RavenNuke2:Release Notes for 2.50.00

RavenNuke™ version 2.50.00 contains a number of significant enhancements to core functions, modules, blocks, themes, languages and user management. Please see the full Change Log on-line or within the package download to see all that was modified.

Core

• Upgraded TegoNuke™ Mailer to current version with current SwiftMailer, improved error handling, more transport options, debugging & ability to configure message priority & bounced email address.
• Upgraded Shortlinks to current version.
• Upgraded all Javascript / jQuery libraries and plugins to current versions.
• Modified database interaction to use mysqli and prepared statements for better performance.
• Enhanced filtering and escaping of block data for consistent performance and compliance.
• Added a standard approach for module admin authentication.

Modules

• Replaced News module with Tricked Out News, which includes single / dual column news, nukeSEO Social Bookmarks with CSS Sprites, article page ads, Disqus comment integration, tag clouds and more.
• Replaced Downloads module with TegoNuke™ Downloads (formerly NukeScripts Group Downloads).
• Upgraded HTML Newsletter to current version.
• Added sub forums to Forums module.

Blocks

• Enhanced the User Info Block.
• Various Block Functionality and Styling Improvements.
  • HTML Lists and Default Styling: Many blocks converted to use unordered <ul> and ordered <ol> lists.
  • Unique ID's: Generate unique CSS ID's that can be associated with specific blocks, also used to add a link for admins to edit each block from within the block.
  • Additional Block Position: Added an additional block position of Center Top (above msg)
  • Positional Awareness: Added "Positional Awareness" so that blocks can adjust their layouts or JavaScript functionality depending on position.

Themes

• Added a theme manager with theme previews to site administration.
• Added link the theme manager in nukeNAV™.
• Added the RickTido theme.
• Improved Default CSS Styling.

Languages

• Added Norwegian language files.
• Added a standard function to create language drop-down menus.

Users

• Added links to the Your Account profile from and nofollow tags to link in the Members List module.
• Enabled admins to identify users who are approved but not yet activated (see description and screenshots below).
• Enabled all default user attributes (except user name and email address) to be required / optional during or after registration.
• Added a warning on the user registration page if Javascript is not enabled.

Approved, but not yet activated users

Many sites require new users to "apply" for registration by filling out a registration form. The configuration steps for this are included in the Administrative Control Panel for "Edit Users" -- otherwise known as RavenNuke™ Your Account. If the administrator requires administrative approval and indicates that the site can send email then the user will receive an activation email with an activation link in it. This assures that the user does have a valid email address and reduces, somewhat, the likelihood that the account will be used for SPAM. Before RavenNuke™ version 2.50.00 there was no way for an administrator to determine, except by careful record keeping, whether a user was waiting administrative approval or waiting activation. And, in the case of multiple administrators, each approving applications, even careful record keeping could fall short.

As of RavenNuke™ version 2.50.00, we have added the capability to automatically distinguish between new users who have applied for an account and are "waiting approval" and those who have been approved but are waiting activation. On the waiting users tab of the RNYA administration screen you will see one of the two following screens depending on whether the user is waiting approval or waiting activation.

In addition, if you activate the administration block, in the waiting content area you will be able to move your mouse over the waiting users line and see the number of users waiting activation versus the number waiting approval.