Updated June 8, 2026

A practical route from a useful idea to dependable software.

Nova Labs develops products sequentially so each release receives enough design, engineering, testing, documentation, and support work. Dates are planning windows, not promises; quality gates decide when software moves forward.

PRODUCTIONDiskScope 1.2Maintenance and field feedback
UP NEXTSearchForgeDiscovery begins Q3 2026
PLANNING HORIZON18-24 monthsDetailed dates become firmer as work approaches
Release method

The stages every product must pass.

01

Discovery

Confirm the audience, painful workflows, competing tools, privacy constraints, and the smallest useful scope.

Typical duration: 2-4 weeks
02

Prototype

Test the riskiest technical assumptions and interface flows with disposable builds and representative data.

Typical duration: 3-6 weeks
03

Core build

Implement the local data model, main workflows, recovery behavior, performance instrumentation, and installer foundation.

Typical duration: 8-16 weeks
04

Alpha

Complete the intended workflow, remove known data-loss paths, and test against large or malformed real-world inputs.

Typical duration: 4-8 weeks
05

Beta

Stabilize usability, accessibility, upgrades, packaging, diagnostics, documentation, and support procedures.

Typical duration: 4-8 weeks
06

Production

Release only after repeatable builds, clean-install and upgrade tests, rollback planning, and critical bug review.

Followed by 4-8 weeks of focused maintenance
Estimated delivery plan

Current sequencing and timeline.

Near-term windows have higher confidence. Work beyond mid-2027 is directional and will be re-estimated after earlier releases provide real usage data.

Jun-Aug 2026High confidence
Production

DiskScope 1.2 maintenance

Stabilize the production release before opening another major build stream.

  • Monitor scan, deletion, export, and installer failures.
  • Improve accessibility, keyboard use, diagnostics, and documentation.
  • Profile large scans and define a compatible local-data upgrade policy.
  • Ship 1.2.x fixes when a verified issue justifies a release.
Exit gateNo unresolved critical defects and support workload is predictable.
Sep-Dec 2026Medium-high confidence
Discovery + prototype

SearchForge foundation

Define safe, preview-first project search and replacement before committing to a full build.

  • Benchmark file discovery, text decoding, ignore rules, and large-result handling.
  • Prototype search filters, result context, replacement preview, undo, and backup behavior.
  • Establish tests for binary files, permissions, symlinks, line endings, and mixed encodings.
  • Reuse proven Nova Labs window, update, logging, and packaging patterns.
Exit gateA validated workflow and technical prototype that can search representative projects without unsafe edits.
Jan-Jun 2027Medium confidence
Build + test

SearchForge 1.0

Move from prototype to a supported Windows release through staged alpha and beta builds.

  • Q1: core search engine, indexed result view, filters, and replacement transaction model.
  • Early Q2: internal alpha with failure recovery, cancellation, and performance testing.
  • Late Q2: public beta, installer and upgrade tests, documentation, then production review.
Target windowProduction candidate in June 2027, contingent on replacement safety and beta results.
Jul-Dec 2027Directional
Planned

CodeBay and shared project intelligence

Build on SearchForge's project traversal and filtering work rather than creating a second unrelated engine.

  • Discovery and prototype for repository maps, language summaries, entry-point clues, and notes.
  • Extract stable shared components only after two products demonstrate the same need.
  • Evaluate whether DexCore should begin as an internal library rather than a separate public product.
Expected outcomeCodeBay alpha or a revised scope by the end of 2027; no production date yet.
2028+Exploratory
Research queue

LogCheck, DataLens, DriveMap, TraceView, and DexCore

These remain credible product directions, but assigning release quarters now would be false precision.

  • LogCheck: likely next if large-file text handling from SearchForge proves reusable.
  • DataLens: requires a separate streaming parser and table-virtualization investigation.
  • DriveMap: may share DiskScope scan data after its visual model is validated.
  • TraceView: depends on clear import formats and a focused diagnostic audience.
  • DexCore: becomes public only if a stable shared indexing engine emerges from shipped products.
Commitment ruleOnly one enters active development after the preceding release is stable and discovery confirms a useful, supportable scope.
What changes dates

The schedule follows evidence.

Security or data-loss defects, Windows platform changes, installer signing, performance on large datasets, accessibility findings, and support demand can move a release window. Scope is reduced before testing is compressed.

Safety before scopeBeta before productionOne major build at a timeDates reviewed quarterly