ClassicPress Version 2.7.0 is Out!

We’re delighted to announce the release of ClassicPress 2.7.0!

This version introduces two new features and two significant improvements, as well as many other smaller fixes. The first new feature is known as “view transitions”. Its effect becomes obvious as soon as you navigate between different pages in the ClassicPress admin. This will now feel more like using a single page app.

The second feature is not immediately obvious, but can be found by going to Settings -> Reading. At the bottom of the list of options there is a new option to enable an object cache.

If enabled, your site will typically experience not only see a significant speed increase but will also make significantly fewer demands on the database, enabling it to scale much more easily.

Object caching is compatible with other forms of caching (like OpCache and page caching), but has a major advantage over page caching in that it will work for logged-in users just as much as those who are not logged in. (If your host doesn’t support the APCu module required for this to work, the setting will make this clear. We then suggest you ask your host to enable this, as it is generally quite a simple thing to add.)

Other Fixes and Updates

The two other particularly significant improvements relate to translations, which should now see sites not rendered in US English load much faster, and the Text widget. This has now been completely re-written in vanilla JavaScript with no jQuery or backbone.js. This is part of our continuing project to remove obsolescent libraries from ClassicPress to improve performance, reliability, and accessibility.

In addition, Version 2.7.0 also includes security fixes, library dependency updates and several other enhancements and bug fixes. Further details may be found on the forums.