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Do you have a cool technique, idea or approach to building EE sites that you would like to share with the community? You can publish your short article here on EE Insider.
While I’m regularly reaching out privately to people I think could write great articles for EE Insider, I have neglected to mention it here often enough. For the last 2 1/2 years I have been publishing ExpressionEngine how-to articles. I am always looking for more articles and for the last year and a half I have been paying $100 for every article published. You can get full credit, a bio on the page and you get paid.
There are some classics like Securing ExpressionEngine 2 (which resulted in Mark’s popular ebook of the same name), Matt Weinberg’s Multi-server Setup for EE2 and Erik Reagan’s The Dreaded Documentation.
Interested in writing and have an idea? Contact me and let’s get started!
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A few critical bug fixes have been rolled into EE 2.2 and are available as part of the download. The fixes address the broken url_title_path, Publish Layouts in IE8 and the upgrade problem if you don’t have the Comments module installed.
If you’ve already upgraded to or installed EE 2.2, you should re-download it from the EE website and update the four files listed in this forum post by Robin Sowell.
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A small but important detail request by Mike Boyink:
@ellislab @jmathias Can the build # be put right next to the Version # in the CP footer, so I can copy it all at once for support? #eecms
Yep, I’ve had the same problem before, too.
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The EE Podcast relaunches today with a live show at 1 PM EDT. The first show back will include the unveiling of the Lea’s new co-host.
You can and should listen live!
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Update: This has been disabled in EE 2.2.1. A welcome change!
The release notes for ExpressionEngine 2.2 include this item:
Turned on Show SQL Queries and Template Debugging by default in a new installation.
This change is a mistake. New users to EE don’t need confusing debugging output cluttering up their experience of EE2. Heck, no one does unless they turn it on.
I haven’t had a chance yet to ask EllisLab what the thinking behind this change was (maybe they’ll say in the comment thread) but I’m sure it was intended to be helpful. To me, however, it feels like a developer-centric view of the ExpressionEngine experience (don’t forget that EE appeals to designers because of its simple template language). I wonder what the use case is for this change.
One thing I can appreciate is that sometimes you want to have a debug or development mode for ExpressionEngine if, for example, you’re working on a custom add-on or just want a sandbox to test code. One idea (and it may be a bad one; I’ll let you decide) is to have an option in the installation process to install in “Development Mode,” which turns on all debugging and perhaps a few other features.
Turning on debug output for every new installation, however, is less than ideal.
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There have been a handful of bugs in EE 2.2 reported today, so I encourage everyone to check the bug tracker first before upgrading.
Update: This bug has been fixed in the current download of EE 2.2.
One bug that may be an issue for a lot of people (including me) is url_title_path variable broken bug reported by Parscale Media. There hasn’t been any response from EllisLab on this yet but I’m certain they’ll get it fixed and rolled into a bug fix build release.
As always, you should be only doing upgrades on your live sites after backing up and fully testing the upgrade in a separate environment (like localhost or a development server). I put together a video tutorial on upgrading ExpressionEngine, which walks you through all of the steps of upgrading to a build or a new version.
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If you don’t have the comment module installed and you try to upgrade to EE 2.2 you may run into a problem. As reported on Twitter, the update script assumes you have the module installs and fails when trying to run the database update.
@ellislab The update script relies on users having installed the Comment module from the beginning. Broke my update… Not good. #eecms
EllisLab is on top of it and addressing the issue:
@noahkuhn we’re fixing that right now. Were you just unable to update? What all is “broke”? We want to be sure to help.
So if you don’t have the Comment Module installed, you might want to hold off until EllisLab issues a fix. I would recommend watching their Twitter feed for the latest information on any issues and fixes that might arise.
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A few moments ago, EllisLab released ExpressionEngine 2.2, the first major point release since EE 2.1 was made public last July.
Here’s a summary:
This is a major release and brings improvements on a number of fronts: a new file module (and related enhancements), speed/code optimization, a developer friendly authorization library, 180+ bug fixes, CP user experience tweaks, and improved documentation. This is a recommended upgrade for all ExpressionEngine installations.
It also includes the revamped File Manager and the new File Module, which allows you to display information in your template about the files you uploaded into your File Upload Directories.
You can read the entire change log if you want an itemized, detailed view of what has changed, been added or fixed.
All in all this isn’t a huge feature release but an important first step in making EE2 an even better product.
Read the official announcement for all of the details: ExpressionEngine 2.2 Released!
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A new add-on, FG Location, from the fine folks at Feisty Goat (referred to as “the goats”) allows you to easily include Gowalla or Foursquare check-ins right in your ExpressionEngine templates.
The goats are huge fans of Gowalla and Foursquare so we decided to unleash an ExpressionEngine 2 add-on that displays information about a user’s last checkin-in. Originally conceived and developed for one of our personal sites, we decided to make it into a full blown commercial add-on. To make this magic work once installed, all you need is a username for Gowalla, or the private RSS feed for Foursquare. Pretty easy lemon squeezy.
There are template variables for just about everything you’ll need, like location name, city, state, coordinates, google map information and more.
The add-on costs only $5 and is available from Devot:ee. I am told by my sources that no goats were harmed in the making of this add-on.
Read their entire write-up: Feisty Goat Presents FG Location
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Elivan Zoeren created a spam blocking extension for EE2 that uses the Bad Behavior script to weed out spam submissions. In a clarification in the comments to his post, Elivan notes:
Bad Behavior works before Expression Engine starts generating the page, so spammers won’t be able to see your website at all. So it keeps them from spamming SafeCracker, FreeForm, EE contact forms, etc.
The Bad Behavior EE2 extension is free and available now: Bad Behavior for EE2
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Late last week DevDemon released Channel Images 5. This new version of their add-on that “simplifies use of images within ExpressionEngine entries,” boasts a bunch of new features, including Amazon s3 and CloudFiles support for uploading.
What is Channel Images?
Channel Images simplifies use of images within Expression Engine entries. With ExpressionEngine’s default install you must upload individual images one at a time to individual fields or worse embed them into your text fields. Channel Images removes this default process and simplifies image management.
Here’s a video DevDemon posted on the basics of Channel Images:
Channel Images costs $65 per site license.
Learn more about the add-on: Channel Images by Demon
Instructional Video
Don’t take a chance when upgrading to a new build or version of ExpressionEngine. Watch this free 16 minute video and follow along for best practices and documentation of the official upgrade steps.
The video covers three different parts of upgrading: Prepare, Update and Test. We talk about backing up your database and files, uploading a new version of EE2 and testing to make sure your site is working properly.
We took the official documentation for updating ExpressionEngine and turned it into an easily digestible video that you can always refer back to when it
Get the Video
Blog Entry
- Empty Channels (for EE2) by Ahmedeng
Easy and fast way to empty channels.
- SafeSharpener (for EE2) by Darren Miller (DM Logic)
Adds an additional layer of security to the SafeCracker module by restricting which fields can be posted on a per-member-group basis
- Crumbly ($, for EE2) by Stephen Lewis (Experience Internet)
Crumbly is the most powerful, most flexible ExpressionEngine breadcrumb manager on the market. Use it to add custom breadcrumbs to your website in minutes.
- Mobile (for EE2) by Wouter Vervloet (Baseworks)
Mobile allows you to serve up a completely different set of templates when your site is accessed on a mobile device. A simple and flexible solution without the need to redirect to a different URL.
- CT Admin ($, for EE2) by mithra62 (Eric Lamb)
CT Admin is an administrative interface for your CartThrob store. With CT Admin we hope to solve many of the problems CartThrob administrators have with managing their store. To start we’ve created a stand alone store management panel that allows for order and customer management as well as reporting and data export.
- Backup Pro ($, for EE2) by mithra62 (Eric Lamb)
Backup Pro is an advanced backup management module for EE 2.0 that allows administrators the ability to backup and restore their site’s database as well as backing up the entire file system. Both the files and database backups are compressed to save space and available for download.
- Smart Switch (for EE2) by DevDemon
Smart Switch allows full access to your ExpressionEngine website even if the website is switched off. This allows modules that use ExpressionEngine’s built in action (ACT) urls to still work. This makes life easier when developing a website that is shut off.
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The vote is in and…okay actually CCO of EllisLab James Mathias has prioritized (by frequency of request) and listed out what kind of changes the community is asking for.
Topping the list for interface changes is “more consistency across the CP.” For user experience changes, the most requested was “Main Navigational repair and rethink.” For feature requests, the top feature is a “Customizable homepage” (wow, really?).
Finally, there were two requests or suggestions for process improvement and those were “user testing” and “Feature/feedback voting.” I think the beta releases we’ve seen should help with the former and the blog post and follow-up by James is hopefully a sign of the latter.
Speaking of voting. James hopes to set up a voting system for the feedback he compiled so he can confirm that his priority list is correct. I hope we see that soon, as I think it’s a great step.
Let’s be honest: the EE2 control panel needs a lot of work and everyone has their own priorities. Some think it needs to step away from the jQuery buffet, others can’t stand the design and some others wish so much of it wasn’t just copied from the previous version of EE. Whatever camp you’re in, I think we can all agree that this public feedback-gathering, list-making and (hopefully soon to come) voting is a step in the right direction.
Read James’ entire blog post: Feedback Compiled
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The description says it all:
magine an online application using a channel with many fields. Some are suitable for submission from a Safecracker form and some are not (perhaps ‘admin notes’ or ‘store credits’. Could be anything). With SafeCracker in it’s current state, if the name of a sensitive field can be established, it can be updated by injecting a hidden field into the edit form. This amounts to, at best, Security through obscurity and at worst a gaping security hole.
If you have fields that you don’t want to ever be accessed via SafeCracker, you should either not put those fields in the custom field group at all or use something like SafeSharpener. The developer, Darren Miller, is asking that something similar to this be added into SafeCracker.
It’s a free add-on and available now at the SafeSharpener website.
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According to a tweet from EECI, there will be “around 25” more tickets released next Monday (June 20th) at 1 PM EDT.
There’s only one EECI conference this year and the ticket prices are affordable. Here’s your chance to get in while there’s more space available.
Get more information about the conference (including the speaker list) from the official conference website.
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Just released a short while ago, Crumbly (by Stephen Lewis of Experience Internet and developer of BucketList, Campaigner, etc), is a breadcrumb manager for ExpressionEngine 2.
I woke up this morning to an email from Stephen with a copy of the add-on, so I’ve had a chance to try it out. I installed and tested it on a local dev site (the Channel University site we build in my ExpressionEngine training videos). In short: it’s great and a nice take on managing breadcrumbs with ExpressionEngine.
Because you can set Crumbly up to use custom URL patterns, it can be configured to work with nearly every crazy EE website you’ve ever built. You can also set up custom labels for template groups and templates, so they each have their own specific breadcrumb name.
There’s a template tag pair available for displaying the breadcrumbs in your templates:
Crumbly’s template tag is super-easy to use. Just add it to your template, and you have instant, easy access to the target URL, segment, and label for every step along your breadcrumb path.
The add-on is available now and costs $45. Get all of the details: Crumbly by Experience Internet
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The Developer accessory by PutYourLightsOn (past advertiser here on EE Insider) allows you to “quickly access the most essential section of the control panel during site setup.
The extra menu items gives you easy access to the Template Manager, Customer Fields, Channels, Categories, Member Groups and more. If you get annoyed by having to click through so many menus and drop-downs during dev, this might be the thing for you.
The add-on is free: Developer
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On Twitter, Emily Heath noted:
It would be a real win if I remembered the name I’d given the new #eecms custom field after navigating away from the form though.
Emily, take a look at the great Template Variables accessory, which allows you to see all of your custom fields, snippets and global variables (with click and copy). Or you might want to try Simple Custom Feelds (but I haven’t used it before).
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