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ocPortal Version 5 final released

mike-johnston Profile

ocProducts are pleased to announce the full release of ocPortal Version 5, our highly advanced web content management system. This follows a short release candidate version. This version introduces a number of bug fixes, new features, usability improvements, and a wide-sweeping design overhaul since version 4.3.2.

There are a number of key changes and additions within this version of the software; The Admin zone has been given an overhaul including new drop down menus and a much more useful front page. Design change highlights include :

  • A complete redesign of the Gallery system (we know this is going to make a lot of people very happy)
  • The member profile screen has been completely redesigned
  • A restructuring of the member points screen, making the points system far more intuitive.
  • The quiz screen has been redesigned
  • Just about every side block has been revised
  • A brand new commenting interface

We have given an overhaul to commenting, RSS and ratings features. These include allowing guests to choose a display name and improving the previewing of reviews. ocPortal version 5 has been thoroughly tested with IE6 and should display properly on this browser. We do however expect to drop support for IE6 once IE9 is released.

We have put a great deal of work into the ocPortal themeing system, with the aim of making it much easier for users to make their site look just how they want it to. Users can now preview all of the templates they are working on without needing switch between several screens. Other themeing features include making it easier to edit the site logo across all zones & themes, alongside new CSS styled buttons. In addition to the aforementioned template screen preview system, you can methodically work through all the screens in the system in order to ensure your theme looks good.

The ocPortal gallery system has seen a raft of changes, including an improved edit screen and the ability to provide automatic video transcoding (this requires that ffmpeg is installed). There have also been changes and updates within the quiz feature, the events calendar, the catalogue system, the newsletter manager and CEDI.

We have added a new feature that we call “Real-time rain”, which allows you to visualise activity in your website, either in real-time or via historic playback, which you would otherwise only ever see in the form of plain-text logs. This feature is enormous fun for webmasters and is incredibly pretty.

We have made many more changes in addition to those listed above, which are too numerous to include here. If you would like more information (and we hope you do) please come and have a look at everything we have been working on over the last few months; you can find the Full release information at http://ocportal.com/site/news/view/new_releases/ocportal_5_released.htm