Drupal Release: 7.30

TL;DR

Drupal 7.30 is primarily a documentation and bug fix release that addresses several issues with documentation clarity, fixes a critical regression affecting file attachments, and adds a security recommendation for the 'access site reports' permission. This release ensures better developer understanding through improved documentation and prevents data loss in file attachments when editing entities.

Highlight of the Release

• Fixed critical regression that was causing attached files and images to be lost when editing entities
• Added security recommendation regarding trusted roles for the 'access site reports' permission
• Significantly improved documentation for various hooks and API functions
• Fixed broken links in robots.txt file

Migration Guide

No specific migration steps are required for this release. Drupal 7.30 is a maintenance release that focuses on documentation improvements and bug fixes without introducing any breaking changes or requiring migration efforts.

If you experienced the file attachment loss issue (Issue #2305017), upgrading to this version will resolve that problem without requiring any additional steps beyond the standard update process.

Upgrade Recommendations

This release is highly recommended for all Drupal 7 sites, especially those that work with file or image attachments, as it fixes a critical regression that could cause data loss when editing entities with attached files.

The standard Drupal update procedure applies:

1. Back up your database and site files
2. Put your site into maintenance mode
3. Update your Drupal core codebase
4. Run the update script by visiting /update.php
5. Take your site out of maintenance mode

No special post-update procedures are required for this release.

Bug Fixes

Critical Bug Fixes

• Fixed file attachment loss regression (Issue #2305017): Resolved a critical regression where files or images attached to certain core and non-core entities were being lost when the entity was edited and saved.

Documentation Fixes

• Fixed broken robots.txt syntax checking link (Issues #2276469, #2290435)
• Improved documentation for various functions:
  • db_add_field() and related functions (Issue #2273337)
  • drupal_parse_url() function (Issue #2277623)
  • field_info_instance() function (Issue #2054189)
  • system_sort_themes() function (Issue #2248799)
  • xmlrpc_server() function parameter (Issue #1956782)
  • template_preprocess_user_profile() function (Issue #1369822)
• Enhanced hook documentation:
  • Added note to hook_field_formatter_settings_form() about when it is invoked (Issue #2268947)
  • Improved hook_help() documentation and moved it to system module (Issue #2263047)
  • Added documentation to hook_update_N() about sandbox parameter (Issue #2141221)
• Fixed testing documentation:
  • Removed nonexistent parameter from DrupalWebtestCase::assertNoLink docs (Issue #2267159)
  • Fixed documentation for assertField and assertNoField methods (Issue #2039449)
• Clarified that field_access() does not check entity access (Issue #2267411)
• Fixed documentation for DrupalDefaultEntityController entityCache variable (Issue #2098129)

New Features

No significant new features were added in this release. Drupal 7.30 focuses primarily on documentation improvements and bug fixes to enhance stability and developer experience.

Security Updates

Security Recommendations

• Added trusted roles recommendation for the 'access site reports' permission (Issue #2012468). This improves security guidance by recommending that this permission should only be granted to trusted roles, as it can expose sensitive information about the site.

• Updated Security topic coordinators section in MAINTAINERS.txt (Issue #2249025).

Performance Improvements

No specific performance improvements were included in this release. Drupal 7.30 focuses primarily on documentation improvements and bug fixes.

Impact Summary

Drupal 7.30 is primarily a maintenance release that improves documentation clarity and fixes bugs, with the most significant impact being the resolution of a critical regression that was causing attached files and images to be lost when editing entities. This fix prevents potential data loss and ensures content editors can safely edit content without losing attachments.

The documentation improvements significantly enhance the developer experience by providing clearer explanations of API functions, hooks, and their parameters. This leads to fewer misunderstandings and more efficient development.

The security recommendation regarding the 'access site reports' permission helps administrators make better decisions about permission assignments, potentially improving site security.

Overall, this release improves stability, prevents data loss, and enhances the developer experience through better documentation, making it an important update for all Drupal 7 sites.