I have released a JCE Utilties Mambot, that although will be used for popup images in JCE 1.1 (using a lightbox/thickbox method) is also capable of convertig old mosCE and exisitng JCE image popups to use this method. This is done inline as the page loads, content in the db is not affected.
This mambot also addressed an issue relating to embedded media in IE6 SP1 and IE7.
This mambot should be considered as beta code. It has been tested with Firefox 1.5, IE6 and Opera 9
Updated to 1.0.1
Included uncompressed version of JQuery for reference.
Added support for JCE Popup conversion from Image Manager 1.0.0 to 1.0.2
Fixed loading graphic path.
Click to enlarge
An example of a popup (in this case using the JCE Image Manager 1.0.4 method) converted into the lightbox type method.
Update : I have discovered a few things that may prevent this mambot from working properly :
Your template must use a valid doctype.
Some templates (like this one did) include an XML declaration. This prevents the mambot from working (for some strange reason).
Because the mambot uses javascript to convert the old popup code and register an onclick event for new popups, it requires that the page fully loads before doing this.
So, I've been blogging the development progress of JCE 1.0.5 and a litte bit about the new features in JCE 1.1, and I have also outlined a roadmap, which I have recently changed, and this might all be causing some confusion as to what is being released when. Forgive me, I'm a little new to all this.
JCE 1.0.5 was originally intended as a maintenance release, to fix a couple of bugs and smooth a few things out. Well, I have learnt an awful lot since the release of 1.0.4, working on 1.1, and trying to implement a lot of cool features that would make JCE more powerful and easier to use. When I started to look at the code of 1.0.4 and compare it to what I had been working on, I saw an opportunity to correct a lot of mistakes and optimize a lot of the functions. I had also been working on a little API that would help me in building and maintaining plugins, so I decided to take the stuff that was ready and build it into 1.0.4, releasing it as a 1.0.5 update. This started to look less and less like a maintenance release, so I made the decision to push it on to JCE 1.1.
I was also starting to feel increasingly obligated to those users who had subscribed (thank you!) to release a JCE version that had at least a few advanced member only features, before you all started demanding your money back!
This is what you can expect in JCE 1.1
The live_site/www bug has been fixed!
All Manager plugins now include sorting of the file list by type and by name (see a screenshot here as well as the ability to search the current directory for a file or files.
Draggable floating dialogs replace those horrible div layers for upload, rename etc. See a screenshot here
Manager plugins have heltips for common attributes (URL, Title, etc.). See a screenshot here
Most of the Manager icons have been replaced.
The Media Manager plugin will support mp3 (through Quicktime at the moment) as well as Real Media and Shockwave. A Media Manager with FLV support will be released for members soon after the 1.1 release. The option to use a script based insertion of the media object is also available, to counter the IE6/IE7 issue tha emerged recently.
I've tried to make things a little bit more secure where possible. I have also attempted to optimize and share as much code as possible.
The Image Manager plugin will be released to members only, non-members will ge the Image Manager Lite. Depending on how things go with regards to time, the Image Manager may begin using a lightbox type of popup. This will be compatible with lightbox itself, and existing popups will be converted on page load, until I can find a way to create a tool that can do this conversion to all old popups in the database.
JCE has been upgraded to use TinyMCE 2.0.6.1, and includes 2 new plugins - a Layer plugin, to create floating layers in your content, and a Style plugin, which allows you to edit almost any CSS style property. These are already available in the current TinyMCE version that ships with Joomla! 1.0.10.
The phpThumb and getID3 libraries have been updated.
I have had another crack at fixing the user directory feature that has not really ever worked for many users (according to the forum posts).
Attempted to make JCE produce more XHTML compliant code through better configuration of the TinyMCE editor. JCE now uses 'raw' encoding by default and all plugins have been configured to use a utf-8 charset.
I can't think of anything more to write at the moment.
Please be patient while I try and get JCE 1.1 together.
I'vr been experimenting with Lightbox and Thickbox, with the possibility ofusing one of these as a replacement for the Image Manager popups, and in the case of Thickbox, as an alternative for the Advanced Link popups too.
There are a lot of advantages to using a method like this instead of the current Image Manager popup method:
Thickbox and Lightbox popups degrade gracefully. If JCE is not installed, the link opens the image in a new browser window.
Either method will be compatible with bots like JoGadgets, or if you choose to include the Lightbox/Thickbox javascript without JCE.
The popup links are soooo much easier to create and edit.
It looks pretty good, and experinced users can hack the css file to change the way the popups look.
Here are some examples. These use Thickbox and Jquery (instead of prototype, scriptaculous and lightbox; included files are much smaller overall).
First off, thanks to everyone who has purchased a Member subscription so far. Your support is very much appreciated.
I want to take the opportunity to update you on the status of the JCE 1.1 release, as well as explain the reasoning behind the subscriptions.
South Africa has some of the most expensive broadband services in the world. An 'entry-level' 192kb/s (broadband???!!!) ADSL line, with 1GB shaped data allocation per month costs around R500 per month, thats about $76. Well, I can't afford this, let alone the 2 or 3GB that I'll probably need.
There is a little bit of a catch22 situation here - I need ADSL to properly and efficiently provide the support I want to be able to provide, especially to subscribers, but I need subscriptions to be able to afford the DSL (around 60 to pay for the DSL for a year). So thats where a major portion of the subscription funding will go.
One day, through your generosity and any extra paid projects I can think up, I hope to be able to do this full time....
As for the subscriptions themselves, and what you are subscribing for:
Your subscription is not a purchase of JCE or any of its plugins.
Your subscription gives you access to member only sections of the site, which will in turn grant you access to plugins, documentation, tutorials, forums etc.
Your subscription is vald for a year, and can be renewed when it has expired. People who purchase or have purchased subscriptions between the date they were launched and the release of JCE 1.1 will have their subscription extended by this time period.
Although there is not much available for subscribers yet, apart from a few forums, I hope to have a lot of extra stuff for you, to really make it worth your while! :)
You need to sign up as a registerd user before subscribing as a member.
So, as to JCE 1.1, I am pushing for a release date at the end of June. As I have said before, there will be 2 versions of each of the major plugins, one for everyone, and one for members. The member plugins will of course include more features and will be updated more regularly. There will also be a few plugins that will be available to members only, there will not be a general version at all, such as the Caption plugin and Template Manager.
Just a quick breakdown of some of the new features in JCE 1.1:
All of the 'Manager' plugins will have a few extra features, including file and folder list sorting and searching.
Members will have all the features of the current Image Manager, with resizing, thumbnailing and popups, as well as an Image Editor.
The Advanced Link plugin will have the ability to store 'Favourites' - links that you use often. This feature as well as the Search feature are available in the Member versions only. A Weblinks select list has also been added.
The Media Manager will support FLV and MP3 files through custom built Flash Players. I hope to extend this in future to allow for database driven playlists.
There are some other extras I am looking into, but can't commit to until I have figured out how to implement them!
A SpellChecker! Finally. Moxiecode have created a cool spellchecker for TinyMCE 2.0.6 which will be included.
I will keep you update over the next couple of weeks, and hopeto include some screenshots and maybe a video or two.
