Typemill V2: Release Candidate 2

After some holidays, I have completed the release candidate 2 of Typemill. Please DO NOT USE it in a production environment; only use it for testing in a local setup. Typemill 2.0.0 is compatible with PHP version 8.0.0 and higher.

Typemill Release Candidate 2 (ZIP, 1.94 MB)

With the release candidate 2, the new version of Typemill is nearly finished. I plan to publish the official release at the end of October, as previously announced a few weeks ago. So this is your last chance to test and provide feedback. If you encounter any bugs or have other feedback, please leave them on GitHub.

What Has Been Accomplished

While there weren't any major new features, a significant amount of work has been dedicated to fine-tuning various details:

• Fixed and improved the frontend navigation, including handling of hidden and unpublished pages.
• Enhanced the backward and forward navigation in the frontend.
• Improved the behavior of the raw editor, which now automatically scrolls down when you reach a new line.
• Added a captcha feature.
• Added the capability to upload a favicon.
• Included a modal window when the author is logged out.
• Progressed with responsive design (not finished yet).
• Fixed several API access points.
• Added styles for custom fields.
• Corrected issues with the checkbox list.
• Implemented a warning message for unsaved changes in the editor.
• Added a translation feature for all messages.
• Developed a script that automatically extracts all translation strings in the code to a translation file.
• Unified the status codes and status messages.

I've also conducted an initial test of this version on a live website, and it worked smoothly without any issues. The look and feel of Typemill 2 closely resembles that of version 1, ensuring continuity. However, you will appreciate the improvements in the details: the raw editor with markdown highlighting, the expand-and-collapse feature of the content navigation, and the enhanced structure of the system settings.

From a developer's perspective, the core code is much cleaner and easier to maintain. Additionally, the programming interface for plugins and themes has not changed significantly, so updating your custom code should be relatively straightforward.

What's on Our To-Do List

There's not much left to do before the official release:

• Thoroughly test everything and address any remaining bugs.
• Continue working on responsive web design.

I may not complete the responsive design for the official release, as I don't consider it a high priority. Writing and editing lengthy articles on mobile devices is still a somewhat uncommon use case, in my opinion.

A Plan for the Official Release

Due to limited time and resources, there won't be a big launch event, redesign, or marketing campaign for Typemill Version 2. Instead, I will simply release it at the end of October and initiate a gradual transformation:

• I will publish Version 2 on the start page as a zip file and push it to the master branch on GitHub.
• I will discontinue support for Version 1 of Typemill and delete the download-file.
• I will remove all plugins and themes from the download pages.
• I will transition all my live websites to Version 2 (websites for Typemill, the plugins, and the themes).
• I will provide a concise guide to help you with the upgrade process.
• I will update the documentation where necessary.

Once Version 2 is published, you can use it for your live websites, but you can only use the standard cyanine theme initially and no plugins will be available. I will gradually update all plugins, so if you rely on specific plugins, please wait a few weeks for them to be ready. Please note that I won't update plugins contributed by others, nor will I update plugins that don't see significant demand or usage. The translation files will also not be available with the initial release, so I hope the community will contribute translations.

After the first official release, I will continue with bug fixes to ensure a stable and thoroughly tested version as soon as possible. Additionally, there are many exciting new features in the pipeline, with the main focus being on the new license system. I hope to have it ready by the end of the year.