| |
vBulletin 5.5.0 Alpha 2 is now available. |
<h1>vBulletin 5.5.0 Alpha 2 Changes and Updates</h1>
<p>We're proud to begin the new year with a new version of vBulletin. These changes will apply to both vBulletin Connect and vBulletin Cloud unless otherwise noted. Pre-Release Builds are not recommended for production environments.</p>
<h2>Typography Changes</h2>
<p>We have made several changes to how Typography or Fonts work within vBulletin to resolve several different issues that continually occur over time. These issues include display issues with scaling, the ability to support relative font sizes, and inheritance of font sizes. In order to resolve these issues, we've added two new style variables, changed the body_font style variable and reconfigured how fonts work in our default styles.</p>
<p>As part of this change, we have converted the CSS in vBulletin to use REM units instead of pixel units. REM stands for Root EM. It is a relative unit of measurement and relies on the end-user's browser to make the final determination of font size. REM is Relative to the size of the root element. The root element in vBulletin is the &lt;body&gt; tag. For backwards compatibility we have set this to a value of 10 pixels (62.5% of a browser's default 16 pixel font) so that it equals 10 pixels in most desktop browsers. This allows us to create different font sizes using modifiers to enlarge or shrink based on this starting point. Within the default vBulletin styles 1 REM equals 10 pixels, so 1.3 REM equals 13 pixels.</p>
<h3>Why Use REM?</h3>
<p>The primary reason is the ease of use when you don't know what type of device is being used to view vBulletin. The software has to work on everything from 4 inch mobile phones to 27 inch monitors. Someone may even use it on their 60 inch television. In addition to this, each browser and operating system can adjust the font size. Most Web Browsers use a 16 pixel font as their baseline. If we set vBulletin to use 1 REM as its baseline, then it will use the same 16 pixel font. If someone changes their baseline font to 24 pixels, vBulletin will automatically adjust when using REMs. It will not if we use pixels. To accommodate multiple display devices and baseline fonts, REM was the best choice.</p>
<h3>Other Questions</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>How does this affect my current style?</strong>
<ul>
<li>It shouldn't change the values on your current style. However, as is the case with all customizations, we suggest you test the changes before going live.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>What if I want to continue using pixels?</strong>
<ul>
<li>You still can. Style Variables still support this unit for fonts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Style Variable Changes</h2>
<p>A new style variable group was created for the base font variables. It is called &quot;Global.&quot; You can find this at the top of the Style Variable Editor.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>root_font_size</strong>: This new style variable allows you to set the base font size for the entire site. When using REM units, all other fonts are relative to this value. The default value of 62.5% sets the root font size to roughly 10 pixels when using the default font size set by your Browser.</li>
<li><strong>global_text_font</strong>: This style variable is thenew name for the body_font style variable. All content text inherits from this style variable. The default value for this is 1.3 REM. This restores the 13 pixel font size used previously in our themes.</li>
<li><strong>global_header_font</strong>: A new style variable used by headers throughout a vBulletin Site. This will allow you to easily use a different Header font in custom styles. The default size is 1.6 REM. This sets a base size of 16 pixels for headers.</li>
</ul>
<p>For more information:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-18879">VBV-18879</a></li>
<li><a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-18844">VBV-18844</a></li>
<li><a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-18867">VBV-18867</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Style Variable Editor</h2>
<p>The Style Variable Editor has been improved with proper phrasing. Each Style Variable should have a proper title and description. The Style Variable Groups have also had their text converted to phrases. These changes will allow for translation and provide more inline help to Administrators.</p>
<p>For more information: <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-18866">VBV-18866</a> and <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-7255">VBV-7255</a></p>
<h2>Memory Usage</h2>
<p>We've refactored how large topics are retrieved from the database. This has allowed us to significantly reduce memory requirements to show large topics. In our testing a 650,000 post topic had its memory requirement reduced from 540 Megabytes to about 70 Megabytes. We will continue to look for further performance enhancements in the software.</p>
<p>For more information: <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-17204">VBV-17204</a></p>
<h2>Other Issues</h2>
<ul>
<li>Resolved an issue with Search that would prevent the proper display of results. <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-17272">VBV-17272</a></li>
<li>Updated the order and grouping of the AdminCP Navigation. This is to improve the user experience. <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-18921">VBV-18921</a></li>
<li>Cleaned up the Template Editor in the AdminCP to improve the user experience. <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-18968">VBV-18968</a></li>
<li>The Database Repair/Optimize tools have been removed from the AdminCP. <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/issues/VBV-18460">VBV-18460</a></li>
</ul>
<p>You can view all issues here: <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulletin5/roadmap#roadmap_milestone_52">5.5.0 Roadmap</a></p>
<h2>System Requirements</h2>
<p>Minimum System Requirements</p>
<ul>
<li>PHP Version: 7.1.0</li>
<li>MySQL Version: 5.5.8</li>
<li>MariaDB Version: 5.5.8</li>
</ul>
<p>Recommended System Requirements</p>
<ul>
<li>PHP Version: 7.2 or higher</li>
<li>MySQL Version: 8.0 or higher</li>
<li>MariaDB Version: 10.2+</li>
</ul>
<p>For more information see <a href="https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/node/4391344">vBulletin Connect System Requirements</a>.</p>
<h2>More Information</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/node/4391348">Installation Instructions</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/node/4391346">Upgrade Instructions</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Current Version Support Schedule</h2>
<ul>
<li>Active Version - 5.4.5</li>
<li>Security Patch - 5.4.4</li>
<li>Security Patch - 5.4.3</li>
<li>No Patch Release - 5.4.2 or earlier.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Discussion</h2>
<p>If you have any questions about these changes you may discuss them here: 4404553</p>
<p>If you find an issue with the software or wish to place a feature request please visit our <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com">tracker</a>.</p>
<p>In order to receive support for your vBulletin Product please visit our <a href="https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/">community forums</a>.</p>
Read more (locally) ...
Tue, 18 Dec 2018 19:28:38 GMT |
Introducing vBulletin Mobile 2.0 for Android |
<p>We're proud to announce vBulletin Mobile 2.0 for Android devices. The vBulletin Mobile App for Android has been completely reworked with a new modern interface. In addition to this, several changes have been made to the vBulletin Web API to allow for a smoother user experience overall.</p>
<p>Minimum Android version: 5.0</p>
<h2>Update UI to Material Design</h2>
<p>The UI of the Mobile App for Android has been updated to use Google's Material theme design.</p>
<table>
<tr>
<td>[ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"right","data-size":"full","title":"1.jpg","data-attachmentid":4404296}[/ATTACH]</td>
<td>[ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"right","data-size":"full","title":"2.jpg","data-attachmentid":4404297}[/ATTACH]
</td>
<td> [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"center","data-size":"full","title":"3.jpg","data-attachmentid":4404298}[/ATTACH]
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>More screenshots can be seen in the Photo Gallery below.</p>
<h2>Infinite Scrolling</h2>
<p>When using the Activity Stream, the app will automatically load the next page of activity when you scroll to the bottom. This will allow quicker access to content on your site.</p>
<h2>Privacy Support</h2>
<p>The app will support the Privacy Options in vBulletin Connect 5.4.3 and higher. This will allow you to comply with a number of different Privacy Laws.</p>
<h2>Additional Issues Resolved</h2>
<ul>
<li>vB4: App crashes while loading forum's thread list</li>
<li>vB4: App crashes while loading Articles</li>
<li>App crashes when attempting to load Messages page</li>
<li>Registration page shows &quot;Connecting&quot; forever</li>
<li>App crashes when select to list popular Articles</li>
<li>Can't open activity (instance of Article within public_preview) in Activity Stream</li>
<li>Articles images are distorted</li>
<li>Blog: Can not type the first comment</li>
<li>Blog publish status option issues</li>
<li>Support ads in Android 2.0</li>
<li>Support custom logo in Login screen</li>
<li>Blog &amp; Article comments list should show flag option</li>
<li>Article &amp; Blogs: Click on the avatar of a comment crashes the app</li>
<li>Forum Posts, Article &amp; Blog contents should use &quot;text_body&quot; color</li>
<li>Reopen app after a few days crashes it</li>
<li>Broken compose button on Forum list view (Forum home)</li>
<li>vB4: Calendar shouldn't be available in the menu</li>
<li>vB4: Needs to add Photo Albums &amp; Friends</li>
<li>Guest users UX</li>
<li>Disable rotation support</li>
<li>Sign-in with Facebook broken</li>
<li>Tapping icon in the top right of search page crashes app</li>
<li>Articles show wrong author name</li>
<li>Application stops working when tapping a photo in a photo post or an attachment</li>
<li>Cannot play video in video post</li>
<li>Cannot edit blog posts</li>
<li>App crashes resuming from background</li>
<li>Modal loading doesn't complete for post list</li>
<li>Long topic title shouldn't get cut off too early</li>
<li>App stops working when selecting prefix</li>
<li>Special content types don't display until page is reloaded</li>
<li>vB4: Tapping a category crashes app</li>
<li>App crashes tapping on an inbox message</li>
<li>Creating an article requires a category, and then crashes the app when attempting to view the article</li>
<li>vB4: Adding photo to album from device crashes app</li>
<li>vB4: No way to create a new album</li>
<li>Search cannot find thread's replies</li>
<li>App doesn't submit the correct selection from the Spinner View of custom field</li>
<li>Missing FB login dividing line</li>
<li>Keyboard overlaps button Login issue</li>
<li>Touch outside will close Keyboard</li>
<li>Article content doesn't show attached image</li>
<li>Search filter issues</li>
<li>Disable flag Blog/Photo comment in vB4</li>
<li>Nothing happens when tapping link in a link post</li>
<li>Hide Post comment icon for vb4 forum</li>
<li>&quot;Categories&quot; and &quot;Section&quot; selectors are incorrect for article publishing in vB5 app</li>
<li>Enter password for Forum require password</li>
<li>&quot;Publish on&quot; interface is unresponsive for a while</li>
<li>Dates on Activity page are +1 month than the actual date</li>
<li>vB4: Ignore in user profiles fails with api_version_too_high error</li>
<li>vB5 Articles shouldn't have Sections tab</li>
<li>Attached images does not appear when open threads. They only appeae after klicking on the thread text or username.</li>
<li>Inline moderation and poll checkboxes not visible (same color as background)</li>
<li>Tap to refresh the list of in-app notifications</li>
<li>Login background color</li>
<li>No way to distinguish soft deleted and unapproved topics in topic list</li>
<li>Buttons re-appear when scrolling up while moderation is enabled</li>
<li>Wrong phrase displayed on friends page</li>
</ul>
Read more (locally) ...
Thu, 13 Dec 2018 16:39:48 GMT |
vBulletin Connect 5.4.5 is now available. |
vBulletin 5.4.5 Connect is now available to all customers.
Phrase System Updates
We have added a variety of shortcodes to the phrasing system. These allow you to insert additional information into all phrases as a means to further customize your site. To use the shortcodes, simply insert them into your phrase translation where you want their information to appear. At this time, these shortcodes are supported:{sitename}: The name of your site from Settings -> Options -> Site Name / URL / Contact Details.
{userid}: The numerical User ID of the current user or email recipient.
{username}: The username of the current user or email recipient
{musername}: The current username with usergroup markup applied.
{homeurl}: The front page of your vBulletin Site.
{registerurl}: The URL of your registration page.
{activationurl}: The link to the account activation page.
{helpurl}: A link to the User Manual on the site.
{contacturl}: This provides the URL to your Contact Us page.
{date} - Current date using language settings
Note: When using the URL shortcodes, if you want to make an active link they should be used within the HTML <A> tag. i.e. <a href="{contactutl}">Contact Us</a>
Media Files
The handling of Media Files with a proper mimetype has been updated. These files will be sent to the user's device with Byte Range Headers. This allows Audio and Video files to play directly while they are still downloading. This is a specific requirement to play media on an iOS device but may improve handling on other devices. Please note, this should not be considered to be a streaming system and there is no buffering provided by vBulletin.
Node Tools
The Node Tools within the AdminCP have been expanded.Move Nodes: A tool to mass move nodes between channels has been added to the AdminCP. With Mass Move, you can easily move large numbers of topics from one location to another. The tool can move Topics, Articles, and Blog Entries, and Social Group Discussions among the appropriate channels. Mass Move can be accessed in the AdminCP under the Node Tools Menu.
User ID Search: On both Prune Nodes and Move Nodes, we have provided the ability to search by User ID in addition to Username. Searching by the User ID of 0 will allow you to find all "Guest" posts within your site for easier management.
Improved Upgrade Handling
We have made several changes to the Upgrade Handling in vBulletin 5.4.5. These changes are to improve the robustness of the scripts in both Web and CLI modes.
Upgrade Memory Handling
An issue was discovered that could allow the upgrade script to run out of memory on large sites when using the Command Line upgrade. We have refactored how the upgrade system handles memory to account for this. This should allow for a smoother upgrade process.
Removed Files
We've removed a large number of unnecessary files from the upgrade system. The system allows you to upgrade from 3.6.0 to vBulletin 5.4.5. That is almost 550 upgrade scripts that have been released over the years. Many of these files didn't have any upgrade steps in them and just progressed the version number. We've eliminated almost half of the upgrade files with this update.
vBulletin AI Suite: Related Topics
Several updates have been made to enable better control over the related topics module on vBulletin Cloud. These changes will allow you to fine-tune the related topics returned by the module. These include:Channel Limits: Limit the results so that they originate from specific channels.
Similarity Threshold: You can set the level of similarity or specificity on the results returned.
Placement Error: The Related Topics module can only be properly placed on pages with a Node ID. The system has been updated to provide Administrators with a more user-friendly message when this requirement is not met.
Other IssuesVBV-18793 - 404 not found request to ckeditor/skins/moono/icons.png
VBV-18831 - Regression: CKEditor icons do not show in Responsive.
VBV-18811 - Password displayed in plain text in error
VBV-18802 - Incomplete table in payment test communication page
VBV-18752 - Date Filter on Moderator Log does not work properly.
VBV-18642 - Can't see attached photos on the edit form
All resolved issues can be viewed in the Bug Genie Roadmap.
Suspect File Diagnostics
From time to time, we determine that a specific file within the vBulletin System is no longer useful. Either its functionality has been refactored into other files or the functionality simply isn't used anymore. Due to the standard method of upgrading vBulletin, these unnecessary files can accumulate on your server. It is recommended that you run the Suspect File Diagnostics tool after upgrading to list these files. The tool will list them as "Not part of vBulletin.
PHP Support
Due to upcoming changes in the PHP Support Cycle, we recommend that customers upgrade to PHP 7.1 or higher as soon as possible.PHP 5.6 - PHP 5.6 will reach End of Life status on December 31st, 2018. We will be dropping support for PHP 5.6.X with the release of vBulletin 5.5.0. This coincides with the end of life status of PHP 5.6.X.
PHP 7.0 - PHP 7.0 will reach End of Life status on December 3rd, 2018. As such, we will be dropping support for this version in vBulletin 5.5.0.
PHP 7.3 - vBulletin 5.4.5 and higher supports PHP 7.3. If you encounter any issues on this version of PHP, please create a new bug report.
System RequirementsMinimum PHP Version: 5.6.30
Minimum MySQL Version: 5.5.8
Recommended PHP Version: 7.1 or higher
Recommended MySQL Version: 5.7.7 or higher
Recommended MariaDB Version: 10+
Current Version Support Schedule
All customers are encouraged to upgrade to the latest version.Active Version - 5.4.5
Security Patch - 5.4.4
Security Patch - 5.4.3
No Patch Release - 5.4.2 or earlier.
Discussion
If you have any questions about these changes you may discuss them here: https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/node/4400636
If you find an issue with the software or wish to place a feature request please visit our tracker.
In order to receive support for your vBulletin Product please visit our community forums.
Read more (locally) ...
Tue, 13 Nov 2018 22:42:33 GMT |
vBulletin 5.4.5 Alpha 4 is now Available. |
vBulletin 5.4.5 Alpha 4 is now available to all customers. This is a pre-release test version and should not be used on production sites.
[h=2]Phrase System Updates[/h]
We have added a variety of shortcodes to the phrasing system. These allow you to insert additional information into all phrases as a means to further customize your site. To use the shortcodes, simply insert them into your phrase translation where you want their information to appear. At this time, these shortcodes are supported:{sitename}: The name of your site from Settings -> Options -> Site Name / URL / Contact Details.
{userid}: The numerical User ID of the current user or email recipient.
{username}: The username of the current user or email recipient
{musername}: The current username with usergroup markup applied.
{homeurl}: The front page of your vBulletin Site.
{registerurl}: The URL of your registration page.
{activationurl}: The link to the account activation page.
{helpurl}: A link to the User Manual on the site.
{contacturl}: This provides the URL to your Contact Us page.
{date} - Current date using language settings
Note: When using the URL shortcodes, if you want to make an active link they should be used within the HTML <A> tag. i.e. <a href="{contactutl}">Contact Us</a>
[h=2]Media Files[/h]
The handling of Media Files with a proper mimetype has been updated. These files will be sent to the user's device with Byte Range Headers. This allows Audio and Video files to play directly while they are still downloading. This is a specific requirement to play media on an iOS device but may improve handling on other devices. Please note, this should not be considered to be a streaming system and there is no buffering provided by vBulletin.
[h=2]Node Tools[/h]
The Node Tools within the AdminCP have been expanded. Move Nodes: A tool to mass move nodes between channels has been added to the AdminCP. With Mass Move, you can easily move large numbers of topics from one location to another. The tool can move Topics, Articles, and Blog Entries, and Social Group Discussions among the appropriate channels. Mass Move can be accessed in the AdminCP under the Node Tools Menu.
User ID Search: On both Prune Nodes and Move Nodes, we have provided the ability to search by User ID in addition to Username. Searching by the User ID of 0 will allow you to find all "Guest" posts within your site for easier management.
[h=2]Improved Upgrade Handling[/h]
We have made several changes to the Upgrade Handling in vBulletin 5.4.5. These changes are to improve the robustness of the scripts in both Web and CLI modes.
Upgrade Memory Handling
An issue was discovered that could allow the upgrade script to run out of memory on large sites when using the Command Line upgrade. We have refactored how the upgrade system handles memory to account for this. This should allow for a smoother upgrade process.
Removed Files
We've removed a large number of unnecessary files from the upgrade system. The system allows you to upgrade from 3.6.0 to vBulletin 5.4.5. That is almost 550 upgrade scripts that have been released over the years. Many of these files didn't have any upgrade steps in them and just progressed the version number. We've eliminated almost half of the upgrade files with this update.
[h=2]vBulletin AI Suite: Related Topics[/h]
Several updates have been made to enable better control over the related topics module on vBulletin Cloud. These changes will allow you to fine-tune the related topics returned by the module. These include: Channel Limits: Limit the results so that they originate from specific channels.
Similarity Threshold: You can set the level of similarity or specificity on the results returned.
Placement Error: The Related Topics module can only be properly placed on pages with a Node ID. The system has been updated to provide Administrators with a more user-friendly message when this requirement is not met.
[h=2]Other Issues[/h] VBV-18793 - 404 not found request to ckeditor/skins/moono/icons.png
VBV-18831 - Regression: CKEditor icons do not show in Responsive.
VBV-18811 - Password displayed in plain text in error
VBV-18802 - Incomplete table in payment test communication page
VBV-18752 - Date Filter on Moderator Log does not work properly.
VBV-18642 - Can't see attached photos on the edit form
All resolved issues can be viewed in the Bug Genie Roadmap.
[h=2]Suspect File Diagnostics[/h]
From time to time, we determine that a specific file within the vBulletin System is no longer useful. Either its functionality has been refactored into other files or the functionality simply isn't used anymore. Due to the standard method of upgrading vBulletin, these unnecessary files can accumulate on your server. It is recommended that you run the Suspect File Diagnostics tool after upgrading to list these files. The tool will list them as "Not part of vBulletin.
[h=2]PHP Support[/h]
Due to upcoming changes in the PHP Support Cycle, we recommend that customers upgrade to PHP 7.1 or higher as soon as possible.PHP 5.6 - PHP 5.6 will reach End of Life status on December 31st, We will be dropping support for PHP 5.6.X with the release of vBulletin 5.5.0. This coincides with the end of life status of PHP 5.6.X.
PHP 7.0 - PHP 7.0 will reach End of Life status on December 3rd, 2018. As such, we will be dropping support for this version in vBulletin 5.5.0.
PHP 7.3 - vBulletin 5.4.5 and higher supports PHP 7.3. If you encounter any issues on this version of PHP, please create a new bug report.
[h=2]System Requirements[/h]
Minimum PHP Version: 5.6.30
Minimum MySQL Version: 5.5.8
Recommended PHP Version: 7.1 or higher
Recommended MySQL Version: 5.7.7 or higher
Recommended MariaDB Version: 10+
[h=2]Current Version Support Schedule[/h]
All customers are encouraged to upgrade to the latest version.Active Version - 5.4.4
Security Patch - 5.4.3
Security Patch - 5.4.2
No Patch Release - 5.4.1 or earlier.
[h=2]Discussion[/h]
If you have any questions about these changes you may discuss them here: 4400636
If you find an issue with the software or wish to place a feature request please visit our tracker.
In order to receive support for your vBulletin Product please visit our community forums.
Read more (locally) ...
Thu, 18 Oct 2018 21:14:43 GMT |
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