ProcessWire Weekly #639

Weekly update from Ryan

This week we don't have new core updates to share due to some unforeseen circumstances. As Ryan briefly explains in his latest weekly update, his attention is currently needed elsewhere, so core development has to wait.

I'd hoped to be back to full steam ahead after the long trip I just returned from, but sometimes things happen outside of our control. I'm very much hoping to be focused on ProcessWire next week, but am taking it one day at a time. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and I hope you all have a good weekend.

— Ryan

That's all for our core updates section this week. Hopefully we'll be back to our regular schedule, or close to it, by next week. In the meantime be sure to check out the weekly update from Ryan. Thanks!

New module: MJML to HTML via CLI

MJML to HTML via CLI is a new third-party ProcessWire module created by the Australian Antarctic Division. In a nutshell this module converts MJML email templates to ready-to-use HTML output using a locally installed command-line compiler. Combined with the ProMailer module, this makes creating and managing newsletters locally, without any third-party APIs or similar dependencies, quite effortless.

For anyone not familiar with MJML, it is an open-source project by Mailjet for creating responsive email messages. Creating a responsive email template that actually works well across different email clients and devices can be a painful experience, and MJML aims to solve exactly that.

MJML is responsive by design on most-popular email clients, even Outlook. Write less code, save time and code more efficiently with MJML’s semantic syntax.

— mjml.io

Note that MJML to HTML via CLI requires a MJML compiler to be installed locally on the server. The authors recommend MRML, which is a compiler written in Rust.

For more details, check out MJML to HTML via CLI at the ProcessWire module's directory. You can install this module via the built-in modules manager in the admin, or clone or download it from the PageMjmlToHtmlViaCli GitHub repository. If you need additional assistance, head down to the MJML to HTML via CLI support forum thread.

Thanks to Australian Antarctic Division for creating this module and sharing it with us!

New module: Cookie

Cookie is a new third-party ProcessWire module created by Maxim Semenov. Cookie is, essentially, a full-featured consent manager that includes a cookie banner, category-based async loading of scripts and embeds, consent log, support for Google Consent Mode v2, and a visual widget builder ("Design Studio") for customizing the design.

Here's a detailed list of what this module does, as outlined in the module's README:

• Neutralizes known trackers and embeds server-side, in the rendered page, before consent — nothing third-party runs even if a developer forgets to mark it up.
• Supports opt-in (GDPR/ePrivacy, UK GDPR/PECR, LGPD, Law 25, POPIA, KVKK) and opt-out (CCPA/CPRA and other US state laws) consent models, plus Global Privacy Control.
• Adds category-based blocking for scripts, iframes, images and video, with placeholders offering Load once / Always allow.
• Includes a services catalog (23 known services, one-click add), a cookie policy generator, and an optional consent log with CSV export.
• Supports Google Consent Mode v2, consent expiry and versioning, body classes, a JS API and CustomEvents.
• Supports geo-based automatic model switching by visitor country.
• Ships multi-language texts with ready-made presets (8 languages) and per-language targeting for multi-language countries.
• Every decision point is hookable — block or restrict categories, the banner, gating rules and gated markup from site/ready.php.
• Provides a ProcessWire admin area (Design Studio) for building the widget visually, and settings import/export as JSON.

One thing that is very interesting about this module is the automatic blocking mode. In other words Cookie automatically detects sources that should be put behind a consent requirement, and you can add your own sources to this as well. That being said, there is a more traditional manual blocking mode as well:

<!-- external script -->
<script type="text/plain" data-consent="statistics"
    src="https://example.com/analytics.js"></script>

<!-- iframe with placeholder -->
<iframe data-consent="external_media" data-placeholder="1"
    data-src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xyz"
    width="560" height="315" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The module's directory entry for Cookie has more detailed instructions on setting this module up and using it, so be sure to check it out. There are various settings to tweak, the module has proper multilingual support baked in, many parts of the process are hookable, there's a JavaScript API, and embed tags etc. can be rendered via module's helper functions — all in all there's quite a lot to unpack there.

If you'd like to give this module a try, you can clone or download it from the Cookie GitHub repository, or install it via the built-in modules manager in the admin. For support requests, head down to the Cookie module dedicated support forum thread.

Thanks to Maxim for creating this module and sharing it with us!

Site of the week: Unter freiem Himmel

Our latest site of the week belongs to Unter freiem Himmel, an animation studio based in Graz, Austria.

The studio has been around since 2012, and they have extensive experience: advertising spots, cartoons, explainers, motion graphics, 2D and 3D content for apps and games — you name it, they've probably done it. From the first idea to the final rendering, they are here for the whole process from start to finish.

Our main focus is to tell good stories. Stories that present complex information in an understandable and varied way, that emotionally bind and entertain the viewer, and that stand out from the crowd through originality and uniqueness.

— Unter freiem Himmel

The Unter freiem Himmel website is an introduction to the company and their services, the team that actually makes the magic happen, and various projects they have taken a part in. The site itself is beautifully designed and features fun little animations that do a great job at making things more interesting. Definitely worth checking out.

As for some behind the scenes details, the front-end of this site is built on top of the Uikit front-end framework, with plenty of custom work on top of it. Animations on the site make use of Lottie for Web, an animation library maintained by Airbnb. The site is multilingual, available in both German and English.

Our congratulations to Unter freiem Himmel for their new, ProcessWire powered website. Great work from everyone involved in this project!

Stay tuned for our next issue

That's it for the 639th issue of ProcessWire Weekly. We'll be back with more news, updates, and content Saturday, 15th of August. 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!