Planet WebGUI

Bernd Kalbfuss-Zimmermann

2010-03-11T17:33:36+00:00

Name: Bernd Kalbfuss-Zimmermann Username: kimd (formerly bernd) Age: 31 Profession/Employer: Biochemical Engineer / Graffinity Pharmaceuticals Place of Residence: Heidelberg / Germany IRC nick: kimd

WebGUI 7.9.0 (beta) released

2010-03-10T05:34:23+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.9.0 contains fixes for the Subscribable Asset, Macros list in the config file, Survey, template packing, template permissions after upgrades, language handling by the Rich Editor. New code includes an AJAX form plugin for checking existing usernames, optimizing the macro processor for 5.10 and being able to override the Search Asset root asset. Gotchas: �� * WebGUI new requires Test::Harness 3.17 or higher to enable the testing functions �� the Survey. Changelog: �- added #11383: AJAX username checks at registration (Luke Robinson / Orchard Solutions) �- added: Optimized macro parser for perl 5.10 �- fixed #11445: NotifyAboutUsers sends infinite e-mails �- fixed #11446: Delete a wiki �- fixed #11401: Remove hacks in Asset::Wobject::Weather �- fixed #11449: List of macros in my config file has HASH(0x45223ab3) entry �- fixed #11443: no language switch in rich edit �- fixed #11450: How to lock yourself out of your WebGUI site... �- fixed #11402: Survey TAP module requirements �- fixed #11453: fileUpload.pl does not handle files with spaces, overwriting �- fixed #11458: Use packed template removes wanted whitespace �- fixed #11459: "default template" warning after upgrade to 7.8.14 �- added #11460: Override the search root asset. (United Knowledge) �- fixed #11456: Delete a wiki (Reopen #11446 - subscription groups)

WebGUI 7.8.14 (stable) released

2010-03-03T05:25:19+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.8.14 contains fixes for missing templates in the upgrade, NotifyAboutUsers workflow activity, wiki, macros, and the Auth system. Changelog: �- fixed #11442: PickLanguage template missing after 7.7 to 7.8 upgrade �- fixed #11445: NotifyAboutUsers sends infinite e-mails �- fixed #11446: Delete a wiki �- fixed #11449: List of macros in my config file has HASH(0x45223ab3) entry �- fixed #11443: no language switch in rich edit �- fixed #11450: How to lock yourself out of your WebGUI site...

7.8 packages not installed during upgrade from 7.7.33 to 7.8.13

2010-02-26T17:13:04+00:00

Due to a bug in the installer script from 7.7.33 to 7.8.13, the new 7.8 packages were not installed when upgrading existing 7.7.33 sites.� This prevented bug fixes for templates and any new features from being available in 7.8.13.� People who download and install new sites using 7.8.13 will not experience this problem.

WebGUI 7.8.13 (stable) released

2010-02-26T05:08:09+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.8.13 is the first stable release of 7.8.� You must upgrade to 7.7.33 before upgrading to 7.8.13. New features in 7.8 include a Vendor payout system for the Shop, UPS and USPS Shipping drivers, new Macros that allow users to pick from different language packs, new privilege settings for Trash and Clipboard and many improvements and changes to the EMS. The old webgui.css Snippet has been removed as well.� 7.8 includes updated Style templates from The Template Working Group. It includes fixes for the Code Editor, Wiki, SQLReport, Snippet, Spectre Scheduler, DataForm, Inbox, Shop, Search and Authentication. Changelog: �- fixed #11418: confusing typ-o in gotcha �- fixed #11415: Wiki - Edit page appearing below the content �- fixed #11414: SQLReport Pagination Setting �- fixed #11420: Snippet not save mimetype �- fixed #11422: Disabled scheduled task run by spectre �- fixed #11431: Prototypes cache attribute lost �- fixed #11428: Dataform Date Field Problem �- fixed #11409: 7.7.32 Breaks Code Editor �- fixed #11426: Logout page gets cached �- fixed #11428: Dataform Date Field Problem �- fixed #11434: Inbox invitation adds text to email instead of html �- fixed #11436: Inbox invitation use mail send instead of mail queue �- fixed #11385: Wrong user in onCompletePurchase �- fixed #11435: Invitation mail uses wrong mail 'from' header �- fixed #11440: Search for thread with containers �- fixed #11439: Wrong page after login

WebGUI 7.7.33 (stable) released

2010-02-26T03:32:25+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7.33 is the last release in the WebGUI 7.7 series. It includes fixes for the Map, Active Sessions Admin Console screen, Code Editor, Subscription Asset, Photo Asset for the Gallery, Wiki, SQLReport, Snippet, Spectre Scheduler, DataForm, Inbox, Shop, Search and Authentication. Changelog: �- fixed #11394: Map points does not show all the data that was entered �- fixed #11400: Active Sessions Deletion �- fixed #11285: Pasting HTML into Code Editor in IE �- fixed #11399: m4a missin �- fixed #11406: AdSku table mssing karma column �- fixed #11410: Too much errors in log after fix #11346 �- fixed #11169: MapPoint asset does not have an icon �- fixed Typo in Subscription Sku prevented karma from being transferred to users. �- fixed #11411: Photo Asset: Error in template help �- fixed #11418: confusing typ-o in gotcha �- fixed #11415: Wiki - Edit page appearing below the content �- fixed #11414: SQLReport Pagination Setting �- fixed #11420: Snippet not save mimetype �- fixed #11422: Disabled scheduled task run by spectre �- fixed #11431: Prototypes cache attribute lost �- fixed #11409: 7.7.32 Breaks Code Editor �- fixed #11426: Logout page gets cached �- fixed #11428: Dataform Date Field Problem �- fixed #11434: Inbox invitation adds text to email instead of html �- fixed #11436: Inbox invitation use mail send instead of mail queue �- fixed #11385: Wrong user in onCompletePurchase �- fixed #11435: Invitation mail uses wrong mail 'from' header �- fixed #11440: Search for thread with containers �- fixed #11439: Wrong page after login

How to Improve Performance for Navigations

2010-02-24T05:41:09+00:00

Navigations are often the slowest part of the WebGUI site. Here's how to make them fast.

WebGUI 7.8.12 (beta) released

2010-02-17T05:24:06+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8.12 includes fixes for the Code Editor, Folder, Thingy, DataForm, LDAP i18n, Cache deletion for temp space and content caches, Map, Asset Manager, Collaboration System, Active Sessions, AdSku, Storage, Subscription Asset, and the Photo Asset. Changelog: �- fixed #11285: Pasting HTML into Code Editor in IE �- fixed #11349: Code editor returns newline for blank content �- fixed #11322: Code editor broken �- fixed #11390: Meta description duplicated in asset Folder �- fixed #11391: Duplicated Thingy maintains ids for storage fields �- fixed #11381: Captcha of DataForm cached �- fixed #11392: account.message var sometimes returns invalid html �- fixed #11395: i18n LDAP field name in user properties wrong �- fixed #11396: WebGUI Workflow Cache Error. �- fixed #11393: Map template variables missing �- fixed #11336: Duplicate Version Tag Created. �- fixed #11398: Recent post information keeps disappearing from my forums �- fixed #11394: Map points does not show all the data that was entered �- fixed #11400: Active Sessions Deletion �- fixed #11399: m4a missin �- fixed #11406: AdSku table mssing karma column �- fixed #11410: Too much errors in log after fix #11346 �- fixed #11169: MapPoint asset does not have an icon �- fixed Typo in Subscription Sku prevented karma from being transferred to users. �- fixed #11411: Photo Asset: Error in template help

WebGUI 7.7.32 (stable) released

2010-02-10T05:29:33+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7.32 includes fixes for the sitemap generator, Shop Address Book, EU Tax Driver, Asset Manager, Wiki, Gallery, Style Templates, Folder, Thingy, DataForms with Captchas, Account error messages, LDAP, Cache clean-up workflow activities, Map and Collaboration System. Gotchas: � * The Google sitemap generator in WebGUI was including hidden pages in the list of �� pages.� This is now configurable, with the default being to NOT show hidden pages. �� If you wish hidden pages to be shown, then in the config file set showHiddenPages �� to 1. Changelog: �- fixed #11044: Optionally include hidden pages in sitemap.xml �- fixed #11379: Certain fields in some Assets cannot be overridden in the config file �- fixed #11380: "Use this Address" button in Shop needs to be green! �- fixed: Due to a typo France was not considered part of the EU by the EU TaxDriver. ( Martin Kamerbeek / Oqapi ) �- fixed #11292: Made search less sticky �- fixed #11377: Normal users can delete revisions in wiki �- fixed #11378: Cross publishing gallery files does not auto commit �- fixed #11387: editing a style template �- fixed #11390: Meta description duplicated in asset Folder �- fixed #11391: Duplicated Thingy maintains ids for storage fields �- fixed #11381: Captcha of DataForm cached �- fixed #11392: account.message var sometimes returns invalid html �- fixed #11395: i18n LDAP field name in user properties wrong �- fixed #11396: WebGUI Workflow Cache Error. �- fixed #11393: Map template variables missing �- fixed #11336: Duplicate Version Tag Created. �- fixed #11398: Recent post information keeps disappearing from my forums

Diona Kidd

2010-02-09T21:07:07+00:00

Name: Diona Kidd

WebGUI 7.8.11 (beta) released

2010-02-03T05:05:13+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8.11 includes fixes for the ITransact payment plugin, Notify About Low Stock workflow activity, User Profile, Search forms, FilePump, USPS Shipping drivers, SiteIndex generator, Shop Address Book, Wiki, Gallery and the Style Template. Gotchas: �* WebGUI now requires DateTime::Format::HTTP, to handle parsing HTTP dates. �* The Google sitemap generator in WebGUI was including hidden pages in the list of �� pages.� This is now configurable, with the default being to NOT show hidden pages. �� If you wish hidden pages to be shown, then in the config file set showHiddenPages �� to 1. Changelog: �- fixed #11362: Unable to checkout with ITransact plugin �- fixed #11364: Notify About Low Stock workflow activity email is not user friendly �- fixed #11371: Spaces in the names of custom profile fields �- fixed #11372: All Search Forms should use GET �- fixed #11373: Problem creating FilePump bundles �- fixed #11374: USPS shipping drivers take 3 minutes to timeout �- fixed #11044: Optionally include hidden pages in sitemap.xml �- fixed #11379: Certain fields in some Assets cannot be overridden in the config file �- fixed #11380: "Use this Address" button in Shop needs to be green! �- fixed: Due to a typo France was not considered part of the EU by the EU TaxDriver. ( Martin Kamerbeek / Oqapi ) �- fixed #11292: Made search less sticky �- fixed #11377: Normal users can delete revisions in wiki �- fixed #11378: Cross publishing gallery files does not auto commit �- fixed #11387: editing a style template

WebGUI 7.7.31 (stable) released

2010-01-27T02:52:57+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7.31 includes fixes for the SQL Report, Collaboration System, Message Board, NotifyAboutLowStock workflow activity, Story Topic, ITransact payment driver, Shop Account plugin, FilePump, Profile Fields, Storage system, Template and the USPS International shipping plugin. Gotchas: �* WebGUI now requires DateTime::Format::HTTP, to handle parsing HTTP dates. �* WebGUI now requires JavaScript::Packer v0.4, for compressing javascript. Changelog: �- fixed #11348: Typ-o in debug notice SQLReport �- fixed #11350: Story Topic asset missing description... �- fixed #11351: Double submits on ITransact checkout �- fixed #11353: shop - sales - error �- fixed #11355: Duplicate template error �- fixed #11347: copy forum �- fixed #11359: USPS International shipping does not work on United Kingdom �- fixed #11034: Upgrade errors -- 7.6.35 to 7.7.17 �- fixed #11346: Slow rendering of Thread asset with a lot of attachments �- fixed #11362: Unable to checkout with ITransact plugin �- fixed #11364: Notify About Low Stock workflow activity email is not user friendly �- fixed #11371: Spaces in the names of custom profile fields �- fixed #11372: All Search Forms should use GET �- fixed #11373: Problem creating FilePump bundles �- fixed #11374: USPS shipping drivers take 3 minutes to timeout

WebGUI 7.8.10 (beta) released

2010-01-20T05:16:17+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8.10 includes fixes for the the Collaboration System, Survey, Message Board, Image Asset, NotifyAboutLowStock workflow activity and the Event Management System, Story Topic, ITransact payment driver, Shop Account plugin, Storage system and the USPS International shipping plugin. Changelog: �- fixed #11332: Pagination in webgui.org forum urls �- fixed #11341: tmpl_var forum.threads �- fixed #11337: Parameters persist �- fixed #11343: Notify About Low Stock workflow activity not sending out emails �- fixed #11345: New Image Asset template does now work well with AssetProxy macro and some layouts �- fixed #11344: Badge Builder doesn't allow pagination �- fixed #11348: Typ-o in debug notice SQLReport �- fixed #11350: Story Topic asset missing description... �- fixed #11351: Double submits on ITransact checkout �- fixed #11353: shop - sales - error �- fixed #11355: Duplicate template error �- fixed #11347: copy forum �- fixed #11359: USPS International shipping does not work on United Kingdom �- fixed #11034: Upgrade errors -- 7.6.35 to 7.7.17 �- fixed #11346: Slow rendering of Thread asset with a lot of attachments

WebGUI 7.7.30 (stable) released

2010-01-13T05:37:57+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7.30 includes fixes for the Asset Proxy macro, the Collaboration System, Survey, Message Board, Image Asset, NotifyAboutLowStock workflow activity and the Event Management System. Changelog: �- fixed #11314: hover help clarity �- fixed #11317: wrong error message in AssetProxy �- fixed #11318: searching in a collaborationsystem �- fixed #11332: Pagination in webgui.org forum urls �- fixed #11334: Survey missing Add Answer label �- fixed #11341: tmpl_var forum.threads �- fixed #11337: Parameters persist �- fixed #11343: Notify About Low Stock workflow activity not sending out emails �- fixed #11345: New Image Asset template does now work well with AssetProxy macro and some layouts �- fixed #11344: Badge Builder doesn't allow pagination

WebGUI 7.8.9 (beta) released

2010-01-06T05:50:03+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8.9 includes fixes for the Collaboration System, European VAT tax system, Search Asset, Wiki and the Bulleted Navigation template. Changelog: �- fixed #11235: wiki search �- fixed #10679: i18n TaxDriver_EU::accept when vies unavailable help (Martin Kamerbeek / Oqapi) �- fixed #11313: bullet list template for navigation �- fixed #11311: Search object and modifiers �- fixed #11314: hover help clarity �- fixed #11317: wrong error message in AssetProxy �- fixed #11318: searching in a collaborationsystem

Meg O'Keefe Andrea

2010-01-04T16:10:19+00:00

The Essentials Name: Meg OKeefe Andrea

Help MySQL

2009-12-31T23:00:06+00:00

I just got an email from Monty (the creator of MySQL) asking me if I'd help get people involved in a petition to keep MySQL open source. So here I am asking you to get involved. You can do this quite easily by simply going over to�http://www.helpmysql.org and signing the petition.

WebGUI 7.7.29 (stable) released

2009-12-23T05:47:19+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.79 includes fixes for the Matrix, Survey, European VAT tax system, Search Asset, Wiki and the Bulleted Navigation template. Changelog: �- fixed #11299: Matrix - Cannot hide title �- fixed #11300: Matrix - rating statistics cleared �- fixed #11293: Matrix - Search not working correctly �- fixed #11301: Matrix - Comparing too many products error message �- fixed #11297: YUI Rich Editor fails to load when editing Survey in 7.7.27 �- fixed #11306: Survey i18n: Loading.... �- fixed #11307: Survey i18n #2 �- fixed #11295: asset addChild failure when parent is not committed �- fixed #10679: i18n TaxDriver_EU::accept when vies unavailable help ( Martin Kamerbeek / Oqapi ) �- fixed #11235: wiki search �- fixed #11313: bullet list template for navigation �- fixed #11311: Search object and modifiers

Holiday Schedule

2009-12-21T15:16:41+00:00

Plain Black will be closed for the holidays beginning December 24th returning on January 4th. Have a Happy Holiday from Plain Black.

WebGUI 7.8.8 (beta) released

2009-12-16T04:27:37+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8 includes fixes for the Gallery, Asset Search, Workflow and Spectre, LDAP, Matrix, Survey and Asset core code. Changelog: �- fixed #11289: Gallery with pending version tag causes search engine indexer to puke. �- fixed #11292: Search function limited to onje search? �- fixed #11286: Workflow Instance deleted when reaching an Activity that fails to load �- fixed #11296: listLDAPLinks op permissions problems �- fixed #11294: Matrix - Best/Worse Rated Calculations �- fixed getIsa returns undef for pending assets �- fixed #11299: Matrix - Cannot hide title �- fixed #11293: Matrix - Search not working correctly �- fixed #11301: Matrix - Comparing too many products error message �- fixed #11297: YUI Rich Editor fails to load when editing Survey in 7.7.27 �- fixed #11306: Survey i18n: Loading.... �- fixed #11307: Survey i18n #2 �- fixed #11295: asset addChild failure when parent is not committed

WebGUI 7.7.28 (stable) released

2009-12-09T03:47:42+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.8 includes fixes for bad cron jobs for handling email for the Collaboration System.� The USPS shipping driver for domesting shipping will accept zip codes in the ZIP+4 format, and there was a bad module check in testEnvironment.pl.� The module, Template, is optional.� There are also fixes for the search in the Asset Manager, LDAP Links and the Matrix. Changelog: �- fixed #11289: Gallery with pending version tag causes search engine indexer to puke. �- fixed #11278: Wrong test for Template::Toolkit in testEnvironment.pl �- fixed #11282: USPS Shipping Driver does not accept ZIP+4 �- fixed #11284: Collaboration System Cron jobs for email �- fixed #11287: api pod WebGUI::Shop::Vendor �- fixed #11292: Search function limited to onje search? �- fixed #11286: Workflow Instance deleted when reaching an Activity that fails to load �- fixed #11296: listLDAPLinks op permissions problems �- fixed #11294: Matrix - Best/Worse Rated Calculations �- fixed getIsa returns undef for pending assets

David Delikat

2009-12-03T18:21:52+00:00

The Essentials Name: David Delikat

WebGUI 7.8.7 (beta) released

2009-12-02T02:52:24+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8 includes fixes for bad cron jobs for handling email for the Collaboration System.� The USPS shipping driver for domesting shipping will accept zip codes in the ZIP+4 format, and there was a bad module check in testEnvironment.pl.� The module, Template, is optional. Changelog: �- fixed #11278: Wrong test for Template::Toolkit in testEnvironment.pl �- fixed #11282: USPS Shipping Driver does not accept ZIP+4 �- fixed #11284: Collaboration System Cron jobs for email

Security: Failure to check privileges in Asset Manager search

2009-11-25T17:17:25+00:00

A problem was found in the Search screen of the Asset Manager that affects all versions of WebGUI from 7.5 up through WebGUI 7.7.26 and 7.8.5.� A Registered User can use the Delete, Cut and Copy actions in the Search screen to put content into the Trash, or the Clipboard, that they do not normally have privileges for.� This was reported in bug #11272.

WebGUI 7.8.6 (beta) released

2009-11-25T07:53:58+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8 includes fixes for Recaptcha, AssetProxy caching, Snippet, Code Editor, Map Point, and the Asset Manager. Gotchas: �� * WebGUI now requires LWP 5.833 or higher, to fix a bug in that module. Changelog: �- fixed #11250: i18n Asset_EMSSubmissionForm::delete created items label help �- fixed #11251: perload.perl tries to load t/lib/WebGUI/Test.pm �- fixed #11249: Recaptcha https bug �- fixed #11200: Navigation in AssetProxy cached in browser �- fixed #11143: cancel button �- fixed #11259: Snippet content never cached �- fixed #11254: RTF files are streamed with the wrong content-type �- fixed #10932: code showing �- fixed #11265: typo i18n �- fixed #11263: CleanLoginHistory can cause workflow errors �- fixed #11185: Code editor broken in IE8 for SQLReport �- fixed #11177: Code editor steals focus on load �- fixed #10888: Final touches on map point bugs �- fixed #11274: Add attachment broken in template �- fixed #11272: Security issue with asset manager search

WebGUI 7.7.27 (stable) released

2009-11-25T06:43:53+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7 includes fixes for the Tree Navigation, LDAP Connections, Progress Bar, Gallery, SQL Report, Survey, Image Asset, Recaptcha, Snippet, Code Editor, Map Point, and the Asset Manager. Gotchas: �� * WebGUI now requires LWP 5.833 or higher, to fix a bug in that module. �� * One of the modules that WebGUI uses, Net::Subnets, has been �� removed from CPAN.� Starting with 7.7.27, WebGUI will use either �� that module, or Net::CIDR::Lite.� New installations of WebGUI �� require Net::CIDR::Lite if the WRE is not used. Changelog: �- fixed #11134: Tree Navigation menu colapses sub items of current page, missing JS files added �- fixed #11222: testEnvironment.pl Missing Dependencies �- fixed #11216: LDAP Connections status incorrect �- fixed #11229: ProgressBar throws errors on some messages. �- fixed #11217: LDAP authentication fails if user DN changes �- fixed #11228: Gallery image upload to other users folder permission denied �- fixed #11242: Macros not executing in Download Templates �- added TimeZone form controls accepts spaces or underscores in zone names. �- fixed #11245: send stats �- fixed #11247: Survey edit screen broken �- fixed #11246: Image.pm - Validation error �- fixed #11251: perload.perl tries to load t/lib/WebGUI/Test.pm �- fixed #11249: Recaptcha https bug �- fixed #11200: Navigation in AssetProxy cached in browser �- fixed #11143: cancel button �- fixed #11259: Snippet content never cached �- fixed #11254: RTF files are streamed with the wrong content-type �- fixed #10932: code showing �- fixed #11263: CleanLoginHistory can cause workflow errors �- fixed #11185: Code editor broken in IE8 for SQLReport �- fixed #11177: Code editor steals focus on load �- fixed #10888: Final touches on map point bugs �- fixed #11274: Add attachment broken in template �- fixed #11272: Security issue with asset manager search

WebGUI 7.8.5 (beta) released

2009-11-18T08:12:43+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8 includes fixes for the Tree Navigation, Group Manager, Template Attachments, DataTable, User profile time zones, the Map asset, ProgressBar, Gallery, Shop, Survey, Image Asset, SQL Report and LDAP authentication. Gotchas: �� * WebGUI now requires Locales 0.10 or higher, to replace the deprecated �� module Locales::Country. �� * WebGUI now requires Net::CIDR::Lite 0.20 or higher, to replace the deprecated �� module Net::Subnets. �� * Users, no matter if they are created via anonymous registration, �� via the Admin Console Users screen, or via code, now always get �� their default values from the Profile Fields instead of via �� the Visitor account.� Previously, based on how the user was created, �� they would get default values from different places. �� * The following style templates have been cleaned up by the TWG: �� - WebGUI 6 Blank Style, Style 01; Style 02, Style 03: �� - no structural changes �� - Fail safe: �� - added new CSS that is more robust and validates (in external file: style.css); �� - it was also necessary to update the css to work with the new navigation templates �� - changed the markup and the order of the home/login/user/admin controls at the bottom �� - All of the above templates: �� - added a link tag to wg-base.css �� - added conditional comments at the top and bottom of the body tag to be able to target �� IE versions easily with css �� * Added wg-base.css, which is linked to in each style template. This stylesheet is for css that �� is used in more than one tempalte, like pagination inline icons etc. Inline styles that are �� removed from templates, will be replaced with styles in wg-base.css (and example is RFE 11182). �� Elements that are styled in wg-base.css have a classname that starts with "wg-". �� wg-base.css replaces webgui.css, which will be removed from the site. Changelog: �- added the EMS submission subsystem �- The captcha form control had it's built in styles removed in favor of two classes: "wg-captchaForm" and "wg-captchaImage" �- fixed #11134: Tree Navigation menu colapses sub items of current page �- fixed #11203: Manage groups in group: everyone added on save �- fixed #11101: 7.6.35-7.7 upgrade leaves packages �- fixed #11209: Form::HTMLArea uses invalid javascript identifier �- fixed #11186: Template Attachments i18n �- fixed #11218: LDAPS does not create users automatically �- fixed #11205: DataTable borked in IE �- fixed #11215: Los Angeles cannot be default timezone �- fixed #11220: Map asset badly broken �- fixed #11222: testEnvironment.pl Missing Dependencies �- fixed #11226: New stylesheet (wg-base.css), new style templates (from the TWG) �- fixed #11216: LDAP Connections status incorrect �- fixed #11229: ProgressBar throws errors on some messages. �- fixed #11217: LDAP authentication fails if user DN changes �- fixed #11228: Gallery image upload to other users folder permission denied �- added USPS International driver. �- added #10727: language choice during site adding �- added file globbing to preload.exclude �- fixed #11242: Macros not executing in Download Templates �- added TimeZone form controls accepts spaces or underscores in zone names. �- fixed #11245: send stats �- fixed #11247: Survey edit screen broken �- fixed #11246: Image.pm - Validation error �- fixed #11221: wrong version of Locales::Country in testEnvironment �- Net::Subnets has been deprecated.

WebGUI 7.7.26 (stable) released

2009-11-11T06:06:25+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7 includes fixes for the Tree Navigation, Group Manager, Template Attachments, DataTable, User profile time zones, the Map asset, and LDAP authentication. Gotchas: �� * Users, no matter if they are created via anonymous registration, �� via the Admin Console Users screen, or via code, now always get �� their default values from the Profile Fields instead of via �� the Visitor account.� Previously, based on how the user was created, �� they would get default values from different places. Changelog: �- fixed #11134: Tree Navigation menu colapses sub items of current page �- fixed #11203: Manage groups in group: everyone added on save �- fixed #11209: Form::HTMLArea uses invalid javascript identifier �- fixed #11186: Template Attachments i18n �- fixed #11218: LDAPS does not create users automatically �- fixed #11205: DataTable borked in IE �- fixed #11215: Los Angeles cannot be default timezone �- fixed #11220: Map asset badly broken

WebGUI 7.7.25 (stable) released

2009-11-06T05:05:11+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7 includes fixes for the Survey, Spectre, Calendar, Event, Tree Navigation, AssetProxy, RSS feeds, Collaboration System, and several important Shop bugs. Gotchas: �� * A bug introduced in 7.7.22 could cause the Shop sale notification �� group to be reset to the group Everyone.� The bug has been fixed, �� and the group has been reset to Admins.� If you were using a different �� group, you will need to edit the Shop Settings and reselect the �� proper group. n Changelog: �- Fixed an error being thrown by the CalendarUpdateFeeds workflow activity. �- The auto add to group and auto delete from group operations that are used with the GroupAdd and GroupDelete macros were fixed to make the user log in if they aren't already. �- fixed #11179: user.CanStartThread missing from help �- fixed #11183: Calendar List View �- fixed #11135: Tree Navigation menu template shows a drop down fly-out menu �- fixed #10984: Edit Survey Screen isn't right in demo �- fixed: RSS feeds generated with incorrect link for channel �- fixed #11188: Incoherence in Navigation edit form �- fixed #11189: Controls variable missing in image asset in AssetProxy �- fixed #11190: event tmpl_var in help but not available �- fixed #11194: Event Asset Recurrence form is not i18n'ed �- fixed #11192: newByLineage tries to instantiate asset even if no assetId found �- fixed #11195: Shop, sometimes free checkout does not work �- fixed #11202: USPS driver does not log authentication errors �- fixed #10985: Survey: can't add multiple choice answer �- fixed #11197: Survey Edit Console is not i18n'ed �- fixed USPS driver only works on domestic addresses. �- fixed Shop is not sending notification emails to the user, or to the notification group. �- Set a minimum package weight of 0.1 oz for the USPS driver. �- Handle per package errors in USPS response data. �- fixed #11207: Shop Email receipts going out to everyone.

WebGUI 7.8.4 (beta) released

2009-11-06T03:48:13+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8 includes fixes for the Survey, Spectre, and several important Shop bugs. Gotchas: �* A bug introduced in 7.8.1 could cause the Shop sale notification �� group to be reset to the group Everyone.� The bug has been fixed, �� and the group has been reset to Admins.� If you were using a different �� group, you will need to edit the Shop Settings and reselect the �� proper group. Changelog: �- Fixed a compatibility problem between WRE and new Spectre code. �- fixed #11198: Typo in i18n �- fixed #11202: USPS driver does not log authentication errors �- fixed #10985: Survey: can't add multiple choice answer �- fixed #11197: Survey Edit Console is not i18n'ed �- fixed USPS driver only works on domestic addresses. �- fixed Shop is not sending notification emails to the user, or to the notification group. �- Set a minimum package weight of 0.1 oz for the USPS driver. �- Handle per package errors in USPS response data. �- fixed #11207: Shop Email receipts going out to everyone.

WebGUI 7.8.3 (beta) released

2009-11-04T06:08:02+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8 includes fixes for Spectre, RSS feeds, Calendar ical, Collaboration System, Image Assets, template attachments, Matrix, Wiki, DataForm, Event, Vendor Payouts, Map, DatePicker, Asset Manager, Tree Navigation template, Survey, and the Shop.� New in this release is a UPS shipping driver, group admin settings for the Clipboard and Trash, and new tools for choosing languages on multi-lingual sites. Gotchas: �* WebGUI now requires Locales::Country 0.05 or higher to use �� the UPS shipping driver. Changelog: �- Rewrote Spectre's workflow queues to prevent it from "forgetting" about some workflows. �- fixed: RSS feeds generated with incorrect link for channel �- Fixed an error being thrown by the CalendarUpdateFeeds workflow activity. �- The auto add to group and auto delete from group operations that are used with the GroupAdd and GroupDelete macros were fixed to make the user log in if they aren't already. �- fixed #11074: Links to CS posts not working �- fixed #11152: Image edits do not autocommit version tags �- fixed template attachments are not cleaned up during purge �- fixed #11150: matrix - search boxes all ticked �- fixed #11063: template_attachments �- fixed #11002: Matrix shows backend stuff on load �- added #10082: Unarchive all collaboration posts �- fixed #11086: bad urls in wiki �- fixed #11047: required field on dataform �- fixed #11162: Can't delete calendar Related Material Link �- fixed #11154: vendor payouts screen borked ( Martin Kamerbeek / Oqapi ) �- fixed #11166: Documentation bug - addChild �- fixed #11116: Deleted user's version tags and revisions �- fixed #11168: Points do not work with uncommitted Map �- fixed #10888: Add Point... how do I enter details? �- fixed #10887: Map Point dropdown doesn't update �- fixed #11172: Collaboration broken vars: isSecond, isThird etc. �- fixed #11165: DatePicker broken in IE7 �- added: Manage System Clipboard group setting �- added: Manage System Trash group setting �- fixed #11069: "More" options menu in asset manager �- rfe #10755: Adding SetLanguage bazaar item �- fixed #11176: New upgrade error in 7.6.35 to 7.7.17 �- fixed #11181: ableToBeFriend label not i18n �- fixed #11179: user.CanStartThread missing from help �- fixed #11183: Calendar List View �- fixed #11135: Tree Navigation menu template shows a drop down fly-out menu �- fixed #10984: Edit Survey Screen isn't right in demo �- added: getTopKeywords method to Keywords API �- added: print remaining tickets feature to EMS �- fixed #11188: Incoherence in Navigation edit form �- fixed #11189: Controls variable missing in image asset in AssetProxy �- fixed #11190: event tmpl_var in help but not available �- fixed #11194: Event Asset Recurrence form is not i18n'ed �- fixed #11192: newByLineage tries to instantiate asset even if no assetId found �- fixed #11195: Shop, sometimes free checkout does not work �- added: UPS Shipping Driver

Joeri de Bruin

2009-11-02T16:11:01+00:00

The Essentials Name: Joeri de Bruin Username: joeri Age: 37 Profession/Employer: CEO / Programmer at Oqapi Place of Residence: Den Hoorn (The Netherlands) IRC nick: Dapperedodo

WebGUI Testing: Skipping the SKIP block

2009-11-01T03:07:56+00:00

After reading Perl Testing, A Developer's Notebook, I started putting this into all the WebGUI tests:

WebGUI 7.7.24 (stable) released

2009-10-29T17:40:21+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7 is released to address a problem introduced in 7.7.23 that interferes with upgrading from 7.6.35 directly to 7.7.23.� This problem has been fixed in 7.7.24, meaning that you can upgrade from 7.6.35 to 7.7.24 without any problems. Changelog: �- fixed #11176: New upgrade error in 7.6.35 to 7.7.17 �- fixed #11181: ableToBeFriend label not i18n

New webgui.org site!

2009-10-28T17:49:32+00:00

Check out the new www.webgui.org!

WebGUI 7.7.23 (stable) released

2009-10-28T05:06:52+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7 contains fixes the DataForm, Thing, Map, Clipboard, Syndicated Content, RichEditor, Calendar, Spectre, Collaboration System, Image, Matrix, Wiki and the Shop. Changelog: �- fixed #11126: WebGUI database has varchar fields �- fixed #10989: DataForm List: No pagination �- fixed #11128: Thing breaks w/ default value for date field �- fixed #10888: Issues with adding points to Maps �- fixed #11139: referencing an item in the clipboard �- fixed #11146: Upgrade Error 7.7.21 to 7.7.22 �- fixed #11147: fail safe template is missing embedded style �- fixed #11137: Customers see failed orders �- fixed #11156: Syndicated Content doesn't show all headlines in feed �- fixed #11138: RichEdit, upload image does not commit a version tag �- refixed #2569: robots.txt issues �- fixed #11157: calendar tool for entering add event date �- fixed #11158: Calendar iCal feed doesn't show today's all-day events �- fixed #11131: https / http URLs still caching across secure/insecure boundary �- fixed #11093: Spectre cron can DoS server with many sites �- fixed #11074: Links to CS posts not working �- fixed #11152: Image edits do not autocommit version tags �- fixed template attachments are not cleaned up during purge �- fixed #11150: matrix - search boxes all ticked �- fixed #11063: template_attachments �- fixed #11002: Matrix shows backend stuff on load �- fixed #11086: bad urls in wiki �- fixed #11047: required field on dataform �- fixed #11162: Can't delete calendar Related Material Link �- fixed #11166: Documentation bug - addChild �- fixed #11116: Deleted user's version tags and revisions �- fixed #11168: Points do not work with uncommitted Map �- fixed #10888: Add Point... how do I enter details? �- fixed #10887: Map Point dropdown doesn't update �- fixed #11172: Collaboration broken vars: isSecond, isThird etc. �- fixed #11154: vendor payouts screen borked ( Martin Kamerbeek / Oqapi ) �- fixed #11165: DatePicker broken in IE7

WebGUI 7.8.2 (beta) released

2009-10-21T03:12:23+00:00

This beta release of WebGUI 7.8 contains fixes for the Collaboration System, Database character encodings, templates, Event Management System, Asset Manager, Story Manager, Account, Syndicated Content, Wiki, DataForm, Thingy, Map, TinyMCE, Clipboard and Trash, Shop and Calendar Gotchas: �* WebGUI now requires Business::PayPal::API 0.62 or higher. Changelog: �- Added scheduled vendor payout workflow activity. (Special thanks to Martin @ Oqapi) �- fixed #11098: Leaving a version tag makes everyone leave �- fixed #11096: Error on deleting FAQ(CS)-item �- fixed #11060: Some tables have latin1 as the default character set �- fixed #11089: No message body in Notification �- fixed #2569: robots.txt issues �- refixed #2569: robots.txt issues �- fixed #11104: Wrong name for request tracker post form template �- fixed #11077: Untested result in WebGUI::Storage->getFiles �- fixed #11080: Asset Manage Crumb Trail flyout menu �- fixed #10874: EMS Schedule displaying incorrectly �- fixed #10956: Account, Profile system bad rendering with lots of �- fixed #11112: story archive RSS feed �- added Insurance estimator for the USPS shipping driver �- fixed #11121: Syndicated Content search terms require both title and description match �- fixed #11057: Deleting wiki attachments �- fixed #11122: Survey icon is missing from admin console �- fixed #11107: linked image with caption �- fixed #10914: Shop: No email notifications sent when the cart has net value 0 �- fixed #11126: WebGUI database has varchar fields �- fixed #10989: DataForm List: No pagination �- fixed #11128: Thing breaks w/ default value for date field �- fixed #10888: Issues with adding points to Maps �- fixed #10993: Editor drops last letter if s �- fixed #11139: referencing an item in the clipboard �- fixed #11146: Upgrade Error 7.7.21 to 7.7.22 �- fixed #11147: fail safe template is missing embedded style �- fixed #11137: Customers see failed orders �- fixed #11156: Syndicated Content doesn't show all headlines in feed �- fixed #11138: RichEdit, upload image does not commit a version tag �- fixed ExpireIncompleteSurveyResponses Workflow: process responses for deleted users �- fixed #11157: calendar tool for entering add event date �- fixed #11158: Calendar iCal feed doesn't show today's all-day events �- added #10614: Force rich editor to use strong and em instead of b and i �- fixed #11131: https / http URLs still caching across secure/insecure boundary �- fixed #11093: Spectre cron can DoS server with many sites

WebGUI Shop Guide Released

2009-10-14T14:53:54+00:00

A new version of the WebGUI Shop Guide for use with WebGUI 7.7 and higher is now available.

WebGUI 7.7.22 (stable) released

2009-10-14T04:55:02+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7 contains fixes for the Shop, Internationalization, Datepicker, Product, Image, Survey, Syndicated Content, Storage, Asset Manager, Event Management System, Story manager, Profile, Matrix, Articles and the Wiki. Several issues dealing with displaying dates via the DatePicker were also fixed. Gotchas: �� * WebGUI creates thumbnails for uploaded images.� The name for �� those thumbnail files is created by prepending "thumb-" to the �� name of the file.� If a file that start with "thumb-" is created �� then WebGUI would throw an error.� Starting with 7.7.22, files �� that start with "thumb-" will be renamed by removing that �� prefix from the filename. Changelog: �- fixed #11070: i18n Asset_Navigation::assetsToInclude �- fixed #11068: ITransact_recurringStatus �- fixed #11075: product destroys variants �- fixed #11073: preview interchanges width and height properties �- fixed #11079: Datepicker, without times, does not highlight my birthday �- fixed #11071: Form::Date / Session::DateTime �- fixed #11076: WebGUI::Account::Friends message_rpp �- fixed #11067: My Purchases Detail Template - Status Message broken �- fixed #11081: Prop style in 7.8.0? �- fixed #11083: TGC template bug fixes, round #1 �- fixed #10544: Child assets under uncommitted parents �- fixed failure in test 250 of t/00_compile.t �- fixed #11084: option to view private profiles �- fixed #11082: Admin group in Visitor group? �- fixed #11049: form caching incorrectly �- fixed #11088: i18n Survey Section Information �- fixed #11087: SC asset repeats its own description in feeds �- fixed #10916: png icon �- fixed #11100: syncToCdn's help is not proper POD �- fixed #11098: Leaving a version tag makes everyone leave �- fixed #11101: 7.6.35-7.7 upgrade leaves packages �- fixed #11096: Error on deleting FAQ(CS)-item �- fixed #11089: No message body in Notification �- fixed #11060: Some tables have latin1 as the default character set �- fixed #2569: robots.txt issues �- fixed #11104: Wrong name for request tracker post form template �- fixed #11077: Untested result in WebGUI::Storage->getFiles �- fixed #11080: Asset Manage Crumb Trail flyout menu �- fixed #10874: EMS Schedule displaying incorrectly �- fixed #10956: Account, Profile system bad rendering with lots of �- fixed #11112: story archive RSS feed �- fixed #11121: Syndicated Content search terms require both title and description match �- fixed #11115: Matrix Default Screenshots Config �- fixed #11106: linked image with caption �- fixed #11057: Deleting wiki attachments �- fixed #11122: Survey icon is missing from admin console �- fixed #11107: linked image with caption �- fixed #10914: Shop: No email notifications sent when the cart has net value 0

Bugfix and RFE Days

2009-10-13T20:28:59+00:00

Get involved, and help make WebGUI better.

PlebGUI: WebGUI Meets Plack

2009-10-12T13:20:02+00:00

WebGUI is an Apache mod_perl application. Not just any mod_perl application; reputedly the most deployed mod_perl application on the planet. You’d be forgiven for thinking that we love Apache. And we do. Mostly.

But you see mod_perl is an overly zealous lover. Every intimate phase of the Apache request cycle is offered up to your eager Perl embrace. Sure, you have to learn a few new tricks to get decent performance (such as two-tier mod_proxy/mod_perl) but hey it’s 2001 and mod_perl is SO much better than CGI. Without hesitation you commit to a life of PerlResponseHandlers and Apache2::Const::OKs.

Years pass. Life is good.

Your user base had become very adept at deploying Apache. In fact you make life easier for them by distributing the complete Perl/Apache/MySQL stack as a simple installer, pre-configured for optimum performance.

Every now and then someone appears on the mailing list asking questions about WebGUI 5, a throw-back to the days when it used to be possible to deploy WebGUI on cheap shared hosting cPanel servers in CGI mode. You want to help, but WebGUI has become so powerful that CGI mode isn’t feasible anymore. That’s the price that was paid for evolving into an Enterprise-grade system. Developers lament the fact that small-time users can’t take advantage of all the awesome things WebGUI can do, not to mention all the word-of-mouth promotion WebGUI is missing out on, but them’s the brakes. WebGUI continues to grow. “Carrier-grade” is the new black. And across town, the non-enterprise crowd is left to content themselves with Wordpress, Joomla and Drupal.

And then a guy called Tatsuhiko Miyagawa comes along.

He says, gee, look at these wonderful server abstractions that Python (WSGI) and Ruby (Rack) have. The Perl world might have moved on from CGI to things like Catalyst::Engine::* and HTTP::Engine, but there’s still duplicated effort everywhere. We can do better.

So he sits down and writes PSGI, an absurdly simple, manifestly beautiful specification for an interface between Perl web apps and web servers (drawing heavily on WSGI and Rack for inspiration).

PSGI

The idea goes like this: Web applications, when all is said and done, are really just on about sending three pieces of information to web browsers: a HTTP status code, a list of HTTP headers, and some content (a file or some text, normally HTML).

This is the specification:

[                                           # an array ref, containing..
    200,                                    # a HTTP status code
    [ 'Content-Type' => 'text/html', .. ],  # an array of HTTP headers
    [ '<html>...</html>' ],                 # the text content (or a $filehandle)
]

And that’s really all there is to it.

Some people write web apps according to the interface. Other people write server backends according to the interface. Web app developers use whatever whiz-bang technology they like, and as long as they return an array that complies with the spec their web app can run on any server. And server backend developers can do lots of clever things to get that information back to web browsers really fast, and have the results of their work benefit all PSGI/Plack consumers. No more duplicated effort. No more server-specific love lock-in.

And folks took notice. Not just any folks either. Really, really smart people like Yuval Kogman, Stevan Little, Shawn Moore, Matt Trout, Jesse Vincent, Chia-liang Kao, Dave Rolsky, Simon Cozens, .. (They’re some of the well-known names that jumped out at me from the PSGI.pod spec doc. The others are probably even smarter, stealth hackers. I know, it’s scary).

Plack

Before you could say Plack there was a reference implementation, server backend support for CGI, FastCGI, mod_perl (welcome back!), AnyEvent, Coro, Perlbal, Nginx, .. framework support for Catalyst, CGI-Application, Mason, Continuity, Maypole, Mojo .. and a whole suite of Middleware and Utilities.

Meaning that all of a sudden any web app written in one of those frameworks can now be deployed on any of those servers. Or on the pure-perl standalone server that runs from the command line. Or on one of the more experimental/exotic servers I haven’t listed. If you’re not excited yet, just wait until Google AppEngine appears in that list.

WebGUI

But where is WebGUI! The problem is that WebGUI is both a framework and a web app. A really big web app. With a mod_perl addiction. Frameworks are built with multiple servers in mind, so they generally already have an in-built server abstraction layer. Which makes adding PSGI support relatively simple. WebGUI, on the other hand, deliberately eschews an abstraction layer so that it can fully embrace mod_perl and eke out every last ounce of power and performance it can from Apache.

So, faced with extreme framework envy, I did what any reasonable person would do.

I built a PSGI/Plack layer for WebGUI.

PlebGUI

I’ve codenamed the project “PlebGUI“, which I think aptly describes the way it makes it possible for the little people to run WebGUI on low-cost shared hosting.

And it actually works. Take for instance plebgui.patspam.com, a demo PlebGUI site site running in FastCGI mode on HostMonster (the prototypical low-cost shared webhost).

app.psgi

The second wonderously simple idea in the PSGI spec is that a web app is just a plain old perl subroutine. Here’s one I prepared earlier:


sub { [ 200, [ 'Content-Type' => 'text/html' ], [ 'Hello World' ] ] }

I know, it’s almost insulting. I’m a web developer man! I do sophisticated things! But try putting that single-line sub into a test file called app.psgi. And then after you’ve installed Plack (it’s not on CPAN yet so you have to install it from miyagawa++’s git repo) try running this:


$ plackup
Accepting connections at http://0:8080/

Go on, visit that url in your web browser. Hello to you too!

Middleware

Ok that was a cute trick, let’s try something more exciting:


use Plack::Builder;
builder {
    add "Plack::Middleware::Static", path => qr/./, root => '/var/www';
    sub { [ 404, [ "Content-Type" => "text/plain" ], [ "Not Found" ] ] };
};

Congratulations, you just added your first Middleware. Assuming you have some static files located at /var/www, you’ll get the static files returned to your browser with the correct mimetype (thanks to Plack::Middleware::Static). Middleware just wraps your web app (a plain old Perl sub) with another plain old Perl sub. Middleware can do logging, pretty HTML stack traces, pre/post processing, or anything else you like. Simple, but immensely powerful.

Plackup

Plackup is a simple utility script that launches your web app with a specified server backend. By default it runs the pure-perl standalone development server. It expects your webapp to live in a file, similar to the ones we just created. Want to run your web app on another server backend? Try one of these:


plackup                                         # dev server with StackTrace and AccessLog enabled
plackup -s CGI                                  # remember how slow web apps used to be?
plackup -s AnyEvent                             # nonblocking
plackup -s Coro --port 9090                     # coroutines
plackup -s Standalone::Prefork --max-workers 20 # blazingly fast preforking ftw!

dev.localhost.localdomain.psgi

Here’s what the current per-site .psgi file looks like for PlebGUI:


use Plack::Builder;
use lib '/data/WebGUI/lib';
use WebGUI;

builder {

 # Populate $env from site.conf
 add 'Plack::Middleware::WebGUI',
   root => '/data/WebGUI',
   config => 'dev.localhost.localdomain.conf';

 # Handle /extras via Plack::Middleware::Static
 add 'Plack::Middleware::Static',
   path => qr{^/extras/},
   root => '/data/WebGUI/www';

 # Handle /uploads via Plack::Middleware::WGAccess (including .wgaccess)
 add 'Plack::Middleware::WGAccess',
   path     => qr{^/uploads/},
   root => '/data/domains/dev.localhost.localdomain/public';

 sub { WebGUI::handle_psgi(shift) };
}

What you can see there are 3 Middleware layers added in, one to set up the WebGUI site-specific environment, one to handle /extras static content, and one to handle /uploads static content (taking into account .wgaccess file permissions).

All of those plackup command variations above can be used to launch WebGUI outside of mod_perl. Prefer running inside of Apache? How about one of these:


<VirtualHost *:80>
 PerlOptions +Parent
 PerlSwitches -I/data/WebGUI/lib

 # CGI
 #AddHandler cgi-script cgi
 #ScriptAlias / /data/WebGUI/etc/dev.localhost.localdomain.cgi/
 #<Directory /data/WebGUI/etc>
 #   Options +ExecCGI
 #</Directory>

 # mod_perl
 #SetHandler perl-script
 #PerlHandler Plack::Server::Apache2
 #PerlSetVar psgi_app /data/WebGUI/etc/dev.localhost.localdomain.psgi

 # FastCGI
 FastCgiServer /data/WebGUI/etc/dev.localhost.localdomain.fcgi
 ScriptAlias / /data/WebGUI/etc/dev.localhost.localdomain.fcgi/

 # mod_psgi
 #<Location />
 #    SetHandler psgi
 #    PSGIApp /data/WebGUI/etc/dev.localhost.localdomain.psgi
 #</Location>

</VirtualHost>

Using those directives you can run WebGUI in CGI, mod_perl, FastCGI mode, or even the in-development mod_psgi Apache module.

Benchmarks

Ok so how fast are these different backends? Let’s use ApacheBench to do some simple, unscientific tests of how many requests per second we can squeeze out of WebGUI.

First we’ll start with WebGUI in its original, un-plebified form, running on the WRE (more is better):

$ ab -n 1000 -c 10 -k http://dev.localhost.localdomain:8081/ | grep ‘Requests per’
Requests per second: 122.77 [#/sec] (mean)

The result is of course completely dependent on your Apache configuration – in this case I have (StartServers, MinSpareServers, MaxSpareServers, MaxClients) = (5,5,10,20).

Ok, now have a look at these numbers:

$ ./ab.pl –app /data/WebGUI/etc/dev.localhost.localdomain.psgi
Testing implementations: AnyEvent, Standalone, Standalone::Prefork, ServerSimple, Coro
app: /data/WebGUI/etc/dev.localhost.localdomain.psgi
ab: ab -n 1000 -c 10 -k
URL: http://127.0.0.1/

– server: AnyEvent
Accepting requests at http://0.0.0.0:10001/
Requests per second: 68.06 [#/sec] (mean)

– server: Standalone
Accepting connections at http://0:10001/
Requests per second: 64.92 [#/sec] (mean)

– server: Standalone::Prefork
Accepting connections at http://0:10001/
Requests per second: 214.54 [#/sec] (mean)

– server: ServerSimple
Plack::Server::ServerSimple: You can connect to your server at http://localhost:10001/
Requests per second: 66.43 [#/sec] (mean)

– server: Coro
2009/10/11-23:17:32 Plack::Server::Coro::Server (type Net::Server::Coro) starting! pid(1581)
Requests per second: 67.55 [#/sec] (mean)

Did you see that? Standalone::Prefork is almost twice as fast as WebGUI in the WRE! The pre-forking server’s max-workers setting defaults to 10, so the comparison might actually be fair too.

Holy Shit

I think that’s worth repeating. PlebGUI, which is currently less than one week old and running on a compatibility layer optimised for “let’s just get this thing working and worry about performance later” is already capable of out-performing the WRE in terms of raw speed by 200%. (If you believe the benchmarks).

But Plack/PSGI is not just about speed. It’s about flexibility. Think Koen de Jonge, WebGUI hosting extraordinaire at Procolix, deploying a high availability “follow the sun” WebGUI cluster on Nginx servers. Think Colin Kuskie, WebGUI test suite overlord, probing the dark corners of the WebGUI API using standard HTTP::Request and HTTP::Response pairs through mocked HTTP and live HTTP servers. Think web developers working on WebGUI client code, with a web server fully integrated into Padre. Think WebGUI entirely deployable from the CPAN.

Think of every new project added to the PSGI/Plack ecosystem as a potential new PlebGUI feature.

Where to Now

The approach I took in turning WebGUI into PlebGUI was to create a fake Apache2::Request object, since that’s the closest thing WebGUI has to a server abstraction layer. Plack contains two helper classes Plack::Request and Plack::Response that make this really easy. Currently though, that leaves us in the curious situation where WebGUI does all of its work thinking it’s talking to mod_perl, only to have its real output re-routed through the PSGI-compatibility layer, to be subsequently processed by a specific server backend. If you don’t get the joke yet, just think about what happens when the PSGI server backend happens to be mod_perl.

The benchmarks would clearly improve if we ripped out mod_perl altogether. Lots of code would simplify too. Certain parts of WebGUI could disappear altogether, such as URL Handlers which could be entirely replaced with Middleware.

The only feature that PlebGUI currently lacks is content streaming. I deliberately left that out since it will be a lot easier to achieve once mod_perl disappears. In Plack land the way to drip-feed browsers with “chunked” content is to return an IO::Handle-like object that responds to getline() and close(). The Plack folks are planning a fancy new module called IO::Writer that will Do The Right Thing under both blocking and non-blocking servers. Expect awesome things.

WebGUI 7.8.1 (beta) released

2009-10-07T03:52:53+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.8 contains fixes for the Wiki, In/Out Board, Trash, Calendar, Carousel, Survey, Gallery, Thingy, Shop, EventManagementSystem, DataForm, WebGUI upgrades, Account, i18n, Syndicated Content, Image, a cleanup of the import node and Product. Gotchas: �� * The EventManagementSystem schedule template was accidently given �� the same namespace as the main EMS template.� This allowed the �� wrong template to be chosen for the main EMS template and the �� schedule template.� The upgrade from 7.8.0 to 7.8.1 will attempt �� to fix this when default templates have been used. �� * In the past, it was possible to leave WebguiRoot undefined �� or incorrectly specified, and WebGUI would still function.� It �� must now be properly specified, which means it must be configured �� in the global Apache section (outside any VirtualHost or �� Directory sections) and point to the correct WebGUI root �� directory.� For example: �� PerlSetVar WebguiRoot /data/WebGUI �� * WebGUI creates thumbnails for uploaded images.� The name for �� those thumbnail files is created by prepending "thumb-" to the �� name of the file.� If a file that start with "thumb-" is created �� then WebGUI would throw an error.� Starting with 7.8.1, files �� that start with "thumb-" will be renamed by removing that �� prefix from the filename. Changelog: �- mark $session->datetime->time as deprecated and remove its use from core code �- fixed: Wikis broken by 7.8.0 upgrade �- fixed #11024: In/Out Board Busted �- fixed #11025: Yo dudely in Wiki Keyword Search Template �- fixed #11027: trash warning but no trash-limbo warning �- fixed #11031: AssetProxy refering to trash-limbo asset �- fixed #11028: IOB: Not choosing status causes Problem With Request �- fixed #11029: enableStreamingUploads �- fixed #11018: no lowercase typing possible in addressbook �- fixed #11033: Calendar, recurring dates �- fixed #11038: My Carousel Broke �- fixed ExpireIncompleteSurveyResponses workflow sending one email per asset revision �- fixed #10994: Gallery: Problems with uploading ZIP-archives �- fixed #11032: The Thingy form field "otherThingy" not checking for privilege �- fixed #11037: Maintenance page is being cached �- fixed #11056: No history in wiki �- added RFE #10940: Force the user to pick a shipping method before checking out. �- fixed #10988: EMS Schedule -- Data Error �- fixed: DataForm allows edits when locked by another version tag �- fixed #11001: Shipping plugin returning nothing, causing price formatter to puke �- fixed #11059: WebGUI upgrade packages do not overwrite versions in the db �- fixed #11064: spelling error �- fixed #11062: subscriptionCode �- fixed #11061: SQLForm_fieldOrder �- fixed #11066: wrong definitions �- fixed #11070: i18n Asset_Navigation::assetsToInclude �- fixed #11068: ITransact_recurringStatus �- fixed #11075: product destroys variants �- fixed #11073: preview interchanges width and height properties �- fixed #11079: Datepicker, without times, does not highlight my birthday �- fixed #11071: Form::Date / Session::DateTime �- fixed #11076: WebGUI::Account::Friends message_rpp �- fixed #11067: My Purchases Detail Template - Status Message broken �- fixed #11081: Prop style in 7.8.0? �- fixed #11083: TGC template bug fixes, round #1 �- fixed #10544: Child assets under uncommitted parents �- fixed failure in test 250 of t/00_compile.t �- fixed #11084: option to view private profiles �- fixed #11082: Admin group in Visitor group? �- fixed #11049: form caching incorrectly �- fixed #11088: i18n Survey Section Information �- fixed #11087: SC asset repeats its own description in feeds �- fixed #10916: png icon �- fixed #11100: syncToCdn's help is not proper POD

Google Picasa Plugin for WebGUI Gallery

2009-10-06T18:39:47+00:00

Today we unveil the Google Picasa plugin for WebGUI Gallery.

WebGUI Content Managers Guide 7.7 Released

2009-10-05T14:04:32+00:00

The WebGUI Content Managers Guide 7.7 is now available for purchase.

Client side caching costs me cash.

2009-10-02T04:04:27+00:00

Working on a perl-based CMS, I get bitten by client-side caching a lot.

Adventures in migrating solutions

2009-10-01T20:41:15+00:00

GIT diff muscle

Lauralyn Ninow

2009-10-01T14:03:39+00:00

Name: Lauralyn Ninow

Padre::Plugin::WebGUI Tab Icons

2009-10-01T09:49:25+00:00

Version 0.03 of Padre::Plugin::WebGUI (my WebGUI plugin for the Padre Perl IDE) is on its way to the CPAN, with one small but rather nice feature: tab icons. Just as the plugin uses WebGUI’s native icons to display the Asset Tree for your site, you now get the same attractive icon in the tab that opens up when you double-click to edit something. Apart from the aesthetics, it’s handy to know at a glance what sort of asset you’re editing (WebGUI uses the same trick for the edit icons on your site when you turn admin mode on). I was hoping to be able to add hover-text too (in case you don’t recognise the Asset type from its icon) but thus far I haven’t figured out if wxPerl and/or Padre supports it.

The following screenshot shows a nice example of several tabs open at once with different WebGUI Asset types displaying their own icons.

Pagination

2009-10-01T04:53:13+00:00

Pages, pages everywhere.

WebGUI Roadmap

2009-09-30T15:42:57+00:00

The new roadmap is online.

WebGUI 7.7.21 (stable) released

2009-09-30T05:37:30+00:00

This stable release of WebGUI 7.7 contains fixes for the Calendar, DataForm, Thingy, Survey, Shop, In/Out Board, Code Editor, Wiki, Gallery, package imports, Trash, Clipboard, Subscription, and a general database clean-up. Gotchas: �� * The EventManagementSystem schedule template was accidently given �� the same namespace as the main EMS template.� This allowed the �� wrong template to be chosen for the main EMS template and the �� schedule template.� The upgrade from 7.8.0 to 7.8.1 will attempt �� to fix this when default templates have been used. Changelog: �- fixed #10998: wiki page locked? �- fixed #10924: Calendar event in last day of month does not display in month/day view �- fixed #10901: Calendar More Button/Display Box IE8 error. �- fixed #10954: DataForm fails silently �- fixed #10950: Thingy �- fixed #10976: Form::Date not internationalized /DateTime::setToEpoch �- fixed #11005: calendar feed workflow �- fixed #11008: Test::Class �- fixed #10990: Survey: View Transposed Results not working �- fixed #11009: Shipping address is lost after login �- fixed #11010: Purchasing non-recurring subscription twice does not extend group membership �- fixed #11011: Inherit URL from parent can generate bad URLs �- fixed #11022: Deleting user shows "TRUE" prompt �- fixed #11019: Ctrl-A blinks and deletes code in Code Editor �- fixed #11024: In/Out Board Busted �- fixed #11025: Yo dudely in Wiki Keyword Search Template �- fixed #11027: trash warning but no trash-limbo warning �- fixed #11031: AssetProxy refering to trash-limbo asset �- fixed #11028: IOB: Not choosing status causes Problem With Request �- fixed #11029: enableStreamingUploads �- fixed #11018: no lowercase typing possible in addressbook �- fixed #11033: Calendar, recurring dates �- fixed ExpireIncompleteSurveyResponses workflow sending one email per asset revision �- fixed #10994: Gallery: Problems with uploading ZIP-archives �- fixed #11032: The Thingy form field "otherThingy" not checking for privilege �- fixed #11037: Maintenance page is being cached �- fixed #11056: No history in wiki �- fixed #10988: EMS Schedule -- Data Error �- fixed #11001: Shipping plugin returning nothing, causing price formatter to puke �- fixed: DataForm allows edits when locked by another version tag �- fixed #11059: WebGUI upgrade packages do not overwrite versions in the db �- fixed #11064: spelling error �- fixed #11062: subscriptionCode �- fixed #11061: SQLForm_fieldOrder �- fixed #11066: wrong definitions

WebGUI 8 Performance

2009-09-29T15:09:36+00:00

WebGUI 8 is going to be the fastest version of WebGUI ever released.

Saving those precious finger joints, a new method in WebGUI will assuage your Laziness.

2009-09-26T15:49:31+00:00

When I was in graduate school, I interned at Hewlett Packard.

Padre::Plugin::WebGUI now with remote editing

2009-09-26T14:26:20+00:00

Up until now the WebGUI Padre plugin I’ve been working on has been more or less a proof-of-concept / toy / test-bed for experimental ideas. Whilst that has been fun (and made for good conference slides), the reality is that I haven’t actually been using the plugin for my daily WebGUI development, so how could I expect other WebGUI developers to do so?

I’m hoping to change that. As of today I’ve stripped out all the experimental features and concentrated on the single feature that seems to have the widest possible appeal, namely, remote editing.

Version 0.02 of Padre::Plugin::WebGUI, which is on its way to the CPAN, allows you to connect over HTTP to your webgui site, view you asset tree and edit your assets from inside the Padre text editor. That hopefully makes it as useful for designers and content managers as it is for developers.

Previously the plugin got most of its power from the WGDev library. However this meant that you had to install WebGUI and WGDev as a prerequisite. Given that the WRE ships with non-threaded perl, this meant either installing these prereqs into your system perl or building another perl specifically to run them. Not an overly arduous task, but enough of a hurdle to dissuade most WebGUI developers from playing with the plugin. That obstacle has now been removed. You do not need to have WebGUI or WGDev installed to run the plugin.

Using WGDev also meant that you could only connect locally to your site. That restriction is now gone.

Installation

Firstly, install Padre.

To allow your WebGUI site to talk to the plugin, add this content handler (WebGUI::Content::Padre) to your site and restart modperl (the easiest way to do this is to drop the module into your /data/WebGUI/lib/WebGUI/Content dir and add the new content handler to your site config file. There is also an install script that will do the site config editing for you).

Next install the plugin from the CPAN


cpan Padre::Plugin::WebGUI

Usage

Inside Padre, go to the Plugin Manager and enable the WebGUI plugin. You should then see a WebGUI item appear in your Plugins menu.

From the WebGUI menu, tick “Show Asset Tree” and double-click on “Connect” in the new panel that appears.

You will be prompted for the URL of the site you want to connect to. Currently you need to enter you the site in the form: http://username:password@site.com (later we will add a site manager to make this nicer). Remember that this can be any webgui site that you have access to, not just a local site.

You will then see the Asset Tree dynamically populated with information from your site.

Try double-clicking on an article.

A new file tab should open with the name set to the name of your article (with [wg] prepended). The article content will be loaded into to tab, with Padre’s HTML syntax highlighting in effect. If you have Padre::Plugin::HTML installed, you can use the Tidy/Lint/Validate the HTML to your heart’s content. And every time you hit Save, your changes will be pushed up to the site as a new Version Tag.

Try double-clicking on another sort of asset, for instance a Template. Once again, the template html will be loaded into a new tab with nice syntax highlighting.

And for fun, try opening up a CSS Snippet. The plugin will detect that your snippet is set to the ‘text/css’ mime type and use CSS code highlighting instead of HTML.

And similarly for JavaScript Snippets.

Design and Extensions

As far as Padre is concerned the file you are editing is just a regular file on your file system. For example when you edit the text, an asterisk (*) appears next to the name of the file indicating that you haven’t save it yet. The integration between the webgui content handler and the plugin is minimal, meaning that you could conceivably use this plugin to do remote editing on non-webgui sites too.

Padre has a nice architectural design, which makes it really easy for us to associate different WebGUI::Asset types with Padre::Document types. Currently most assets delegate to the default Padre::Document::WebGUI::Asset module which does HTML syntax highlighting and expects only generic content from the content handler running on your site. Padre::Document::WebGUI::Snippet has a slightly higher IQ level in that it asks the server to tell it what mimetype the asset is set to, so that it can use the appropriate syntax highlighter.

We could do some really interesting things by building asset-specific Padre::Document modules. For instance you could build a document type that uses fancy wxWidgets controls to do things that aren’t possible on the web (desktop integration etc..) And it’s just as easy to build these for your own custom asset types as it is for core ones. Given that Padre is cross-platform, you’re basically looking at a way of extending WebGUI interactions out into desktop-land.

If you’re a WebGUI designer/developer/content manager and you want to start playing with Padre::Plugin::WebGUI as a novel way of editing content, come find me on #webgui or #padre.

WebGUI 7.8.0 (beta) released

2009-09-23T05:30:23+00:00

WebGUI 7.8.0 is the first release in the 7.8 series.� It contains bug fixes for the Code editor, Wiki Page, Version Tags, Data Form, Calendar, Thingy, Subscription Asset, Survey and the Cart. Gotchas: �� !!! IMPORTANT !!! �� You must upgrade to 7.7.20 before upgrading to 7.8.0 Changelog: �- upgraded YUI to 2.8.0r4 �- fixed #10998: wiki page locked? �- fixed #10862: Version tag contents page �- added Subscribable AssetAspect to Wiki �- added direct value access in DataForm list view �- fixed #11003: Subscribable AssetAspect: no i18n �- fixed #11004: Subscribable AssetAspect: handling the subscription group �- fixed #10029: Account CSS rule scoping, round #2. �- fixed #11012: Code editor corrupts JS �- fixed #11019: Ctrl-A blinks and deletes code in Code Editor �- fixed #10954: DataForm fails silently �- fixed #10901: Calendar More Button/Display Box IE8 error. �- fixed #10950: Thingy �- fixed #11011: Inherit URL from parent can generate bad URLs �- fixed #11010: Purchasing non-recurring subscription twice does not extend group membership �- fixed #11009: Shipping address is lost after login �- fixed #10990: Survey: View Transposed Results not working

WebGUI Advances as Finalist for 2009 Open Source CMS Award

2009-09-21T15:58:58+00:00

Packt Publishing has announced that WebGUI is a finalist for the 2009 Open Source CMS Award in the Best Other Open Source CMS Category.

WebGUI 7.7.20 (stable) released

2009-09-16T04:05:19+00:00

The 7.7.20 stable release of WebGUI contains 38 bug fixes, for the Survey, Story Manager, Wiki, Ad Sales, EventManagementSystem, In/Out Board, Matrix, Shelf, Macros, i18n fixes, Workflow, ThingyRecord, Newsletter, Collaboration System and the Calendar. The new code editor, for Extra Head Tags, now works with Javascript and CSS.� The 7.7.19 upgrade had problems with many templates not being upgraded properly.� This release fixes that issue as well. Changelog: �- fixed #10982: Survey menu options appearing twice �- fixed #10890: Story Manager: pagination broken for keywords �- fixed #10856: no paginate in wiki keyword search �- fixed #10877: getProfileUrl() broken �- fixed #10878: Template issues in 7.7.19 �- fixed #10844: Ad Sales: No template variable Help �- fixed #10873: Code editor breaks CSS comments �- fixed #10884: EMS Lookup Registrant problem �- fixed #10883: Recover Password / Auth::WebGUI /getSiteUrl �- fixed #10892: In/Out Board �- fixed #10893: Code editor uses element-min.js �- fixed #10891: Asset manager JSON feed has macros processed �- fixed #10900: Matrix: Product Listing template �- fixed #10902: Shelf asset is whiny �- fixed #10879: Collaboration System Thread lose attachments �- fixed #10876: EMS Schedule displaying wrong dates for ticket events �- fixed #10915: StoryManager: Carousel clips content �- fixed #10907: profiles viewable by everybody �- fixed #10967: Using a round bracket (parenthesis) in a macro �- added custom box size to USPS driver, priority service �- fixed #10919: is visitor or is not visitor?? �- fixed #10920: addUser or addGroup? �- fixed #10921: different tags - same message �- fixed #10922: double tags �- fixed #10923: Typo in i18n �- fixed #10925: Wrong message in i18n �- relabel Help in the Admin Console to Template Help �- fixed #10928: EMS Print Ticket -- Time not processed for timezone �- fixed #10889: Old Matrixs break for Admin users �- fixed #10939: Commit with Approval workflow does not show confirmation screen �- fixed #10943: ThingyRecord JS Broken �- fixed #10941: New user profile fields with unfortunate names �- fixed #10955: Story Manager: unable to import packages �- fixed #10970: Newsletter Asset: no subscribe link �- fixed #10953: SendNewsletters Activity: Invalid template variable �- fixed #10913: User profiles: Impossible to delete field contents �- fixed #10929: EMS Ticket Start Date Sort �- fixed #10885: Code Editor breaks Javascript comments �- fixed #10991: Calendar: bug in Display tab

WebGUI 8 Todo List

2009-09-15T15:11:50+00:00

At the WUC I let everyone know some of the details about what's coming with WebGUI 8. Today, I posted the todo list for WebGUI 8 to the developers mailing list.

CSS Image Rollovers

2009-09-04T17:44:09+00:00

Do you use image rollovers? Do you still use Javascript to do it? There's a better way.

I'm a YUI Contributor!

2009-09-04T05:44:42+00:00

My experience becoming a contributor to the YUI project.