SilverStripe releases CMS and Framework 3.0 final beta

The much anticipated SilverStripe open source content management system 3.0 beta 3 was released yesterday and is feature complete and ready to download now.

The latest version boasts a modern and clean UI with a lot of under the hood improvements. Extensive user testing led to major interface improvements in the back end, while inserting media into the content is now easier than ever. With the release of SilverStripe 3 comes the SilverStripe Framework, which is now separated from the CMS.

Here is what’s new:

The administrative interface

• The latest version provides a brand new CMS UI for an even better user experience. The UI was reworked based on the results of several usability tests. Content editors just need basic text editor experience to keep their content and site structure up to date.
• List-view for page editing helps to structure site parts that have a lot of content and sub sites, such as the blog, in a user friendly way without rearranging the site tree.
• To embed media from YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo and many other sites, the administrator simply inserts the item's URL and the CMS will import it automatically.

The code

• The new version released the Framework from the CMS  which is now usable as its own entity. An important tool for all developers who want to create more than just a website.
• Lots of developer API’s have been replaced, improved or newly created. Among the new API’s is GridField, which allows users to manage and display complex data in easy to use tables.
• In 3.0, SilverStripe now works with PHP 5.3+ in order to take advantage of all the PHP 5.3 features.
• Namespace support within the code will help to maintain a larger amount of modules.
• Beta 3 comes with a responsive default theme provided by the winner of the SilverStripe Theme Contest.

For a detailed list of all the features and changes in this release, please check the changelog and Silverstripe's upgrading guide. This screencast demonstrates what the new version looks like.

SilverStripe calls on all developers and designers using 3.0 to report on any bugs they experience. The stable version is expected to launch in the next few months.