Perch Update 2.2
25 March 2013
We’ve updated Perch with a number of new features and bug fixes discovered through our support system. This is an update to Perch 2. Please read the full Perch 2.0 update notes if updating from Perch 1.
Do I need to install this?
This update is recommended for those experiencing the below issues, wanting to use the new features, and those wanting to receive technical support.
What does it fix?
This release fixes the below issues:
- Fixes bug with user-level settings (particularly lang prefs) not correctly overriding system-level settings
- Fixes a warning issued when
perch_search_form()was the first Perch function on a page - Updates PHPMailer to 5.2.4
What features does it add?
This release adds the following features:
- Adds page layouts (e.g. common headers and footers) with
perch_layout()andperch_layout_var() - Adds
perch_content_create()for creating a region in code - Adds customisable list columns when editing a region in list/detail mode
- Adds support for HTML5
data-attributes on templated form fields - Date fieldtype now supports
native="true"for using HTML5 date pickers - Date fieldtype now supports
time="local"for use withnative="true"to getdatetime-localfields - Adds
perch_page_pathtemplate variable (docs) - Reformats the system emails to use HTML and look a bit smarter
- Adds
format-both="true"option to template ID comparisons for formatting both sides of the comparison - New FieldType optional method
render_admin_listing()to support customisable list columns (above) - New
PerchAPI_SubmittedForm::throw_error()method for throwing a form error post-validation
What impact does it have for my clients?
This update should not have any impact on users unless they are experiencing the above issues.
A note about database connections
Forthcoming changes in PHP mean that Perch 2.1 now uses a different method of connecting to the database. As part of that, we’ve taken the decision to explicitly select a UTF8 character set for the database connection. If your site currently doesn’t use a UTF8 connection, and you use non-ASCII characters in your content, you can set Perch to use your old character set in the perch/config/config.php file. e.g.
define('PERCH_DB_CHARSET', 'latin1');
Where do I get the update?
Log into your account and re-download the files. The download has been replaced with the newest version.
Always make a back-up of your files and database before updating.
Unzip the download and replace your perch/core folder with the new perch/core folder. Perch will update itself when you log in.
A note about PHP versions
It’s good to periodically check your server software to make sure it’s up to date. You can find your version of PHP on the Diagnostics section of the Settings page within Perch. The current release of PHP is 5.4, and 5.3 is being discontinued as of March 2013. There is little excuse at this point to be running PHP 5.2, and it might be a good question to raise with your host if you are.