Welcome 2023, we’d like to celebrate the new year with a new feature highlight: OpenStreetMap (OSM). It will be the default map provider for Solidres (planned for v2.14.0) in addition to Google Maps. OSM configuration is a lot simpler than Google Maps (no need to enable billing to use it like Google Maps). Our plan is to add OSM into the core version first, then we will continue adding it into commercial Solidres extensions.
Dependent on your current installed Joomla 3rd extensions, upgrading from Joomla 3 to Joomla 4 could be a very simple or complicated task. It is a major update, so please plan for it carefully, always make a complete backup of your site first (files + database), and perform the upgrade in a test/staging site before the production site.
For Solidres, it is best to upgrade Solidres and all Solidres extensions (templates/modules/plugins) to the latest versions that were released before Nov 30, 2022. Then upgrade to Joomla 4 and Solidres and all Solidres extensions that were released afterNov 30, 2022.
For other Joomla extensions installed on your site, it is best to consult the developer for more information. You can also disable all of them before upgrading to Joomla 4 to avoid potential incompatibility issues.
This version is a major release with Joomla 4 and PHP 8 support. We replaced the old Warp template framework with Helix Ultimate. It is already available for download in our Download page for all active BUNDLE/HUB/DEVELOPERS subscribers.
We also developed a new Tabs module (mod_sr_tabs) to replace the out of date Tabs GK5 module.
After this release, we will focus on porting other (but not all) templates to the new framework, the next candidate is Infinity template.
Solidres v2.13.0 is under heavy development with a lot of changes, we’ve reached a state where it is not possible to support both Joomla 3 & 4 in a single code base. We decided to drop Joomla 3 support in Solidres v2.13.0 and focus only on Joomla 4+ from now on.
From our own experience, upgrading from Joomla 3 to Joomla 4 is not always a straight forward process, so please plan for the upgrading carefully, always make a full backup before upgrading. Upgrading should not be done in your live/production site, you should perform the upgrading in a staging/cloning site first.
We also have a good news for our template users: Greenery v2.0.0 with Joomla 4 support is 90% done, we are finalizing the last details as well as testing it against Solidres v2.13.0. Please check our blog regularly for more news.
