Perch Update 3.0

We’ve released a new major version of Perch and Perch Runway.

Do I need to install this?

This update is recommended for all users. It makes a number of much requested improvements, adds new features and is the basis of all future Perch updates. The Perch v2 series will no longer be updated, so you need to be on v3 in order to receive future updates. Perch 2 license keys work with Perch 3 – it’s a free upgrade.

What does it fix?

This release fixes a great many ongoing issues, including the below issues:

• Fixes an activation bug in PHP 7.1
• perch_page_attribute() now works with suppressed tags
• Fixes bug with validation on multiple forms in the same template firing on all forms at once
• Fixes bug with auth plugins and the admin role being assigned enough privileges
• Fixes bug where image quality wasn’t applied correctly when resizing with Imagick

What features and improvements does it add?

This release adds the below new features and improvements:

• New user interface
• force_ssl and force_non_ssl now issue a 301 permanent redirect status
• New perch_page_get_attribute() function
• PERCH_XHTML_MARKUP is now false by default
• Adds PERCH_TRANSLATION_ASSIST debug mode
• Adds template filters behind PERCH_TEMPLATE_FILTERS switch
• Adds config flag for PERCH_FEATHERS, off by default
• If EXIF is available, JPEGS are rotated based on the Orientation EXIF metadata
• Adds shortcodes
• Adds new SimpleMDE editor option
• Adds built-in Redactor II editor option
• Page functions now accept content array using the data option
• Runway: routing tokens can now span multiple segments e.g. [year/i/i/slug:postSlug]
• Runway: Adds edit notifications
• Runway: Adds PerchSystem::use_error_page(404);
• Runway: Adds headless mode
• Runway: Adds site behind login mode
• Runway: Adds site offline mode
• Runway: Adds collection importers

What impact does it have for my clients?

This update includes a completely revised user interface, and so clients will require some warning and possibly a brief walk-through of the changes.

Where do I get the update?

Log into your account and re-download the files. The download has been replaced with the newest version.

Follow the upgrade instructions for Perch or Perch Runway

Important note

The new version requires PHP 5.4, but you should always run the newest release of PHP available to you. We always advocate updating your staging or development copy of the site and testing the changes first. We do not recommend updating a live site without checking everything’s going to work first.

Previous updates

Perch and Perch Runway are typically updated a few times each month. View a full list of updates to see what you’ve missed.