Drupal Release: 7.97

TL;DR

Drupal 7.97 Release

What's New: Drupal 7.97 is a minor maintenance release that fixes a PHP 5.x compatibility regression introduced by the use of the ::class constant, which is only available in PHP 5.5+.

Why It Matters: This release ensures continued compatibility with older PHP 5.x environments, preventing potential errors for sites running on legacy PHP versions.

Who Should Care: Site administrators and developers maintaining Drupal 7 sites on PHP 5.x environments should apply this update to avoid potential functionality issues.

Highlight of the Release

• Fixed PHP 5.x compatibility regression caused by ::class constant usage
• Improved stability for sites running on legacy PHP environments
• Continued maintenance support for Drupal 7

Migration Guide

No migration steps are required for this update. This is a standard maintenance release that can be applied following the normal Drupal update procedure:

1. Back up your database and site files
2. Put the site in maintenance mode
3. Update Drupal core files
4. Run the update script (update.php)
5. Take the site out of maintenance mode

No database schema changes or special procedures are needed for this update.

Upgrade Recommendations

This update is recommended for all Drupal 7 sites, particularly those running on PHP 5.x environments. While sites on PHP 7.x or 8.x may not experience the specific issue fixed in this release, keeping your Drupal installation up-to-date with the latest maintenance release is always a best practice for security and stability.

The update process follows the standard Drupal core update procedure and should be straightforward with minimal risk. As always, perform a backup before updating.

Bug Fixes

PHP 5.x Compatibility Fix

Fixed a regression issue (#3355216) that affected sites running on PHP 5.x versions. The issue was caused by the use of the ::class constant, which is only available in PHP 5.5 and later versions. This fix ensures that Drupal 7 remains compatible with the full range of PHP 5.x environments that it officially supports.

New Features

No new features were added in this maintenance release. Drupal 7.97 focuses on bug fixes and compatibility improvements.

Security Updates

No security fixes were included in this release. For the latest security information, always refer to the official Drupal security advisories.

Performance Improvements

No specific performance improvements were included in this release. The focus was on compatibility and bug fixes.

Impact Summary

Drupal 7.97 is a targeted maintenance release that addresses a specific compatibility issue with PHP 5.x environments. The impact is primarily positive for sites running on older PHP versions, as it prevents potential errors caused by the use of PHP 5.5+ syntax in previous releases.

This release demonstrates the Drupal project's continued commitment to supporting Drupal 7, which remains in extended support until November 2025. For organizations still running Drupal 7 sites, especially those on legacy hosting environments, this update helps ensure continued stability and functionality.

The changes in this release are minimal and focused, with only 10 changes across 4 files (7 additions, 3 deletions), indicating a targeted fix rather than extensive modifications.