Craft CMS is a content management system that makes building and managing websites easy. It is a popular choice among developers and content creators because of its flexibility, ease of use, and extensive range of features.
Craft CMS 4.4 is the latest version of the platform, released in March 2023. This update introduces several improvements to authoring, accessibility, development, and performance. It also marks the beginning of Craft’s entrification transition, streamlining the platform’s features and making it easier to use. In this article, we will delve deeper into these updates and discuss how they can help developers and content creators in their work.
New features in Craft CMS 4.4
1. Authoring Improvements
a) Revamped volume folder navigation
The path to the selected folder is shown above the listing in asset indexes, where folders are now displayed in line with assets within the listing pane. Moreover, drag-and-drop has been improved.
b) Structure view mode
There is now a specific view mode for categorizing and presenting the entries in structure sections and category groups.
c) Sharable searches
The active search query is now updated in element indexes’ URLs, enabling sharing of the most recent search results with a colleague.
d) Entry revisions page
A “See all revisions” menu item that directs to a specific Revisions page that details all of the entry’s alterations is now shown for entries with more than 10 revisions.
e) Dismissible tips
Since custom tips and warnings have been counted to field layouts, creators can mark them as dismissible and hide them.
f) Dynamic relation condition rules
The project configuration now supports dynamic Twig templates that output the relevant element’s ID for relation condition rules.
2. Development Improvements
a) Letterbox transforms
The letterbox effect can now be used to image transformations.
b) Unified variable dumping
All variable dumps now use Symfony VarDumper. There’s also a new {% dump %} Twig tag.
c) Simplified licensing rectification
Most licensing issues are now covered in one control panel alert, with a link to Craft Console that generates a new cart.
d) Private plugins
It is now possible to develop plugins that bypass licensing checks.
3. Entrification
a) Entrify commands
As well as any Categories/Tags fields, new CLI commands entrify/categories, entrify/tags, and entrify/global-set enable seamless conversion of category groups, tag groups, and global sets to sections.
b) Maintain Hierarchy settings
The “Maintain Hierarchy” settings in the entries and categories fields now control whether they will function historically as category fields.
c) Single preloading
Like global sets, a new preloadSingles config setting makes all Single section entries available to Twig templates by their section handle.
Craft CMS 4.4 also comes with many more features that improve the performance and stability of the CMS.
Craft CMS 4.4 update is available to download from the control panel or by running composer update or PHP craft update from the terminal. With these new features, Craft CMS offers developers and content creators an exceptional content management experience.
Benefits of Craft CMS 4.4 for Developers
Craft CMS 4.4 offers several benefits for developers, ranging from increased authoring efficiency to improved website performance.
One of the primary benefits is increased authoring efficiency. The new features in Craft CMS 4.4, such as,
- Revamped volume folder navigation
- Structure view mode
- Sharable searches
- Entry revisions page
- Dismissible tips
- Dynamic relation condition rules
All work together to make the authoring experience more streamlined and user-friendly. It means developers can spend less time on administrative tasks and more time creating quality content.
Craft CMS 4.4 also offers a better development experience. Developers can work more efficiently and effectively with new features like letterbox transforms, unified variable dumping, simplified licensing rectification, and private plugins. The entrification transition also allows developers to simplify and make their projects more manageable.
Enhanced website performance is a further advantage of Craft CMS 4.4. Website load times can be rushed up using the single preloading functionality, which allows Twig templates to access all Single section entries by their section handle, exactly like global sets. The enhanced asset index and the streamlined licensing rectification can also help the overall website performance run more smoothly.
Overall, Craft CMS 4.4 offers a range of benefits for developers, making it a powerful and efficient tool for creating high-quality websites.
Is Craft CMS 4.4 any good?
Craft CMS 4.4 has received positive user reviews for its new and improved features. The revamped volume folder navigation, sharable searches, and simplified licensing rectification are some of the features that users have praised. In addition, the new entrification transition has also been included by developers.
Users have praised Craft CMS’s flexibility, user-friendly interface, and robust security features. In addition, craft CMS is known for its scalability and ability to handle complex websites easily compared to other CMS platforms.
Craft CMS has a committed user base despite being less well-known than competing CMS platforms like WordPress. As a result, in recent years, it has become more well-liked. Its most current upgrade, Craft CMS 4.4, is evidence of its dedication to enhancing its platform and giving consumers the most incredible experience possible.
How to upgrade to Craft CMS 4.4
If you’re persuaded that Craft CMS 4.4 is the right fit for your website or application, here’s a guide to help you upgrade to the latest version.
- It’s always a good idea to back up your website before performing any significant updates. This way, you can revert to the previous version if anything goes wrong.
- Ensure your server meets the minimum system requirements for Craft CMS 4.4. For example, you’ll need PHP 7.4 or higher, MySQL 5.7 or higher, and other service requirements.
- Update all plugins to their latest versions to ensure compatibility with Craft CMS 4.4.
- To upgrade from the control panel, go to “Settings” and then click “Updates.” You’ll see an option to update to the latest version of Craft CMS. Click on “Update” to begin the upgrade process. Make sure to follow the instructions carefully.
- Use Composer to upgrade from the terminal. Run the composer update command while in the root directory of your website. All dependencies, including Craft CMS, will be updated.
- After upgrading, thoroughly test your website or application to ensure everything functions properly.
Upgrading to Craft CMS 4.4 can be done fluently if you follow these steps carefully.
Final Lines
The latest Craft CMS 4.4 comes with several new features and improvements that enhance the authoring experience, streamline development processes, and improve website performance.
The revamped volume folder navigation, sharable searches, and entry revisions page, among others, make authoring more efficient. The new development improvements, such as letterbox transforms and simplified licensing rectification, offer a better development experience. Improved website performance is acquired by maintaining hierarchy settings, single preloading, and dynamic relation condition rules.
Craft CMS 4.4 has received positive reviews from users who have praised its new features and improved performance. It is also worth noting that Craft CMS compares favorably to other CMS platforms. Therefore, developers are encouraged to upgrade to Craft CMS 4.4 to take advantage of the new features and improvements for improved website development and performance.
