattermost messages can be ephemeral, while forum posts are permanently searchable.

Discussion Guidelines

Code of Conduct

All community interactions are governed by the iDempiere Code of Conduct. Key principles:

• Be respectful - Treat everyone with courtesy and professionalism
• Be inclusive - Welcome participants from all backgrounds and experience levels
• Be collaborative - Work together constructively
• Be patient - Remember this is a volunteer community

Effective Communication

Asking Questions

When seeking help:

1. Provide context - Explain what you’re trying to accomplish
2. Include details - Version, environment, specific error messages
3. Show what you’ve tried - Demonstrate your troubleshooting efforts
4. Be specific - Clear, focused questions get better answers
5. Format code and logs - Use code blocks for readability

Proposing Ideas

When suggesting enhancements:

1. Explain the problem - What current limitation are you addressing?
2. Describe your solution - How would your proposal work?
3. Justify the value - Why would this benefit the community?
4. Consider alternatives - Could this be a plugin instead of core?
5. Gather feedback - Be open to discussion and refinement

Helping Others

When providing assistance:

1. Be patient - Not everyone has the same expertise level
2. Explain clearly - Provide step-by-step guidance when needed
3. Share knowledge - Point to relevant documentation
4. Stay constructive - Focus on solutions, not criticism
5. Follow up - Check if your suggestion resolved the issue

Topic Organization

When to Use Each Platform

Platform	Best For	Response Time
Google Groups	Detailed questions, feature discussions, permanent reference	Hours to days
Mattermost	Quick questions, real-time collaboration, informal chat	Minutes (during business hours)
JIRA	Confirmed bugs, approved feature requests, tracking issues	Varies by priority
Wiki	Documentation, guides, permanent reference material	Self-service

Escalation Path

1. Start with Discussion

   Begin in forums or Mattermost to discuss your question, idea, or potential bug.

2. Gather Community Feedback

   Collect input and confirmation from community members. Refine your understanding of the issue.

3. Create JIRA Ticket

   Once confirmed and discussed, create a formal ticket in JIRA for bugs or approved enhancements.

4. Track Progress

   Follow the JIRA ticket for updates and implementation progress.

Contributing to Discussions

Your participation strengthens the community:

• Share your experiences - Success stories and lessons learned help others
• Answer questions - Even partial answers can guide others in the right direction
• Test and verify - Help confirm bug reports and test proposed solutions
• Document solutions - Add wiki pages for common issues you’ve solved
• Welcome newcomers - Help new users feel welcomed and supported

Contributing Guide

Learn more about how to contribute to iDempiere

Code of Conduct

Read our community code of conduct

Resources

Test Sites

Try features and reproduce issues

Wiki

Comprehensive documentation

JIRA

Issue tracking and feature requests