Community Builder 2.8.1 can be freely downloaded by all registered members

At Joomlapolis, we are proud to announce the new maintenance-release Community Builder 2.8.1, refining the functionality of CB 2.8 for online communities, with 10 new features to amplify user experiences and 21 issues fixed, some of which are significant improvements, especially for Joomla 4 sites.

With a vibrant user base and an unwavering commitment to open-source principles, Joomlapolis continues to empower hundreds of thousands community managers and dozens of millions users alike.

CB 2.8.1 is compatible with Joomla 4 (currently at 4.3.4) and Joomla 3.10* (currently at 3.10.12), as well as with all our latest CB add-ons.

Striving for Continuous Improvement, One Detail at a Time

While these may not be big changes, the small improvements in Community Builder 2.8.1 will make a noticeable difference. New features introduced by CB 2.8.1 include:

• Even More Flexible Profile Layouts: Enhancements in placeholder substitutions provide site administrators with a greater level of control over profile layouts. This subtle customization option adds new possibilities to user profiles.

• Fine-Tuned Joomla System Fields: We introduce publishing statuses control for Joomla system fields, reducing clutter on user profile edits by allowing the hiding of unneeded system information and settings.

• Embracing Enhanced Security: The inclusion of the W3C Web authentication plugin reflects our steadfast commitment to safeguarding user data and privacy.

• Database Collation Checks: A pragmatic tool for assessing database collations ensures a smoother and faster user experience by maintaining database integrity, now also on character-set collations for CB tables and columns.

• Dual CB Date Display: By imbuing CB date fields with dual functionality—displaying both age and birth dates—we foster deeper connections among users while displaying accurate dates if needed.

• Refined Aesthetics: While seemingly subtle, the optimization of CSS styles on specific CB pages contributes to a more harmonious and precise visual experience.

Improving Stability and Future-proofing

Beyond these improvements, Community Builder 2.8.1 diligently includes 21 pertinent bug fixes, the most important being:

• Form Token Enhancement: We bid adieu to form timeouts with the inclusion of missing keep-alive form tokens rectifying the issue of timeouts in forms, and allowing for uninterrupted user engagement when users get … interrupted for a long time while filling in a form.

• Enhanced Joomla 4 Compatibility: We ensure Joomla 4 compatibility remains seamless by also saving Joomla user parameters on CB profile edits.

• Multi-Language Compatibility: Multi-language sites within Joomla 4 receive the attention they deserve, as we resolve a Joomla 4 compatibility issue to foster inclusivity.

• PHP 8.2 Support: By fxiing PHP 8.2 deprecation notices, we guarantee sustained performance on modern server environments and future-proofing for next PHP 8.3.

• Smoother User Importing: We enhanced user management through improved user importing, streamlining data formatting and error detection during user imports.

A Gentle Push Toward Progress, Stability and Security

For Joomla 4 and Joomla 3.10* sites, Community Builder 2.8.1 is a highly recommended upgrade. The cumulative refinements and fixes reflect our commitment to enhancing the backbone of millions of online communities.

We're proud to note that the features introduced in CB 2.8.1 were carefully rolled out to our community one by one through our famous nightly releases. This meticulous approach ensures that these features are now stable and well-tested in real-world scenarios. Your upgrade should thus be seamless, benefiting from the proven reliability of Community Builder in the field (standard disclaimer: better be safe than sorry: As usual, regular backups are always highly recommended!).

For a comprehensive overview of the changes introduced in Community Builder 2.8.1, please refer to the complete changelog. If you are upgrading from an older CB release before CB 2.8, you may also benefit from reading the CB 2.8 announcement.

* By the way, if you are still on Joomla 3, we strongly encourage you to consider upgrading to Joomla 4 at your earliest convenience.

Empowering Communities Together

This maintenance release underscores our unceasing mission to offer a platform that enhances the very core of community interaction. By opting for a Membership and/or making a modest Donation, you play an integral role in the advancement of Community Builder and in the collective evolution of Free, open, and thriving online community spaces.

Shape Your Space, Embrace Evolution - Explore Community Builder 2.8.1 along with all our CB Add-ons Today on our CB Demo Site.