webERP Announces Version 5.0 - Major Release Brings Modern Architecture and Enhanced Features to Leading Open-Source ERP

The webERP development team is pleased to announce the upcoming release of webERP version 5.0, a significant milestone representing over three years of development and more than 1,700 commits since the last major release. This transformative update modernizes the platform's core architecture while introducing powerful new features designed to meet the evolving needs of businesses worldwide.

What is webERP?

webERP is a free, open-source Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that provides comprehensive business administration and accounting tools through a web-based interface. Used by businesses around the globe, webERP offers a complete solution for financial management, inventory control, sales and purchasing, manufacturing, and much more—all accessible from any modern web browser.

Major Enhancements in Version 5.0

Modern PHP 8.1+ Architecture

Version 5.0 embraces modern PHP standards with a minimum requirement of PHP 8.1, ensuring enhanced performance, improved security, and access to the latest language features. The system now fully supports the mysqli database extension, with deprecated mysql extension support removed for better stability and security.

Enhanced Database Support

The new version introduces full UTF-8 MB4 character set support by default, enabling proper handling of emojis and extended Unicode characters across all international languages. This enhancement ensures seamless global communication and data storage for businesses operating in diverse linguistic environments.

Completely Redesigned Installer

A ground-up rewrite of the installation system makes deploying webERP faster and more intuitive than ever. The new installer includes improved error detection, better database configuration options, and comprehensive validation to ensure successful setup.

Next-Generation PDF Reporting

Version 5.0 introduces DomPDF as a modern alternative to TCPDF for PDF generation, providing enhanced layout capabilities and improved rendering quality for quotations, invoices, purchase orders, and other business documents. The TCPDF library has also been updated to version 6.x for continued compatibility.

New and Improved Features

• Revamped Dashboard System: A modernized dashboard provides at-a-glance insights into critical business metrics with customizable widgets and improved data visualization
• Enhanced Commission System: New agent commission tracking and management capabilities streamline sales compensation processes
• Advanced Budget Management: Comprehensive General Ledger budgeting system with improved planning and forecasting tools
• Regular Payments Processing: Automated handling of recurring payments simplifies routine financial operations
• Modern Login Interface: Sleek new login screen with improved user experience and enhanced security features
• Context-Sensitive Help: Intelligent popup help system provides instant assistance exactly when and where users need it
• Improved Session Management: Extended default timeout (10 minutes) and automatic session restoration enhance user productivity

API and Integration Improvements

The XMLRPC API has been completely fixed and enhanced, with new endpoints for sales order management including getsalesorderheaderdetail, searchsalesorder, and getsalesorderlist functions. The API now includes improved GL account balance retrieval and enhanced data querying capabilities.

Developer and Administrator Enhancements

• Composer Integration: Modern dependency management makes updates and customization easier
• Directory Restructuring: Logical organization with images in /images, dependencies in /vendor, and administrative scripts in /bin
• Enhanced Debugging: Improved SQL query debugging capabilities when debug mode is enabled
• Strict Mode Compatibility: Full compatibility with MySQL/MariaDB strict mode prevents data integrity issues
• Documentation Updates: All technical documentation converted to Markdown format for better readability

Security and Stability

Version 5.0 includes numerous security enhancements, bug fixes addressing login issues, payment allocation handling, tax calculation improvements, and enhanced data validation throughout the system. The development team has implemented rigorous testing and quality assurance processes, with over 1,700 individual improvements since version 4.15.2.

International Support

Continuing webERP's commitment to global accessibility, version 5.0 includes updated translations and improved internationalization features, with contributions from the worldwide webERP community supporting businesses in multiple languages and regions.

Upgrade Path

Existing webERP users can upgrade to version 5.0 following the standard upgrade procedure. The new intelligent database upgrade system automatically detects and applies necessary schema changes. Users maintaining older installations with UTF-8 MB3 character sets can configure backward compatibility through a simple config.php setting.

Availability

webERP version 5.0 is available for download from the official GitHub repository at https://github.com/timschofield/webERP/. The system remains completely free and open-source under the GNU General Public License version 2.

A live demonstration of webERP is available at https://www.weberp.org/demo/, where users can explore all features with full access.

About webERP

webERP has been serving businesses worldwide since 2003, providing enterprise-grade ERP functionality without the enterprise price tag. The project is supported by an active community of developers, implementers, and users who contribute to its ongoing development and provide 24/7 support through forums and mailing lists.

System Requirements

• Web server (Apache, Nginx, Lighthttpd, or Hiawatha)
• PHP 8.1 or higher
• MySQL 5.7.5+ or MariaDB 5.5+ (recent versions recommended)
• Modern HTML5-compatible web browser

Support and Community

Free community support is available through:

• Discussion forums: https://github.com/timschofield/webERP/discussions
• Mailing list: https://sourceforge.net/projects/web-erp/lists/web-erp-users
• Documentation: Included with every installation

Contributing

webERP welcomes contributions from developers, translators, and documentation writers. The project maintains rigorous coding standards and a well-documented development workflow. Contributors are encouraged to review the development documentation included in the repository.

Contact

For more information about webERP, visit https://www.weberp.org/ or contact [email protected]

webERP - Free, Open-Source Business Administration and Accounting
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