What's new in 1.0.0b6

If you thought the unusually long lag between 1.0.0b5 and 1.0.0b6 was a sign a lot had happened; you would be right. As the date for the stable release of Theia (currently hoped for on Jan. 23 2010) draws closer, many of the things changed with the latest version of Theia are about standardization - in all senses (not just web standards, but how CSS class, module and function names are written, etc.). Another major aspect of Theia that is "rapidly evolving" is the presence of module-based CSS files. This means two major things: 1) Theia will NOT use or rely on HTML template files, but instead a pure CSS layout and appearance, and 2) hundreds of new CSS classes are being added (thankfully, on a modul-basis), which means virtually everything will be contained and configurable in appearance with only CSS. Since areas of content can be placed anywhere you like in CSS, or hidden completely, it seems silly to burden development with an extra, unnecessary layer (being individual HTML template files for each area). Because of this, it means many additional CSS files are now included in the package (for the default theme that comes along), and by the time the stable release of 1.0.0 is out, there will be many more included. Theme Management Improved CSS management tool makes updating and customizing themes a whole lot easier, with a more dynamic interface. The "Missing CSS Classes" pane is much more discriminant at determining if one of your style sheets is missing any CSS classes they should have. The "Missing CSS Classes" pane can also be minimized from display - and will remain that way on subsequent use of the file editor Easily add additional (perhaps missing) CSS files through the interface, which is great for people who want an easy way to update to Theia, while retaining their original styles, or people who add plug-ins into Theia Calendar Integrated with the clubs module, so that clubs can have their own schedules of events Improved flexibility with appearance Dynamic display of events with jquery integration RSVP feature: request a response from other members to determine if they will participate in an event Clubs Easily and instantly search through all the clubs Integration with calendar module so each club can have its own schedule of events Added categories make organization possible Customize the entire layout and appearance of the club's homepage using a WYSIWYG editor Upload a custom logo for each club (or use pre-installed icons) Improved flexibility and interface for adding sections to a club (unlimited sections of any allowed types, and multiple sections of the same types) Rate clubs using the newly added rating system A "wall" for each club so members of that club can write whatever is on their mind (using a WYSIWYG editor) Tag clubs individually to improve their SEO and their prevalence in Theia's search tools Other things worth mentioning Customize the destination URL for members upon logging in All groups of admin tools can now be minimized and will remain that way for your session Members can now enter their first and last names Login now works using your email address OR your username Admin tool for disabling/enabling the control panel Admin tool for controlling reserved usernames Admin tools for controlling comment/rating configurations (allowing you to plug-in your own code with a unique type ID) Graphs added covering how many clicks you've been sending into the site (part of the affiliate program which is still in the works) There have also been hundreds of little fixes, optimizations and improvements. For a complete list of all changes and fixes, see out development history [ comments | leave a comment ]

posted on: Monday - 22:11 - 28 December 2009 · posted by: Lev

Slight delay (again) with 1.0.0b6

I apologize for not releasing it yesterday (on Christmas). I had worked a huge amount of time on it, but I had realized after much work, that so many things had been added that I needed a bit more time to get the installer and default options setup for people updating. Most of it is done now.. Dare I say all I can think of. I'm going to try to perform an update on a live site (TT) either tonight or tomorrow. It will be out tomorrow (Sunday) for sure! [ comments | leave a comment ]

posted on: Saturday - 16:54 - 26 December 2009 · posted by: Lev

Theia 1.0.0b6 release info

The sixth (and probably last) beta of Theia will be released Christmas day - December 15th, 2009. This update will include countless new features and improvements, and a whole lot more flexibility with the design, with the introduction of hundreds of new CSS classes. Obviously, since this has been the longest gap between releases, the number of features added will also reflect that. There are huge improvements to the clubs, to the calendar, to theme management, and the overall accessibility - to name a few. Expect some new videos in the coming days showcasing many of the improvements. I am aiming for a "stable" release of Theia 1.0.0 on January 23rd, 2010 (the 10 year anniversary of TT - the site that started it all). With the stable release will also come a new license which will provide more freedom in how you can use and even sell Theia! [ comments | leave a comment ]

posted on: Tuesday - 16:16 - 22 December 2009 · posted by: Lev

Theia 1.0.0b6 (and stable) delayed! :(

Unfortunately, the next release of Theia, which has been slated for a release on Halloween is going to be delayed. This also means that the stable release of Theia also will not make it on Christmas time. I've been incredibly busy with custom development projects and have had very little time to put into the planned improvements. Many of the projects I've been taking on have ended up turning into a lot more work than was originally anticipated, so I've been left with little (if any) free time. Hopefully this delay will just be a month - meaning the next beta release should come out November 31st instead, and instead of a December 25th release for the stable, I'm aiming for January 23 (the 10 year anniversary of Tainted Thoughts - the site that started it all). On the bright side, a lot of other interface improvements will be added which haven't been mentioned quite yet! My apologies to anyone who had been anticipating the release this Halloween, as it simply cannot happen by then any longer. I'll be sure to keep you posted as things become more clear. [ comments | leave a comment ]

posted on: Wednesday - 16:28 - 28 October 2009 · posted by: Lev

More freedom with Theia on the way

I don't know how many of you have read the current license, but there are a couple of limitations on the modification/distribution of Theia. Namely these two things: 1) you can't remove the powered by notice 2) you can't include portions of Theia in any commercial product Anyhow, I intend on switching to a more mainstream license when the stable release of Theia comes out (slated for December 25th, 2009). Thus, these two previous limitations will be gone! I am fully aware that by most definitions of "open source", it is implied that you retain the ability to sell derived works and so forth (something that the current license doesn't permit). This will no longer be an issue in a couple months from now! When the stable version of Theia is available, you WILL be able to resell Theia, and any derived works you produce from it. I've hesitated to do this for a couple reasons, and one of the most crucial has been because it would prevent me from enforcing a "no removal of the powered-by policy". I originally wanted to charge a $100 fee to remove this notice, but I have decided that I will let this go, and let people do whatever they want. I am hoping that the new license, which will guarantee more freedom, will entice folks to get involved in developing forked projects from Theia, and to simply provide the end-user with a greater satisfaction of what they can do with Theia. Yes, I am still very concerned with turning a profit, since I have now made SikoSoft my livilihood. Obviously, I will start to turn to encouraging donations a bit more, since I will be drawing a line through one of the recent ideas I had to generate revenue. That and I figure that if the project is big enough, and has enough support of a community behind it, that this will generally mean: more users = more changes someone will purchase priority support. Well, here's hoping! [ comments | leave a comment ]

posted on: Wednesday - 12:07 - 30 September 2009 · posted by: Lev