Today, the Joomla project announced the immediate availability of Joomla 1.6 RC1 (download).
According to the press release at joomla.org, the team hopes this will be the only release candidate before a stable version. That remains to be seen.
There remains a lot of work before Joomla 1.6 is stable enough for a production site. Read on for more.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is still an evaluation version and is not intended for running a production site.
Security audit remains
Before the release of 1.6.0, the team will be performing a security audit of version 1.6. It is anticipated that there will be additional security fixes applied to version 1.6 RC1 before the release of 1.6.0.
For instance, there is an unresolved XSS security issue in the template manager which will need to be sorted out and fixed before the stable version is released.
Changes made to the SEF URLs this week
As far as I know, changes were made to important parts of the Joomla 1.6 package as late as this week. According to the tracker for Joomla 1.6 issues, the way SEF URLs work was changed on Dec 13th. Simply put, this relates to how Joomla builds URLs when you have a lot of nested categories.
From what I can understand, the new version of SEF URLs in Joomla 1.6 will include the last category only:
Before patch:
http://localhost/jbs/1-6/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/article-category-list/14-sample-data-articles/19-joomla/8-beginners
After patch:
http://localhost/jbs/1-6/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/article-category-list/8-beginners
I can't see that this change has been implemented into the RC1, though. I did some tests, and in the site I tested on, the category wasn't inserted into the URL at all. Don't have the time to do more tests. If you download and test RC1, please let me know your results in the comments below.
Number of files has increased compared to Joomla 1.5
An interesting thing: The actual number of files in the RC1 package has increased, when compared to Joomla 1.5.22. I was under the impression that Joomla 1.6 would have fewer files than 1.5, but this doesn't seem to be the case.
The total number of files (excluding the installation folder) have increased with 672.
See the below chart for more info:
| Total files | Installation files | Files without installation | Template files | Admin files | Package size |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joomla 1.6 RC1 | 5439 | 157 | 5282 | 611 | 2595 | 30,5 Mb |
| Joomla 1.5.22 | 4993 | 363 | 4610 | 691 | 1350 | 28,1 Mb |
| Change | +446 | -206 | +672 | -90 | +1245 |
'My profile' page
I haven't seen this before, but I noticed there is now a "My profile" page which allows the logged in user to edit his or her login details, language and even their preferred Backend Template Style. There are two different Backend Template Styles in the current version: BlueStork (default) and Hathor.
The button for this view is found in the administrator control panel, as well as under the administrator 'Site' menu (Edit profile)
.
Bug fixes
Since the Joomla 1.6 beta 15 release on 29 November, the team has fixed approximately 121 issues in the tracker. They have closed an additional 46 tracker issues.
At the present time, there are no High or Medium High issues in the tracker, which they claim is the reason why they are able to release 1.6 Release Candidate 1.
I have written about the challenges of Joomla 1.6 bug fixing before. These factors still apply.
It will be interesting to see how this version performs, and if it's really a Release Candidate. Perhaps it should have been another beta? It remains to be seen.
Change log for Joomla 1.6 RC1
1.6.0 RC1 Release [14-Dec-2010]
14-Dec-2010 Mark Dexter
+ [#23750] Update of old core layouts in Milky Way (Elin Waring & Jennifer Marriott)
# Reverting [#23697] since it causes problems in Menu Item edit. Re-opening issue.
# [#23754] Security issue - Templates Manager: Edit Style --> Advanced Options
14-Dec-2010 Ian MacLennan
# [#23373] Make decision and implement changes to URL structure
# [#23764] Search Results have issues with SEF (Error: 500)
14-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
# [#23771] RTL header display issue (bluestork) + same in admin
14-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#23770] unit test are not working on JLanguage since commit on [#23407]
# [#23749] User with core.admin but not core.manage in com_messages can be selected as recipient of messages (Rouven We?üling)
13-Dec-2010 Ian MacLennan
# [#22751] errors in javascript form validation and combobox.js
13-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# adding a jimport in uri.php (it uses JString::parse_url)
# [#23407] Add option which day should be the first day of the week (Dennis Hermatski)
# [#23748] languagefilter causes double content on www.example.com/ and www.example.com/en/ (Mark Visser)
13-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
$# [#23747] Fix UI for blog layouts. Thanks Elin.
# Fixing some hardcoded colons
$ Normalizing some language strings, Correcting typos.
13-Dec-2010 Mark Dexter
# [#23377] Version information disclosure in joomla.xml
# Sample data fixes (Elin Waring)
# Better fix for installation error with [#23745] (Sam Moffatt)
12-Dec-2010 Mark Dexter
# [#23741] Menu -> Content -> Featured Articles gives error 500
^ [#22758] Controlling module parameters for <jdoc:include type="module" /> (Dennis Hermatski)
# [#22531] Private Message recipient not checking for backend access
^ [#23745] Add a system plugin event called onBeforeCompileHead (Louis Landry)
# [#23737] Number of list results not taken into account on listing view
# [#22097] Records in #__session aren't deleted after user's logout; Joomla checks #__session too often (Dennis Hermatski)
# [#21138] Article manager - no filter on created by (Roland Dalmulder)
# [#23728] Content of the mail from is not retained if an error occurs
# [#23725] Duplicate contradicting messages on send mail error
# [#23696] Menus creation fail with 1.5-style menus metadata: using SimpleXMLElement attributes missing (string) typecast (Beat)
# [#23697] Menus with default view have a view=(empty) in URL and are missing other defined attributes and 1.5-type-menu-metada does not display menu type correctly in backend (Beat)
# Fix up error trying to run installation with [#23745]
12-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# Checking the table when copy a menu item (missing in [#23721])
# [#23740] *RTL menu display issue in beez 2.0 (Jean-Marie Simonet)
12-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
# [#23721] SEF-URLs with mod_rewrite is not working for certain menu-aliases. Thanks Christophe.
# [#23723] Various RTL issues with single contact display with Beez2. Thanks Iztik and Andrea.
# [#23729] List Contacts in Category missing ID column of table on front-end. Thanks Bill.
# [#23730] Backend - 500 an error has occurred when sorting an empty contact list. Thanks Bill.
11-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
# [#23715] Add Site Name to Page Title not working for articles/newsfeeds/weblinks selected via a category. Thanks Mark
11-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#23720] *Changing Home set to ALL languages to another language and reverting = 500 + unpublish message
# [#22648] function isCompatible incorrectly checks current version (Mark Dexter)
# [#23498] Use Mootools Build-In Cookie Class in hide.js (Rouven We?üling)
# [#23196] Articles created in front end have no rules saved in asset table* (Mark Dexter)
# [#23480] Addition of missing handler parameter for JHTML modal behavior and fullScreen capability (Omar Ramos)
# [#23424] Minor improvements to md_stylechanger.js (Rouven We?üling)
# [#23719] Single Newsfeed SEF urls don't contain alias (Elin Waring)
# [#23708] backend - missing RTL css definition for backloggedin-users (Andrea Tarr)
# [#23372] Make Title in Read more button optional (bill richardson)
# [#23707] Missing option to translate accordion section headers in backend main page
# [#23291] Improve JBrowser (Rouven We?üling)
10-Dec-2010 Mark Dexter
^ [#22730] Assign usergroup to guests (Dennis Hermacki)
10-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#23589] mod_latestnews ignores "show featured" setting
10-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
# [#23710] Improve fieldset input CSS definition for RTL language. Thanks Itzik and Andrea.
# [#23709] add new article - missing RTL css definition for editor article button. Thanks Itzik and Andrea.
# [#23711] Allowing default text to be translatable in form fields. Thanks Christophe
$- [#22091] Global configuration System: help server string updated. helpsites-15.xml deleted. helpsites-16.xml updated.
# [#23714] Misc Hathor css fixes. Thanks Andrea.
$ [#23713] "User Manager: Edit Access Level" has some small errors. Thanks Peter and Bill.
$ [#23712] "User Manager: Add New View Permission Level" label is not logical. Thanks Peter and Bill
09-Dec-2010 Mark Dexter
# [#23695] Apply patch 23034 to contacts and newsfeeds
# [#23690] Fullpath disclosure in template error files
09-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#22725] Update Manager Fails (Dennis Hermacki)
# [#23700] Lang switcher is redirecting users to home page depending of languages when lang filter is off + SEF plugin is doing some work when SEF is OFF
# [#23702] Javascript out of sync between normal and uncompressed file (Rouven We?üling)
09-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
[#23671] some Chinese glyphs break SEF when using unicode urls. Thanks Mark.
08-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
# [#23677] RTL header issue in Bluestork. Thanks Andrea.
08-Dec-2010 Mark Dexter
# [#21207] Joomla 1.6 Beta 6 - not assigned to groups when via LDAP login. (Elin Waring)
# [#23441] *Fatal error when saving a weblink from the new icon in a weblink category list
# [#22992] Unpublished articles are still shown in user profile
# [#22958] CSS class and id changes (cont'd) (Andrea Tarr)
# [#22955] Upgrading plugin using method="upgrade" does not remove files omitted from xml (Sam Moffatt)
07-Dec-2010 Mark Dexter
# [#22957] Upgrading a template that uses method="upgrade" removes manually added files
# [#22682] Users without edit state can change date on screen via the calendar
# [#23366] Remove special treatment for Konqueror with regard to minified javascript (Rouven We?üling)
07-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
[#23666] Attempting to log in with a non-existent account get's "Username and password do not match" message. Thanks Matt and Bill.
07-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
+ Adding an index.html file
# [#23663] Some modules does not load the jmodel class before using it
# [#23639] JFormValidator and disabled Elements (Reinhard Hiebl)
# [#23654] Com_categories don't save the params when a section is specified (Jonnathan S. Lima)
06-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#23660] The menu system does not use attributes in metadata.xml files
# [#23227] JArrayHelper::fromObject doesnt work if the object contain an array of objects
06-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
# [#23288] instances of ® should be html encoded. Thanks Bill.
#$ Normalizing/implementing Submit/Save success strings/code for articles/weblinks in front-end
# [#23651] Save failed with the following error: Another article from this category has the same alias. Thanks Mark.
# [#23034] Article title tag is using menu title instead of article title. Thanks Mark.
# [#23622] Hathor clean up of CSS and parameters, plus file reduction. Thanks Andrea.
05-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
# [#23604] Can't load twice the same loadposition on same page. Thanks Christophe.
05-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#23474] Script code injected into module edit screen for menu assignment does not validate. (bill richardson)
# [#23653] Differences between uncompressed and normal JS files (Rouven We?üling)
# [#23606] Saving Profile changes generates two php warning messages (Elin Waring)
04-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#23436] Cannot utilize more than one spacer field type in component config.xml
# Omitting of commit in [#22606]
04-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
$ Adding missing ini string
#$ Adding Phnom Penh in time zones. Updating xx-XX.ini(s)
# Missing file in [#23016] breaks global config when debug on
# [#23649] Langfilter home page and user site language. Thanks Christophe.
03-Dec-2010 Ian MacLennan
# [#23016] Use minified/uncompressed files for more Scripts (Rouven We?üling)
03-Dec-2010 Mark Dexter
# [#23133] Back end edit screens need ACL
# [#23562] Categories & Menus Batch ACL checks missing
# [#23554] Alternative layout example (Elin Waring)
# [#23558] Customer Group cannot save article from category list
# [#23590] Clean up commented code in weblinks (Elin Waring)
# [#23169] Remove the border and frameborder attributes. (Rouven We?üling)
# [#21765] Codemirror doesn't work with XHTML is served with an XML MIME type (Rouven We?üling)
# [#22664] Issue with displayed records after change of filters
# [#23599] Add a tooltip that a password needs to have at least 4 characters.
03-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#22033] Apostrophe du mode hors ligne
# [#23568] Media field needs to cope with com_media ACL
# [#23433] Skip the automaticall loading of plugin language file
# [#22606] Unable to create several groups with the same name
03-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
$ Modifications of the installation ini files.
# [#22351] component messages - my settings wrong display. Thanks Andrea.
# [#23635] "Debug Permissions Report" buttons improvement. Thanks Dennis.
# [#23636] Invalid using of JLIB_APPLICATION_ERROR_UNHELD_ID. Thanks Dennis.
# [#23608] Sort by user group 500 error. Thanks Mark. Temporary fix.
# [#23492] Aria-invalid missing on some invalid inputs. Thanks Andrea.
02-Dec-2010 Mark Dexter
# Typo in language file
02-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#23615] Implementing tooltip for the filters settings in Content Options (Jean-Marie Simonet)
# [#23607] Profile fields not displaying in profile form. (Elin Waring)
# [#23611] The extension manager does *not* display messages when uninstalling
02-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
# [#23605] Adding the string Select in the batch dropdowns
# [#23587] com_content archive template produces invalid markup. Thanks Bill.
# [#23613] Adding a tooltip to Select access levels in the batch layouts
01-Dec-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#23581] Component installer does not use the key from the menu tag
# [#23534] Method signatures don't match causing PHP strict errors - Features model populateState (Ian MacLennan)
# [#23533] Method signatures don't match causing PHP strict errors - articles model populate state (Ian MacLennan)
01-Dec-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
$^ Enabling custom translation of types in installer messages
# [#23602] Login redirect form does not redirect to the return parameter passed as GET parameter. Thanks Christophe.
# [#22039] Using loadposition to load an articles category module returns Fatal error on front. Thanks Angie.
$ [#23598] The word "warning" cannot be translated. + ordered some strings and updated xx-XX.ini
# [#23586] Discovering of plugins by the extension manager consider them as installed. Thanks Christophe.
$ [#23585] Correct Batch Menu Copy/Move Label. Thanks Michael
30-Nov-2010 Christophe Demko
# [#23532] Strict errors - issues with JCacheController (Ian MacLennan)
# [#23537] Method signatures don't match causing PHP strict errors - JRouter (Ian MacLennan)
# [#23536] Method signatures don't match causing PHP strict errors - JDate (Ian MacLennan)
# [#23535] Method signatures don't match causing PHP strict errors - articles model get items (Ian MacLennan)
# [#23580] 500 Errors going to Article Manager in Hathor (Andrea Tarr)
30-Nov-2010 Jean-Marie Simonet
# Updating JLanguageTest
# Corrected JArrayHelperTest unicode corruption
# [#23569] When adding a form as plugin into article "JLIB_APPLICATION_ERROR_UNHELD_ID" is thrown. Thanks Mark.
# [#23439] redundant code in components/com_weblinks/controllers/weblink.php. Thanks Bill.