September 2023 Release
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New System - We're Under Construction!
- WYSIWYG Editor
- reCAPTHA
- Profiles Tool Changes
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NEW Content Editor Tool
- Features - Column and Image Size Management
- Twitter / X Changes
- CMS Classic is fully retiring soon!
CMS4Schools is officially under construction!
For those of you who have been customers for a few years, you may recall that we shared the CMS4Schools software was becoming too old to sustain as it was built (the original CMS4Schools came out over 15 years ago!). It has been a challenge for our team to figure out how to create a new software without interrupting the existing systems, but we are happy to report that we have done just that. We have new software running within the existing software of CMS4Schools!!
This development includes redesigning the CMS4Schools software system, with most of the changes being seen inside Studio (Admin Interface). Some new features and tool changes will impact the way that content is displayed on your webpage, such as modernizing responsive behavior (resizing layout), improving design aesthetics, and updating web accessibility.
What Does “Under Construction” Mean?
Every area of CMS4Schools is going to be updated over the next 18+ months. There will be rolling releases that will include new and changed tools, modules, fields, features, etc. Some changes will be minor, and others will be exciting, full rebuilds or brand new features and functionality!
Certain sections of the system will look slightly different, as we are building the new software code right next to and within the existing “old code”.
There are no expected outages or service interruptions to CMS4Schools or to your website(s).
WYSIWYG Editor
WYSIWYG is pronounced “wiz-ee-wig” and stands for What You See Is What You Get. This is the text editor (or rich text) that is built inside the page and module tools in CMS4Schools.
As part of the system update, we will be replacing the existing WYSIWYG editor with a new one. Our new text editor will gradually be replaced in each tool/module as we rebuild the code for that particular functionality of the system.
Join us live to see the new WYSIWYG in action.
Profiles Tool Changes
Not to be confused with the faculty profiles, the stand-alone Profiles Tool in the main body tool listing has undergone a few changes. The most notable change is the use of the new text editor, along with updated image resizing, and improvements regarding reCAPTCHA.
Speaking of… reCAPTCHA
We’ve moved the Profiles Tool to the latest version of reCAPTCHA, based on Google’s current recommendations. This change is largely seen by your users (visitors). Now there is a more streamlined process for the end user, so they don’t have to click through multiple pages and check the “I am not a robot” that existed before. All the validation is now being done automatically behind the scenes, so users move through reCAPTCHA quickly and seamlessly. Don’t worry, the protection and detection services for reCAPTCHA are still on and working, helping detect spam and abusive traffic.
The All New Content Editor Tool
One of the core tools used by all on nearly every webpage is the Text/Graphic Editor tool. We’ve taken that basic tool and have developed a brand new, more powerful and feature loaded content tool in its place.
Hello Columns!
Among the new features the content editor tool can do includes building a multi-column layout, and fluidly moving between 1 to 4 columns (main body).
Image Size & Location Now Just Slides in Place.
Add to the features with new image size/scaling and proportion control. Want a thumbnail image to accompany each paragraph? You got it! Want a full image across the entire width of the main body? Now you can easily do just that with an image scale slider and simple position choices.
In addition to the new features the Content Editor tool also uses our new text (WYSIWYG) editor.
Beta Release for the New Content Editor Tool
Want in on this new feature right away? We’re looking for some customers who will take it out for a spin. Join us live for the Content Editor Tool demo, and sign-up during the webinar for beta access!
The new Content Editor Tool will be released in late September 2023. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletters to stay informed.
Twitter / X Changes
As many of you are aware, the Twitter / X corporation has undergone a series of changes recently. One of the direct results of those changes is that Twitter / X, is no longer offering a free integration service for their posts, which had previously been offered, supported, and widely used.
Without that free integration, CMS4Schools has no affordable or sustainable way to continue pulling your tweets into the feeds on your website and app. As listed on Statuspage, our Twitter feeds have all broken, and we are unable to restore those at this time. (This certainly could change at any time, but Twitter/X developer resources haven't indicated a return the free service.)
To help us best understand what our customers need for Twitter / X, and how we are to handle this broken integration, we ask that you complete this short questionnaire. We appreciate your time in helping us understand your district’s needs and opinion and helping us formulate a plan for the near future.
CMS Classic is fully retiring soon!
The original CMS4Schools user interface, fondly referred to as “CMS Classic” was supposed to have been retired a couple years ago already. Due to a combination of customer requests and development priorities, we have continued to keep CMS Classic available long past its original retirement date.
With the new development underway and CMS4Schools being completely updated and redone, we will no longer be supporting or building any of the updates in CMS Classic. New tools, modules, features and more will not be available inside CMS Classic.
CMS Classic will be completely removed from the system by December 31, 2023.
If you have not trained on the current interface, Studio, please join the ongoing free training webinars and/or reach out to support.cms@4schools.net for other training options.