eFront version 3.5.1 released

[periklis]

The new eFront version 3.5.1 is released. You can get it here
This versions addresses a number of bugs and introduces new features, the most important of which are:
- Updated Modules infrastrucure (see list here)
- Added user types infrastructure (see this post for details on what can be done with the new user types)
- Addressed an issue with certain versions of IIS crashing or not working properly;
- Added a reordering facility for professor to define the student's first page layout
- Administrator may set a url that the user will be redirected to after logout
- Added support for directly accessing resources, such as content, files, etc
- Restoring from automatic upgrade backups now uses optimised inserting function (speeded up about 100 times)
- Logins starting with numeric characters are from now on prohibited
- Fixed bug with quotes in content addition
- Server name is not hard-coded in configuration file anymore; instead, the offset is recorded

See the file CHANGELOG.txt inside the source for a complete list of bug fixes and updates

In order to update from the previous version, 3.5.0, you can follow these simple steps:
1. Download 3.5.1 source
2. Extract source at the same folder as the existing installation, so that new files overwrite old ones
3. Visit the page <efront url>/install/install.php (for example http://localhost/www/install/install.php)
4. Click on the "upgrade from previous versions" button and follow the on-screen instructions
Upgrade automatically backs up your database. However, you are strongly recommended to backup your data prior to installing the software

Enjoy!

[papagel]

And here is the full improvements log for v3.5.1:

=== Version 3.5.1 build 2677 ===
- Updated Modules infrastrucure
- Added user types infrastructure
- Addressed an issue with certain versions of IIS crashing when sending header("location:".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']);
- Added a reordering facility for professor to define the student's first page layout
- Logins starting with numeric characters are from now on prohibited
- Administrator may set a url that the user will be redirected to after logout
- Added support for directly accessing resources, such as content, files, etc
- Restoring from automatic upgrade backups now uses optimised inserting function (speeded up about 100 times)
- Fixed bug with quotes in content addition
- Server name is not hard-coded in configuration file anymore; instead, the offset is recorded
- Fixed a bug in importing lessons, which could cause images not to show correctly
- Forum messsages show the poster's avatar not the viewer's
- Added missing link to create unit when a lesson has only tests
- Changed empty units color so that it doesn't mix with inactive units
- Fixed a bug in deactivating units in IE6
- Fixed the link "start lesson" to not point to empty units
- Fixed user form in hcd not displaying skills and done tests
- Tests results always display in administrator and professor, regardless of test settings
- Statistics select lists do not overlap when names are too long
- Fixed possible problem when activating inactive tests
- Questions in questions order is not clickable any more
- Fixed a bug in navigation handles when navigating from tests to inactive units
- Added default link in CMS page and notice, to inform on lock-out possibility
- Fixed progress/success icon not displaying properly when deleting units
- Fixed current user type not selected, when different than default, in user's lessons list in administrator
- Fixed js error showing up in lesson statistics, when the lesson doesn't have any students
- Fixed bug when saving a test as new test: If the parent unit was inactive, an error message displayed
- Fixed wrong redirection when trying to add a content unit to a lesson with only test units
- Importing lesson does not reset lesson users
- Fixed an issue with certificate logos not being saved correctly
- Added support for setting the font size and style in the course certificates
- Updated lessons/courses list speed
- Added file metadata infrastructure
- Added unit (content) metadata infrastructure
- Fixed a bug where a student could apply a hack and turn himself to professor
- Fixed unsharing files bug when mysql in strict mode
- Setting the course_only flag for lessons is now done directly from the lessons list using an AJAX call
- Upgrade script updated to be more memory-efficient, better guard existing data and always auto-backup
- Backup/Restore processes are made more memory-efficient and less error prone
- Show Printer Friendly operations updated.
- Fixed users list in administrator's lesson options to properly sort based on whether they are part of the lesson or not
- Fixed bug in adding/removing all lessons to/from a user, where course lessons where considered also.
- lessons and courses in a different language than the user's are not displayed in the administrator's selection list in user's personal options
- Fixed bug with mass removal of courses from student, where in certain conditions a lesson may not have been removed
- Inner tables show/hide status is remembered with cookies
- Lesson options now includes a "show content tree" option
- Fixed bookmarks bug where bookmarks were not associated with the corresponding lesson

[skippybosco]

Thank you to the eFront for this new release and for all of their hard work making this product available.

Do you anticipate there will new developer documentation on the updated modules infrastructure?

[papagel]

The main modules manual at:http://www.efrontlearning.net/eFront_modules.pdf has been extended and updated to reflect recent modules changes.
Also, anyone can use the brand new modules as a quick-start for building their module.

[papagel]

We have created a small tutorial on the new system parameterization functionality.
You may check it in our wiki at: http://docs.efrontlearning.net/index.ph ... terization