News Publisher 2.3.8

New Features & Enhancements​

• Change News Dates & Times
  • Added the ability to modify the news publish date & time.
  • Added the ability to update the last edit date & time for accurate record-keeping.
  • Ensured that the last update date cannot be set before the publish date.
  • Implemented restrictions on future-dated entries for consistency.
  • Timezone support added to ensure accurate timestamp conversions based on the user’s timezone.
• Latest News Widget: New Display Styles
  • Carousel Slider: A dynamic slider-based display for showcasing recent news. (Not designed for sidebar positions.)
  • Carousel Slider (Card Grid): A slider using the Card Grid display mode for a more visually engaging layout.
• Avatar Display Toggle
  • Added a style property setting to toggle avatars on or off in all display modes.
  • Available separately for: Card Grid, Compact List, Expanded List, and Standout Card Grid.
  • Provides per-style control without needing template edits.
• Styling Improvements for Card Grid Display Mode
  • Prevented news title from wrapping unexpectedly, ensuring layouts remain intact.

Changes​

• News view page now prioritizes the description field over message for metadata snippets.
• Open Graph and Twitter card images now use getCoverImage() instead of getThumbnailUrl(), providing a more reliable fallback for news thumbnails.

Bug Fixes​

• Fixed category permission classes not matching the correct formatter pattern.
• Fixed missing template causing the error: "Template email:xcu_nwp_watched_news_update is unknown".
• Fixed a missing phrase on News category permission page.
• Fixed a couple of missing phrases xcu_nwp_news_x_watched_news_updated and xcu_nwp_watched_news_update_email_html.

XenCustomize News Publisher 2.3.8 is Here! ​

We’re excited to bring you another feature update this month, packed with powerful new features, styling improvements, and bug fixes to enhance your news publishing experience!

One of the major updates in this release is the ability to change news dates and times. Admins and editorial teams can now modify both the publish date & time and the last edit date & time, ensuring greater flexibility and accuracy when managing news stories. To maintain consistency, the system prevents setting a last update date before the publish date, and future-dated entries are restricted. Additionally, full timezone support has been added, ensuring accurate timestamp conversions across different regions.

We have also introduced two new display styles for the "Latest News" widget! You can now showcase your latest news using a Carousel Slider, a dynamic scrolling display that enhances user engagement. Additionally, we’ve added a Carousel Slider (Card Grid) option, which retains the structured layout of the Card Grid while incorporating the interactive slider effect. These new styles are not designed for sidebar positions but work beautifully in larger widget areas.

Another requested feature in this update is the Avatar Display Toggle. A new style property now allows admins to enable or disable avatars across all display modes, including Card Grid, Compact List, Expanded List, and Standout Card Grid. This provides greater customization and control without needing to edit templates.

To improve the Card Grid display mode, we have also fixed an issue where news titles could wrap unexpectedly, ensuring a more consistent layout. Additionally, Open Graph and Twitter card images now use getCoverImage() instead of getThumbnailUrl(), improving the accuracy of image selection when sharing news on social media.

Finally, this release includes several important bug fixes, addressing issues with category permissions, missing email templates, and missing phrases. These fixes ensure smoother functionality and a more polished experience for both admins and users.

Special thanks to @80sDude and @SeriousRat for commissioning the new features.

Upgrade today and enjoy the latest improvements. As always, we appreciate your feedback, and if you find this update useful, don’t forget to leave a review!