The latest JomSocial version (1.6) has just been released! Codenamed "Brillo", it is major upgrade from the previous 1.5. If you were impressed by the jump from JomSocial version 1.2 to 1.5, be prepared to be blown away by 1.6!
More information and screenshots after the break.
Take a minute to go through the CHANGELOG . The first thing that you will probably notice is the sheer volume of bug fixes - true to its mission of refining the JomSocial product.
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Bug fixes
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New features
What I really like amongst the new features are the API additions. Specifically:
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Added some predefined module position within the template
That's right, developers can now display modules right on JomSocial's homepage, without having to display Joomla's left or right module position. The next major upgrade for SIMGallery will include such a module for Latest Photos, to replace JomSocial's latest photos module.
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Added new onAfterProfileUpdate event trigger
Perhaps the most requested trigger ever, developers can now run functions when users update their profiles. Finally!
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Added onBeforeControllerCreate trigger
This is potentially the most massively powerful trigger. It allows any plugins to override the controller object creation with any other object type. To put it simply, plugins now have the ability to redraw or control access to any JomSocial page easily, without hacking any of JomSocial's core files.
Some of the major new features include:
Amazon S3 Storage support Why not utilize one of world's cheapest cloud storage solutions to host your photos and videos, while at the same time reducing your server access load? With JomSocial 1.6 [Brillo], you can do just that! JomSocial 1.6 allows you to use Amazon S3's highly scalable, reliable, fast and inexpensive data storage infrastructure-- the same infrastructure Amazon uses to run its own global network of web sites! With this, your site can easily handle traffic spikes and your visitors can experience a fast-loading community...no matter where they are!
Massively enhanced privacy support Sometimes you just want to post something private for your closest friends. We understand. That's why we now have an enhanced privacy system in JomSocial 1.6. Activity streams, for example, will now accurately show streams from public and friends' activities only. If you want to keep things for yourself, others won't be able to view it. This applies to all private group activities as well. Private groups stay private!
Improved activity stream We have made our activity streams more informative and a lot more useful in JomSocial 1.6. We have strategically included content preview within each stream which allows admins to automatically hide unwanted activity from ever being shown. A few redundant activities are also unpublished by default. Activity streams not only look much nicer, but we’ve also organized and displayed them in a way that helps site members discover new information and be kept up-to-date easily.
New API for new possibilities We always strive to give more control and flexibility to 3rd party developers. In JomSocial 1.6, we have added some ambitious new APIs to give 3rd party developers even more empowerment. Plugins now have the ability to override any controller or even an ajax output. Giving more control to developers means that they can be more creative in developing new modules and plugins, opening a whole new world of possibilities for JomSocial.
Modules everywhere You can now easily load any Joomla! modules within JomSocial content in this new version. We have now added a number of strategically located module positions inside JomSocial. For example, making an announcement on top of all profiles is now easier than ever. Just create a new html module and assign it to "js_profile_top" module position. You can read more about this at http://www.jomsocial.com/docs/Built-in_module_positions Have a look at the demo now!
Screenshots
