Drupal Release: 8.3.6

TL;DR

Drupal 8.3.6 is a maintenance release that addresses several bugs and improves documentation. Key fixes include resolving a path alias cache issue, preventing view display deletion when resaving, fixing contextual links, and improving the Settings Tray module's UI and animations. This release also adds workflows module to the issue queue and makes various documentation improvements.

Highlight of the Release

• Fixed critical issue where path aliases could be forgotten after cache rebuilds
• Fixed bug where resaving a view display could result in its deletion
• Improved Settings Tray UI with better animations and visual appearance
• Added workflows module to the Drupal issue queue and MAINTAINERS.txt
• Fixed field configuration property constraints

Migration Guide

No migration guide is necessary for this minor maintenance release. The changes are primarily bug fixes and documentation improvements that don't require special migration steps.

For users experiencing issues with path aliases being forgotten after cache rebuilds or problems with view displays being deleted when resaved, upgrading to this version is recommended as it addresses these issues.

Upgrade Recommendations

This is a maintenance release that fixes several bugs, including some that could impact site functionality (path alias caching issues and view display deletion).

Recommendation: All sites running Drupal 8.3.x should upgrade to this version to ensure stability and proper functionality.

The upgrade process should follow the standard Drupal minor version update procedure:

1. Back up your database and code
2. Put the site in maintenance mode
3. Update the codebase
4. Run database updates (update.php or drush commands)
5. Clear caches
6. Take the site out of maintenance mode

No special steps are required for this particular update as it doesn't contain breaking changes.

Bug Fixes

Critical Bug Fixes

• Path Alias Cache Issue: Fixed a race condition in CacheCollector that could cause path aliases to be forgotten after a cache rebuild (Issue #2879512).

• View Display Deletion: Fixed a critical bug where resaving a view display would result in its deletion (Issue #2897576).

Other Bug Fixes

• Contextual Links: Fixed an issue where contextual links support options but weren't using them to generate links (Issue #2892942, later reverted).

• Settings Tray UI:

  • Fixed unintentional animation of the body while Settings Tray is installed (Issue #2896143).
  • Improved the white toolbar background when in edit mode to be less distracting (Issue #2894427).

• Field Configuration: Fixed broken FieldConfigBase::setPropertyConstraints() and addPropertyConstraints() methods (Issue #2541228).

• Test Reliability:

  • Fixed random failures in LocaleTranslationUiTest::testStringTranslation (Issue #2891911).
  • Fixed issue where several methods theoretically added to TestInfoParsingTest were actually not added (Issue #2893371).

• Off-Canvas Block Form: Improved the block form to hide the Title input unless it will be displayed and changed the label to "Block Title" (Issue #2882729).

New Features

No significant new features were added in this maintenance release. The main focus was on bug fixes and documentation improvements. The only notable addition is the workflows module being added to the Drupal issue queue and MAINTAINERS.txt, which formalizes its status as a component in the project.

Security Updates

No security fixes were explicitly mentioned in the release notes. This appears to be a standard maintenance release focused on bug fixes and documentation improvements rather than security issues.

Performance Improvements

No specific performance improvements were highlighted in this maintenance release. The focus was primarily on bug fixes, documentation improvements, and UI enhancements.

Impact Summary

Drupal 8.3.6 is a maintenance release that addresses several important bugs and improves documentation. The most significant fixes resolve issues with path aliases being forgotten after cache rebuilds and view displays being deleted when resaved - both of which could cause serious problems for site administrators.

The release also improves the Settings Tray module's UI by fixing animation issues and making the toolbar less distracting in edit mode. These changes enhance the content editing experience.

For developers, the release fixes issues with field configuration property constraints and improves documentation for deprecated functions and the Events API. The addition of the workflows module to the issue queue and MAINTAINERS.txt formalizes its status as a component in the project.

While this is not a feature release, the bug fixes are important for maintaining site stability and improving the user experience. Sites running Drupal 8.3.x should upgrade to this version to benefit from these improvements.