Backdrop 1.16.0 Release checklist

[jenlampton]

Scheduled for May 15, 2020 2pm PT

Pre-release tasks

• Merge minor release commits @quicksketch
• Move all unfinished issues to the next bug-fix release milestone @jenlampton
• Draft Release notes @jenlampton
  • Copy Preview release release notes, update as follows (in BOLD)
    • NEW Short, descriptive summary of the release
      • The Backdrop community is proud to release version 1.xx of Backdrop CMS, following our 4-month release cycle.
    • Note if any changes were made to files outside the core directory
      • No changes have been made to the .htaccess, robots.txt or default settings.php files in this release. Updating custom versions of those files is not necessary.
    • Note if updates (update.php) needs to be run
      • Use the text "The database update script does not need to be run."
      • or "It will be necessary to run the update script (located at /update.php) for this release."
  • Include UPDATED changelog since last version

Release tasks

• Update bootstrap.inc with version number @quicksketch
• Tag for release, and push tag to GitHub @quicksketch
• Branch for new minor number (e.g. 1.10.x) and push to GitHub @quicksketch
• Revert version number back on 1.x branch with minor number increased (e.g. 1.11.x-dev) @quicksketch
• Revert version number back on new minor number branch (e.g. 1.10.x-dev) @quicksketch
• Create release notes on GitHub, and publish release @jenlampton
• Unpublish preview release on backdropcms.org @jenlampton
• Update the front page download link on b.org @klonos
• Update the roadmap page on b.org @klonos

Post-release tasks

• Push the minor release to the Pantheon repository @quicksketch
• Create a PR to update the Platform.sh Backdrop repository @jenlampton
• Push the minor release to the Backdrop Composer repository @serundeputy
• Push the minor release to the TugBoat Backdrop repository @quicksketch
  • Update backdropcms.org to use the latest TugBoat @quicksketch
• Update the Backdrop Docker repository ???
  • Create a PR to update the Docker repository ???

Post-release Publicity + documentation tasks

• Tweet that a new release is out @stpaultim
• Publish draft blog post @klonos
• Send a newsletter via MailChimp @jelampton
• email katie@phpweekly.com for a note in the PHP Weekly Newsletter @jenlampton
• Update the Wikipedia articles @klonos
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backdrop_CMS
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_content_management_systems

Backdrop Website updates

• backdropcms.org
• api.backdropcms.org
• forum.backdropcms.org

See Also

• Bug-Fix Release Checklist

[jenlampton]

Draft release notes:

The Backdrop community is proud to release version 1.16 of Backdrop CMS, following our 4-month release cycle. This version contains a handful of new features and API additions, as well as the usual cleanup tasks, and usability improvements.

Notes for updating:

• It will be necessary to run the update script (located at /update.php) for this release.
• No crucial changes have been made to the .htaccess, robots.txt or default settings.php files in this release. There is, however, new documentation in the settings.php file containing examples of how to override configuration values. Updating custom versions of these files is not necessary, but may be helpful.

Major new features in Backdrop 1.16 include:

• Any configuration value can be overridden in settings.php [DX][BC] allow any config value to be overridden via settings.php #2805
• Autocomplete is now available on all link/path fields [UX] Enable autocomplete on all link/path fields #3764
• Disabled text formats can now be re-enabled [UX] Text formats: provide a way to re-enable disabled formats via the admin UI #1575
• Author and Date display can now be customized for each content type Allow per-content-type customization of author and date display (a.k.a.: "submitted_by in core") #2379
• Specific content types can now be excluded from the search index
  [UX] Add configuration to exclude node types from search indexing #4197

Usability improvements

• Double dashes in the menu parent select list have been replaced with a Middot [UX] Replace double dashes with middot in menu parent select list #4218
• Text filter configuration has been moved into modals [UX] move text filter configuration into modals #1032
• The password field is now hidden when the Notification checkbox is checked on the user account creation form Hide the password field when the Notification checkbox is checked on the user account creation form #4266

API additions

• A removed_blocks property has been added to the Layout class Add removed_blocks property to layout class (and use it for the Hero block) #4209
• A new theme_has_color_support() function [DX] Introduce a theme_has_color_support() function #4044
• Content can now have an active revision that is not the most recent revision (no UI included) [D8][WP][UX] Forward Revisions (API capabilities only) #4354
• Cacheing is now enabled for the core entity types: nodes, terms, and users [D8][PS] Integrate the functionality of the entity_cache module into core #74

Cleanup tasks

• Node actions code moved into a separate node.actions.inc file. Move node actions into node.actions.inc file #3807

[serundeputy]

Push the minor release to the Backdrop Composer repository @serundeputy

Looks like I don't have push access to the backdrop-ops/backdrop-composer repository any longer.

gff ~/code/backdrop-ops/backdrop-composer 
(1.x) └─ ∴ git push origin 1.x 
ERROR: Permission to backdrop-ops/backdrop-composer.git denied to serundeputy.
fatal: Could not read from remote repository.

Please make sure you have the correct access rights
and the repository exists.

@jenlampton or @quicksketch is that something you can fix for me?

[jenlampton]

@serundeputy weird, there were NO people with access! I've added you.

[klonos]

Lets close this one in favor of the checklist for 1.16.1: #4405