With WoltLab Suite 5.3 we want to deliver upon our promise that we made with the introduction of the current license model in WoltLab Suite 5.2. We have primarily focused on using the extensive feedback on existing functions to adapt and improve them.
For new functions, we have placed great emphasis on integrating them meaningfully into existing functionalities and closing any gaps in order to provide both users and administrators with an overall better product. To ensure a smooth transition, we have avoided technical incompatibilities as much as possible during development.
2-Click Solution for External Content
External media, such as embedded videos, can supplement the content in a meaningful way and thus offer real added value for readers. However, the direct integration of third-party media is not always ideal for data protection reasons and, depending on the integrated service, may not always be desirable for technical reasons, such as page loading time on mobile devices.
For this purpose WoltLab Suite 5.3 implements an intermediate query that prevents the inclusion and execution of external content until the user has explicitly agreed to the loading of the content. This setting is valid for guests until the browser is closed, for logged in users the setting is saved via a user setting and can be reset there.
The link in the upper right-hand corner, in the example "www.youtube.com", is a direct link that can be used to directly access the embedded content. If desired, the entire functionality can also be completely disabled via a setting in the admin panel.
Global Thread Forms
Thread forms were previously introduced with version 5.2. They allow the administrator to define additional input fields for certain sub-forums. These input fields are displayed to the users at the beginning of the form to create a new topic. After the topic has been created, the specified values are shown before the actual text of the starting post. A weak point of the thread forms was the fact that they were bound to a specific sub-forum and could not be used conveniently for other forums. Also moving topics with filled out input fields from one forum to another became problematic.
With version 5.3 we introduce so-called global thread forms. These can be created independently of a specific sub-forum and then assigned to any number of sub-forums - and to all forums if desired.
Other Improvements
Authors of the underlying content are now highlighted in comments.
File attachments in audio format that are embedded in the content are displayed using an audio player and can be played back directly.
Starting with WoltLab Suite 5.3, email notifications will be validated once more to verify that the recipient is still eligible, protecting against situations where the recipient could have lost access to the content in the meantime. This should reduce the amount of unnecessary email notifications sent.
The possibility to jump to the top of the page via a button is now also available on smartphones and tablets. The button is faded in and out intelligently, so it is hidden when scrolling down and does not get in your way while reading content.
In the mobile version, the links of the footer menu are also accessible via the hamburger menu.
When moving or copying posts, the software now automatically suggests a title for the new topic to be created.
The schema.org micro data for topics has been revised to provide a more optimal coverage of forum threads by search engines.
