Drupal Release: 8.1.0-beta2

TL;DR

Drupal 8.1.0-beta2 brings significant improvements to the migration system, entity management, and developer experience. This release includes over 80 bug fixes and enhancements, with major changes to the migration framework (now using plugins instead of config entities), improved CKEditor integration, and better test infrastructure. Key improvements include better entity reference handling, BigPipe performance optimizations, and enhanced documentation. This beta release continues to refine Drupal 8.1.x before its stable release.

Highlight of the Release

• Migration system refactored to use plugins instead of config entities
• CKEditor updated to version 4.5.7 with improved HiDPI icon support
• Entity reference fields now support auto-create bundle with multiple target bundles
• BigPipe performance improvements and bug fixes
• Added support for OPTIONS HTTP request method
• Improved test infrastructure with KernelTestBaseTNG

Migration Guide

Migration System Architecture Change

The migration system has been refactored to use plugins instead of config entities. If you've built custom migrations, you'll need to update your code:

1. Migrations are now plugins rather than config entities
2. The builder plugins and migration storage have been removed
3. Update any code that references the old migration config entity structure

API Changes

Several API changes require attention:

1. UrlGenerator::generate() has changed - review any code using this method
2. Replace deprecated entity_create() calls with direct calls to EntityManager::getStorage()->create()
3. Replace deprecated entity_create('node') with direct calls to Node::create()
4. Replace cacheUntilEntityChanges() with addCacheableDependency()
5. Update any code using format_plural() to use the proper translation functions

External Dependencies

External dependencies have been removed from the core repo and are now managed by Composer. If you're working directly with Drupal core code, make sure to run composer install to get all required dependencies.

Upgrade Recommendations

This is a beta release of Drupal 8.1.x and is not recommended for production sites. It's primarily intended for testing and development purposes.

If you're currently running Drupal 8.0.x and want to test this beta release:

1. Back up your site and database before upgrading
2. Test thoroughly in a development environment first
3. Be aware that downgrading from 8.1.x to 8.0.x is not supported
4. Report any issues you encounter to the Drupal issue queue

For module developers, this is a good time to test your modules against the upcoming 8.1.0 release to ensure compatibility and address any issues before the stable release.

Bug Fixes

URL Generation

Fixed an unexpected API change in UrlGenerator::generate() that could cause compatibility issues.

BigPipe Fixes

• Fixed issue where BigPipe caused PHP notices with JavaScript disabled on error pages
• Improved handling of the BigPipe no-JS cookie when JavaScript is re-enabled in a browser

CKEditor Issues

• Fixed issue where the image button didn't work unless width+height attributes were allowed
• Fixed issue with CKEditor using a separate cache-busting query string from Drupal's

Views Issues

• Fixed IntegrityConstraintViolationException when using an entity reference in a view with an entity reference display
• Fixed issue where adding a new Views filter and making it exposed returned user back to list of filters
• Fixed issue where "All Displays" option was shown even when there was only one display

Translation and Internationalization

• Fixed issue where content translation local tasks weren't displayed due to caching
• Fixed issue where language list was not correctly ordered when localized
• Fixed issue where local task link "Translate" was not translated
• Fixed issue with format_plural() function reference in internationalization documentation

Entity and Field Issues

• Fixed issue where EntityFieldRenderer breaks embedding in forms
• Fixed issue with PDO Exception in Node Search Plugin
• Fixed issue where boolean field "On label" and "Off label" were not translatable

UI and Display Issues

• Fixed issue where selecting 'Disabled' for blocks did not move them to the disabled region
• Fixed issue where permalink breaks in comments
• Fixed issue where jQuery Autocomplete applied "_renderItem" option only for first element on the page
• Fixed hardcoded "Permissions page" link in Admin > Appearance that breaks on subdirectory setup

Migration Issues

• Fixed issue where arbitrary files were created when migrating users with an empty picture
• Fixed issue where custom block titles were not imported in D6->D8 migrations
• Fixed issue where migrate process plugin did not save stubs to the idmap, leading to duplicates and broken references
• Fixed issue where vocabulary migration didn't obey field cardinality

New Features

Migration System Refactored

The migration system has been completely refactored to use plugins instead of config entities. This architectural change improves the migration system's flexibility and performance.

Entity Reference Enhancements

Entity reference fields now support auto-create bundle functionality when working with multiple target bundles, providing more flexibility when creating related content.

Entity Revision Support

Added an entity revision parameter converter and route enhancer, making it easier to work with entity revisions in routes and controllers.

OPTIONS HTTP Method Support

Drupal now supports the OPTIONS HTTP method, improving RESTful API capabilities and standards compliance.

Permission Proxying

Modules can now proxy permissions for other modules, allowing for more flexible permission management.

Entity Add Page Route Provider

A new route provider for entity add pages has been implemented, making it easier to create consistent entity creation interfaces.

Security Updates

Migration Permissions

Restricted migrate upgrade permission to user 1 (the site's main administrator) for improved security, preventing potential unauthorized access to sensitive migration functionality.

PHP Storage Security

Fixed an issue where PHP Storage was not defining a secret index, which could potentially lead to security vulnerabilities.

Performance Improvements

BigPipe Optimizations

BigPipe performance has been improved by optimizing how it handles no-JS cookies and by fixing issues that could cause unnecessary rendering.

Contextual Links and Quick Edit Optimization

Both Contextual Links and Quick Edit modules now only emit their data attributes when actually necessary, reducing page weight and improving rendering performance.

Caching Improvements

Fixed an issue where content translation local tasks were not getting displayed due to caching problems, improving cache effectiveness while maintaining functionality.

Impact Summary

Drupal 8.1.0-beta2 represents a significant step forward in the evolution of Drupal 8, with over 80 issues addressed across various subsystems. The most impactful changes are in the migration system, which has been completely refactored to use plugins instead of config entities, providing a more flexible and maintainable architecture.

For developers, this release brings numerous improvements to the API and developer experience, including better entity reference handling, entity revision support, and improved test infrastructure. The addition of OPTIONS HTTP method support enhances Drupal's RESTful capabilities.

Site builders will benefit from fixes to the Views UI, better handling of block placement, and improved translation functionality. Content editors get an updated CKEditor (4.5.7) with better HiDPI icon support and fixes for several editor-related issues.

Performance improvements in BigPipe, Contextual Links, and Quick Edit modules help make Drupal faster and more efficient. Security has been enhanced by restricting migration upgrade permissions and fixing PHP storage issues.

While this is a beta release and not recommended for production sites, it provides a preview of the improvements coming in Drupal 8.1.0 and offers an opportunity for testing and feedback before the stable release.