UNA 13 "Polaris" Released

Polaris, named after the North Star, symbolizes direction and guidance. When we announced the first Alpha release on November 21, we expected it to be the first part of a two-step cycle. At the time, it was primarily focused on UI overhaul, implementing TailwindCSS to style templates, and introducing new UX patterns.

Now, 18 months later, we have the biggest feature update we've ever had. We've added six new modules, a new base template, and hundreds of improvements. Most notably, in v13, we've done more housekeeping than ever before: performance, security, accessibility - all the boring stuff that's often overlooked, but so important.

But why "Polaris"? Those of you with keen eyes may have noticed the API overhaul and a handful of new options in Studio, pointing towards a certain "app." That's the groundwork for something even bigger we're working on - by far the most ambitious undertaking we've ever attempted. It's coming!

What's new in UNA 13 Polaris

*compared to UNA 12 Antares

• Artificer Template

The new UNA default template, taking advantage of the TailwindCSS framework.

• Streams

A content module that enables live streaming capabilities for community engagement.

• Help Tours

A step-by-step tour used to guide new members the first time they login to a UNA site.

• Donations

Donate money to the site as a one time donation or recurring donations.

• Attendant

Shows a popup to newly joined members with a list of featured groups, spaces, channels, events, organizations, and/or people that can be followed.

• Xero.com service integration

Generate invoices Xero invoices for payments processed in UNA.

• Marker.io service integration

An integration used for debugging, connected directly to Github. Users can report issues directly from the site to the connected repository.

System enhancements:

• Quill editor was added instead of TinyMCE as default system editor #3252 #4022 #3670 #3612 #3797 #3826 #3783 #3959 #3955 #3957 #3952 #4203
• Age rating (PG, PG13, R) for content #1430
• Embeds for all content types #1339
• User friendly URLs (SEO) #1091
• Canonical URL metatag to every possible page (SEO) #3504
• Filepond uploader integration instead of existing one #3509
• Standalone system Embeds provider #2773
• More extended permissions control for Roles in group based modules #3332
• Help links for form fields and blocks #3385
• Page blocks cache #3369
• Admin dashboard improvements #3252
• Reports Dashboard enhancements #3508 #3496
• Audit enhancements #3502
• Admin notes for different content #3283
• Hashtag autosuggestion #1970
• Allow to edit 'author' field by admin/moderator #1678
• Separate membership action to 'delete all content' #3269
• New block with site submenu #3524
• New block with followed groups in short format #3468
• New block with smaller cover for profile and group based modules (helpful when cover is disabled) #3510
• New block with Multi-categories in context #3377
• New block similar to current Profile Stats block #3467
• Updated "Author" block #2918
• New setting to lock site for guests #3750
• New setting to disable covers for whole site #3528
• New setting to optionally trust unsigned certificates or not verified hosts #3532
• New settings for password expiration #4058
• New setting to choose active Tailwind build #4170
• New setting to normalize geographic names in location field #4225
• New setting for fixed header #3817
• New setting to include Badge Count every push notification (performance) #3821
• New setting for CSS @media query #3837
• Settings reorganization #4075
• Comments: HTML5 uploader is now used instead of Simple one #3552
• Comments: Add a support for status filed #3676
• Comments: better preview for images #3618
• Comments: possibility to show commented users in descending order #4223
• Paginate improvements #3064
• Paginate in 'Viewed by' popup #3042
• Menus: allow to use inline SVG and Emoji in Icons #3530
• Menus: add possibility to mark a menu item as Primary #3514
• Menus: independent hierarchy(multilevel) #2637
• Performance: Pause some JS when page isn't in focus #3673
• Performance: Cache for menu badges #3945
• Performance improvements #4143
• Logging for transcoder which should help to identify issues with transcoding #3544
• Logging for DB errors #3703
• Emoji are now used in reactions #3535
• New Date and DateTime picker #3659
• Application page type #3657
• Transcoding queue now checks if video is really processing, before process could be just ended unexpectedly and stayed in the queue (works in linux only) #3546
• Cron job is now recording last run time, how long did it take, how much memory to run for each cron job and logger #3268
• Badges improvements #3254
• Location enhancements #3486 #3520
• Search by location enhancements #3284
• Updated Login and Join pages #3555
• New page layouts #3554 #3281
• Remove Account menu item was moved to main submenu instead of More menu #3548
• Composer is now used for plugins installation and update #3488
• Accounts pruning #2021
• Docker compose file for development environment #3744
• Ability to use custom CSS class for page block #3716
• Audit: track logout, login, and failed login attempts #3711
• Reorder control in uploaders when reordering is enabled #3699
• Account details were added to confirmation & forgot password letters #3696
• Visibility for menu items depending on column layout #3688
• Ability to select multiple membership levels for privacy field #3636
• Collapsable menu items #3625
• Prices formatting #3615
• Templates system: possibility to overwrite HTML templates from Base Modules in Template modules #3398
• Reset PHP Opcache when files are changed after system and modules updates #3359
• Primary index in every table #3262
• Sorting for adv search #3149
• Set Membership with time limit #3058
• Improved user experience in reactions #2948
• Simpler date inputs #2706
• Forms: if form has error then it's autoscrolled to the first element with the error #2388
• Cover enhancements (proportions, repositioning, hide) #2282
• SameSite attribute for sensitive cookies (security)
• Save collapsed state selected by the user in menus #3787
• Optional redirect to a profile page after switching to the profile #3774
• New page layout with 2:5:3 proportions in middle row #3767
• jQuery & jQuery UI were updated to latest versions #3889
• Logo displaying improvement #3877
• User's IP isn't stored anymore in track tables, hash is stored instead (privacy) #3847
• URL rewrite for page URI #3936
• Passwords history #3943
• Relationships enhancements #3922
• AddToAny share widget integration #4054
• Mention notification is now linking to content where possible #3995
• Pruning for _track tables #3989
• Account popup menu is now customizable in menu builder #4028
• CSRF tokens security improvements #4050
• Transcoders can work with SVG images now #4071
• Operators can now create profiles despite the limit #3993
• Page class in body element #4060
• Don't show loading indicator during ghosts loading in uploaders #4055
• Uploaders were improved #4145
• Preloaded forms in "Add new" block #4152
• Ask user confirmation before redirecting user to the external site #4121
• Templates structure was simplified #4157 #4144
• New apps icons #4096
• Webp image format support #4132
• Typography styles sitewide #4116
• Site icon interface revamp #4099
• Langs block in Studio Pages builder is now using HTML editor #4112
• Mentions are now links to content instead of search results in notification for comments #4111
• Sessions improvements #4109
• Responsive page layouts #4186
• No-data images were replaced with PNG images #4227
• Ability to switch between Icon/Emoji/Image based controls for reactions #4226
• Posting in context which is already posted in another context isn't allowed now #4212
• Session authentication (experimental) #4293

Modules Enhancements:

• Group based modules: pre-moderation #3732
• Group based modules: List/Cloud of hashtags in context #1661
• Group based modules: more items for "Snippet Meta Info" menu #3304
• Group based modules: don't allow to add pricing without any payments activated #4140
• Profile based modules: 'People you may know' block #3728
• Profile based modules: mutual friends counter in profile snippet meta menu #3724
• Profile based modules: new 'View Meta' menu in Cover on 'View Profile' page #3515
• Profile based modules: when profile isn't 'active' then any profile's content is hidden too #1689
• Text based modules: content pre-moderation #3282
• Text based module: Attach Link functionality #3391
• Analytics: make access to analytics page by membership action #3290
• Accounts: send custom mail to selected accounts for admins #2933
• Accounts: 'Last Activity' field was added #4127
• Ads: Auto-decline offers after N hours #3602
• Ads: better integration with Notifications #3573
• Ads: New marketplace related features #3265
• Ads: 'Make Offer' ACL action #3905
• Albums: ability to rearrange and move items between albums was added #2754
• Albums: ability to delete image from view media page #3083
• Albums: possibility to report media #3677
• Antispam: toxicity filters #3675
• Artificer: Light/Dark mode switcher as dropdown popup #3815
• Artificer: option to enable only one color scheme #4040
• Credits: possibility for common users to Send their credits #3714
• Credits: Improve withdraw process #3777
• Credits: improvements #4113 #4138
• Credits: description field for a bundle #4311
• Discussion: enhancement #3588
• Events: card view in Calendar when the "Day" tab is selected #3525
• Events: export to iCal #3861
• Events: option to allow to follow without join #4053
• Events: calendar is now shown for non recurring events #4052
• Events: event reminders are sending internal notifications now #4039
• Events: option to disable join for past events #4133
• Forum: "partaken" now shows content from contexts #4056
• Forum: updated gallery view #4009
• Forum: pinned and locked posts are now visualised #4232
• Help Tours: design adjustment #4213
• Invitations: permissions check and counter #3059
• Invitations: clean emails list after invitations were sent #4044
• Massmailer: default sorting now shows newer campaigns at the top #4035
• Notifications: speed up cron (performance) #3270
• Notifications: use relative URLs in compiled notification content #4011
• Notifications: possibility to group notifications #4008
• Notifications: notification for comments in content that you have commented too #3985
• Notifications: "clicked" indicator #3853
• Organizations: invitations like the other group based modules #4019
• Paid Levels: Add an option to immediately start newly purchased level #4092
• Payments: Stripe V3 now allows one-time payments without pre-created plans in Stripe #3534
• Payments: ability to use One-Time payments in Chargebee integration #3709
• Payments: Add Tax support in Stripe V3 #3597
• Payments: Show current currency in create product, pricing plan, etc forms #3342
• Payments: multi-currency #4090
• Payments: support for addons in Stripe integration #4088
• Persons: "Last Name" field (disabled by default) #3660
• Polls: image marked as "header image" is now displayed in polls browsing #3479
• SMTP Mailer: test mode #4017
• Streams: recording #3637
• Streams: authentication for Nginx #3608
• Streams: option to mute player by default #3907
• Streams: don't autoplay streams in embeds #4091
• Timeline: images aren't cut by "See more" #3723
• Timeline: settings for Hot feed #3717 #3611
• Timeline: Dynamic browsing mode #3583
• Timeline: ability to attach files #3445
• Timeline: ability to navigate between pics in pop-up #3043
• Timeline: repost with text #702
• Timeline: repost into different context #1931
• Timeline: new option to control videos preload #3505
• Timeline: Album preview now shows all images in bigger format #3553
• Timeline: Improvements for Feeds and Sharing logic (continue) #2524
• Timeline: possibility to sort by unread status #4068
• Timeline: possibility to sort by last comment #4067
• Timeline: 'Hide instead of Remove' new option #4043
• Timeline: new setting to control title's length #4013
• Timeline: repost notification #3986
• Timeline: responsive images #4156
• Timeline: sorting by 'unread' #4115
• Timeline: option to disable multi auto attach for links #4176
• Videos: allow to post video embeds #1858
• Wiki: new layout for wiki pages #3685
• Wiki: ability to insert images #3613
• Wiki: markdown editor, import #2615

+ Over 200 bug-fixes.

IMPORTANT:

• Requirements were changed, minimal required PHP version is 7.4 now
• Some date/datetime fields were changed, so it maybe some differences in date/datetime displaying comparing to previous values. Affected modules: Classes (start and due dates), Events (publishing time), Posts (publishing time), Tasks (publishing time), Timeline (date & publishing time)