ProcessWire weekly #19

Latest core updates (ProcessWire 2.5.1)

Ryan has just published a more detailed blog post about the updates that ProcessWire 2.5.1 (currently in the development branch) will bring into the 2.5 branch, so I won't be going into too much detail here, but here's a little teaser of what's up:

• Full multi-language support and AJAX menu items to the new Admin Theme Reno
• Process modules now have the ability to feed their own AJAX menu items to the admin theme (Ryan has also posted a rather detailed description on how to use the new menu feature, if you're interested)
• Image and file fields have a new "overwrite" setting, which makes new files overwrite existing ones in case that names match (instead of making the name of new file unique, which has been only supported mode so far)
• New default site profile tutorial, included as a README file with the profile itself (and as a web-readable version here)

Please note that the tips we shared in our previous issue still stand: for new sites go with 2.5, but if you've got an existing live site, it might be wise to wait just a little longer before upgrading it to 2.5.

Embed external JavaScript or CSS files to Admin themes: Admin Custom Files

Admin Custom Files is a new module by Martijn Geerts. What this module does is that it allows you to embed custom scripts or styles right into an existing admin theme – with a lot of flexibility, such as only targeting specific processes or pages of specific template being edited.

Since modifying existing admin themes is usually considered a bad practice, the easiest way to add custom scripts or styles to admin has been writing a module for that. By removing the need for such modules altogether Admin Custom Files is going to be a great time saver.

Hat tip to Martijn for coming up with a great idea!

ProcessBlog 2.0 by Kongondo

The blog module we introduced in the 3rd issue of ProcessWire Weekly has been getting a steady stream of pretty neat upgrades since then. Just this week Kongondo has released a brand new version 2.0 of the blog module, with a whole bunch of improvements and new configuration options for you to play with.

Please note that this is still considered a beta release. If you'd like to help testing (or would like to set up a new blog right now) this module is definitely for you. If you're upgrading an existing blog created with earlier version of the module to 2.0, here's an upgrade guide for you.

Of course you don't actually have to use a module for setting up a blog with ProcessWire (the Blog Profile built by Ryan is a great example of that), but a module does definitely simplify the process big time.

Get started with ProcessWire development at lightning.pw

In our 16th issue we mentioned a new service for hassle-free setup of ProcessWire sites for development purposes, lightning.pw. Back then the service had just been introduced, but now it's officially launched – and looking even more awesome, if I may say so.

The gist of the service is setting up ProcessWire development sites in 30 seconds. They'll host your development site for 7 days for free, but if you decide to develop an entire site using lightning.pw, you'll pay 3€ per month or 25€ per year for the development time hosting.

There's a lot more to it and new features are already on their way, so don't forget to check out their site and especially the revised introduction video. If you'd like to try the service out, coupon code FLAMINGPW will get you two credits on the service (two months of free hosting for one site). This coupon is going to be valid for one week, so act now!

ProcessWire online resources

A hand-picked collection of ProcessWire-related online resources you might find interesting:

• Video tutorial for building a simple blog with ProcessWire
• If you thought our community is always serious, business-oriented and to-the-point, you're up for a bit of a surprise; here's ProcessWire – The trailer (unofficial)
• The "making ProcessWire more user-friendly" thread has proven out to be an endless source of inspiration: last Sunday a 44 slide ProcessWire onboarding document was posted to the thread by user woop.. and now there's a great reply to the whole subject by Ryan, explaining some of the reasoning behind ProcessWire's design decisions
• A little gem from our archives and one of the most extensive tutorials for ProcessWire: A Quick Guide to ProcessWire for those transitioning from MODX by Kongondo

Admittedly a border-case for this section, ProcessHouse is a house project with very nice-looking blog powered by ProcessWire. What makes it so interesting to me is the fact that the site is actually just a minor modification of the Blog Profile. The message here is that with minimal changes to the design of the blog profile, creating your own, unique blog is a breeze!

If you think I've missed anything important, please don't hesitate to send a note or mention it via our feedback form – we'll try to get it included in our next issue!

Site of the week: miraopalinska.com

The site of Mira Opalińska, a Polish pianist, features one of the best minimalist designs I've seen. Great-looking photography, well thought out typography.. and absolutely no clutter. In fact, even the menu is by default hidden behind a button, a trick most commonly used for mobile navigation.

In addition to the great mobile-first feel, the minimalism of the design really puts focus on the content – which, of course, is exactly how it should work. A brief introduction to the site can be found from this forum post, in addition to some background details, such as the fact that it was just converted from TextPattern to ProcessWire.

Congratulations for a job well done, Douglas – that's one awesome site you've got there!

Stay tuned for our next issue

That's it, we're done for issue #19 of ProcessWire Weekly. Hope to see you here again next Saturday, 27th of September. Meanwhile, your feedback is much appreciated, either via comments to this post or via our feedback form.

Until next time – happy hacking with ProcessWire!