SLB 2.0: Release Candidate 2

By Sol in Lab

Update: Simple Lightbox 2.0 has been released.  Get it now!

The first release candidate of Simple Lightbox 2.0 was met with very positive feedback. Release Candidate 2 takes that feedback and optimizes things even further for an even better lightbox.

Release Candidate?

For the uninitiated, a release candidate is a version that is considered ready for official release. All features are finished and there are no known bugs. As there are many users who depend on Simple Lightbox to work without issues, release candidates are vitally important to make sure the kinks are worked out before releasing a new version to the masses.

Direct to your dashboard

This release marks the first time SLB 2.0 will be accessible directly via WordPress’ admin dashboard. SLB is used on a huge variety of WordPress websites so this will open up testing to many more users. It may also expose some issues with various setups and configurations, which is exactly what we need right now before the final version is released.

While quite stable for the hundreds of brave testers that have been enjoying beta versions of SLB 2.0 for several months via GitHub, installing release candidates is not for the faint of heart. As with any prerelease version of any software, it is highly recommended that you test SLB 2.0 Release Candidate 2 on a staging server prior to updating your production site. As an added precaution, SLB even provides a beta notice on the plugin listings page so that no user is caught unaware.

Simple Lightbox Beta Notice

Simple Lightbox Beta Notice

Optimizations

As previously mentioned, this release was completely focused on optimizations.

JavaScript loaded in footer

SLB’s JavaScript code that controls the lightbox functionality is now loaded in the document’s footer instead of the header. This will help pages to load faster.

Props to SLB user scruffy1 for nudging me to move JavaScript loading to the footer. The truth is that I thought this was already implemented in a previous release, but it never made it in. Now it is, and it is good.

A More Flexible Viewport

SLB 2.0RC1 unlocked the viewport so that, in addition to being fully responsive in mobile browsers, users can still pinch and zoom in on the lightbox if they want to get a closer look. RC2 adds even greater flexibility by supporting non-conflicting settings that a responsive theme may be implementing. The result is increased compatibility with your responsive WordPress theme and an all-around smoother lightbox experience.

Ready for Translations

Now that SLB’s UI is locked down for v2.0, the time was right to generate a new POT file for localizing SLB. If you would like to provide a translation, simply fork SLB on GitHub and submit a pull request with your translation file.

Check out WordPress’ official documentation to learn more about WordPress internationalization.

2.0 Final: Coming Soon

It’s totally cool if you’re not comfortable with installing a beta version or even a release candidate on your site. You’ll just have to hold off from experiencing SLB 2.0 goodness for just a little bit longer while our brave testers kick the tires on these release candidates.

If you are feeling brave though, install SLB 2.0RC, and send your feedback!