ProcessWire Weekly #295

Introducing ProcessWire 3.0.148, our latest stable master version

We're thrilled to make a big announcement this week: there's a new stable release for ProcessWire, 3.0.148, available! Our previous master version was 3.0.123, which means that this week's release is 25 minor versions ahead, and that includes a lot of stuff – fixes, improvements, as well as entirely new features.

The latest blog post from Ryan introduces 3.0.148 and contains detailed instructions for those interested in upgrading their sites to the new master version. In this issue we've included a small sneak-peek into some key updates in 3.0.148, but be sure to check the blog post out for a proper changelog.

What’s new in ProcessWire 3.0.148?

Compared to 3.0.123, ProcessWire 3.0.148 includes...

• Native support for generating WebP images, and long awaited core level support for custom data structures in file and image fields.
• Numerous API upgrades, including new methods for $page, $sanitizer, $cookie, $datetime, and $database API variables, as well as upgrades to some existing methods.
• New config options, such as $config->statusFiles for automatically including files when the system reaches certain state and $config->sessionForceIP for defining the source for the client IP.
• Fieldtype and Inputfield upgrades and additions, including a brand new Toggle field, updated AsmSelect, Comments, and Selector, and a new JavaScript API for Inputfields.
• Updates to the hooks system and the WireHttp class, new functions, new versions of third party libraries (CKEditor and HTML Purifier in particular), general purpose system updates, new developer tools, security features, better admin experience, improved documentation...

... and much, much more!

Overall 3.0.148 is a major update over our previous release. Again, this week's post by Ryan at the processwire.com blog includes a proper changelog for all notable new or updated features, so be sure to check it out. Thanks!

What is being said about ProcessWire?

It's the beginning of a new year, not to mention a new decade, and as such we thought it'd be a good reminder to post a few ProcessWire quotes from the web – opinions and experiences from folks using and promoting ProcessWire.

So, without further ado, here's our start-of-the-year – or start-of-the-decade – list of "what is being said about ProcessWire":

It's not a blog trying to power a website. It's a CMS which can be a blog, a website, an intranet, a web app. If it can be imagined, it can be built.

https://www.edenstudios.com/services/content-management-systems/processwire-cms-designer/

— Peter Knight, Eden Studio

In any case, ProcessWire’s great qualities continue to appeal to programmers, integrators, graphic designers. [...] Although it is dangerous to offer just one CMS solution to our customers (the proverbial hammer that sees just nails), it is tempting to consider ProcessWire as the Swiss Army knife par excellence of Web programming.

https://www.spiria.com/en/blog/website-creation/choosing-processwire-for-spiria-com

— Guy Verville, Spiria Digital Inc

[ProcessWire] is the easiest CMS we have used so far (WordPress, Contao, Drupal, Joomla, Typo3) and the API is easy to use. Furthermore, the operation of the backend is easy for our customers to understand and allows full flexibility.

https://dotnetic.de/blog/why-processwire-is-the-best-choice-for-your-website/

— Jens Martsch, dotnetic GmbH

[ProcessWire] offers perfect adaptability to individual project requirements: the system manages to balance abstract data storage (so that outputs, filters, lists, individual displays are possible without any problems) with a clear and tidy editorial interface.

https://marcus-herrmann.com/en/processwire

— Marcus Herrmann, freelance web developer from Berlin, Germany

ProcessWire is a free open source content management framework (CMF) and content management system (CMS). The backend is clean and structured so it can be easily operated. This tool gives you all the freedom you need to design your website. [...] ProcessWire is a versatile CMF that is suitable for both small websites and large projects with multiple domains and target languages.

https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/hosting/cms/processwire/

— 1&1 IONOS hosting

Now, a lot of people say a lot of good things about PW, and they are all completely right. It is powerful, the API is deep, clever and sensible and the back end is rock solid. But that was not what attracted me to the system. What I liked was that I did not have to learn a templating language. I could just write HTML.

https://cchogan.com/food-and-stuff/using-processwire-for-my-book-websites/

— Writer, novelist, singer-songwriter, and (self-appointed) pain in the neck C. C. Hogan

The reasons for choosing ProcessWire are many, and there's no single obvious reason why so many have taken a liking into the system, although the exceptional API is a key ingredient for most – as was also highlighted in the ProcessWire infographic included with last week's ProcessWire Weekly.

Whatever the reason you decided to use ProcessWire might be, we're really glad that you did – and if you're still considering getting into it, that's fine too.

For me personally one of the biggest reasons for enjoying ProcessWire and sticking with it through the years has been the community, so feel free to stop by at the support forum whenever you feel like it, even if just to say "hi" to some fellow enthusiasts :)

New module: ProcessWire Dashboard by Philipp Daun

ProcessWire Dashboard is the latest module from Philipp Daun. As the name suggests, this module provides a configurable dashboard for the ProcessWire Admin. The module comes with a set of pre-built panel types or widgets, but can be easily extended with your own custom ones as well.

All configuration for this module is handled with code, which – as Philipp explains in the GitHub repository for the ProcessWire Dashboard module – is in part so that it can all be managed via version control, but also so that sensitive credentials etc. don't end up in the database. The list of panels is a WireArray, and you can use a hook to modify it according to your specific needs:

<?php namespace ProcessWire;

// File: /site/templates/admin.php

wire()->addHookAfter('Dashboard::getPanels', function (HookEvent $event) {

    // Add new panel for news items
    $event->return->add([
        'panel' => 'collection',
        'title' => 'News items',
        'data' => [
            'collection' => 'template=news-item, limit=10',
            'sortable' => true,
        ],
    ]);

});

Currently the module includes prebuilt panel types chart, collection, notice, number, page-list, shortcuts, and template. You can find a screenshot and summary for each panel type from the GitHub repository, and while new types can be added with ease, they are already plenty powerful: the "template" panel type, for an example, lets you render a file from the templates directory as a panel – which is quite brilliant, really.

Big thanks to Philipp for sharing this project with us! Though the module is still in an early stage, it looks extremely promising already. There's a roadmap for the module at the support forum, and I for one am really keen on seeing how it evolves.

Site of the week: website for composer Aaron Copland

Our latest site of the week is dedicated to composer Aaron Copland. This particular site was crafted by Macrura, and it was also featued in last week's processwire.com blog post, in which Ryan also mentioned being a bit of a fan of mr. Copland's music.

For those not familiar with Aaron Copland, he was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Sometimes referred to as "the Dean of American Composers", Copland composed his most famous works – such as Appalachian Spring and Fanfare for the Common Man – in the 1930s and 1940s.

The site features a really nice design with numerous details, beautiful typography, and interesting, varying layouts. Though not particularly colourful, the design manages to capture one's attention, and feels both fresh and timeless. The site includes a news archive, an events calendar, and a rather extensive index of Copland's works – each complete with their own ways to categorize, organize, and search (or filter) content.

The front-end of the site is based on the Uikit framework – which, according to Macrura, not just made building the front-end easier, but also provided plenty of inspiration. You can find detailed lists of modules used on this site, as well as some additional behind-the-scenes details, from the showcase forum thread for the Aaron Copland website.

Thanks to Macrura for sharing this project with us, and our congratulations to the client – this is indeed a truly magnificent site!

Stay tuned for our next issue

That's all for the 295th issue of ProcessWire Weekly. We'll be back with more news, updates, and content Saturday, 11th of January. As always, ProcessWire newsletter subscribers will get our updates a few days later.

Thanks for staying with us, once again. Hope you've had a great and productive week, and don't forget to check out the ProcessWire forums for more interesting topics. Until next week, happy hacking with ProcessWire!