Drupal Release: 8.8.0

TL;DR

Drupal 8.8.0 introduces significant improvements to content management workflows with a stable Media Library, path alias system restructuring, and enhanced Workspaces functionality. This release focuses on modernizing the frontend with jQuery UI component deprecations in favor of more modern alternatives, while also improving performance, accessibility, and developer experience. Key highlights include the new experimental Claro admin theme, improved content moderation, and better integration between Workspaces and Content Moderation modules.

Highlight of the Release

• Media Library module is now stable and ready for production use
• New path_alias module restructures the path alias system
• Integration between Workspaces and Content Moderation modules
• New experimental Claro administration theme
• Deprecation of several jQuery UI components in favor of modern alternatives
• Performance improvements for sites with heavy content editing
• Enhanced accessibility for screen reader users
• Improved Composer integration with better scaffolding

Migration Guide

Path Alias System Changes

The path alias system has been restructured into a new path_alias module. This module is now required and will be installed automatically during updates. If your code interacts with path aliases, you should:

1. Update any references to the deprecated path alias storage services
2. Use the new path_alias entity type instead of the custom storage
3. Update any migrations that use path aliases to use the new entity:path_alias destination

jQuery UI Component Deprecations

Several jQuery UI components have been deprecated in favor of modern alternatives:

• jQuery UI Datepicker: Consider using the HTML5 date input or a modern JavaScript date picker
• jQuery UI Sortable: Replaced with Sortable.js
• jQuery UI Position: Replaced with PopperJS
• html5shiv: No longer needed for modern browsers
• domready: Use standard DOM ready events
• matchMedia: Use the native window.matchMedia
• classList: Use native classList methods

Update your code to use the recommended alternatives before Drupal 9.

SimpleTest Deprecation

The SimpleTest module is now fully deprecated and will be removed in Drupal 9. Migrate your tests to PHPUnit-based tests.

Block Place Module Deprecation

The Block Place module has been deprecated and will be removed in Drupal 9. Plan to use the core Layout Builder module instead.

Content Moderation API Changes

Several methods in the ModerationInformation service have been deprecated:

• isLatestRevision
• getLatestRevision
• getLatestRevisionId

Update your code to use the newer revision handling methods.

Upgrade Recommendations

Recommended Upgrade Path

This is a feature release with significant improvements but also contains some breaking changes. We recommend:

1. Test thoroughly in a staging environment before upgrading production sites
2. Update your custom and contributed modules that might be affected by path alias changes
3. Review your JavaScript code for dependencies on deprecated jQuery UI components
4. Check your theme for compatibility with the new frontend changes
5. Update your Composer dependencies to match the new requirements

Who Should Upgrade

• Sites that would benefit from the improved Media Library functionality
• Sites using Workspaces that need better content moderation workflows
• Sites experiencing performance issues with heavy content editing
• Anyone wanting to take advantage of the new Claro admin theme

When to Wait

• If you heavily depend on custom code that interacts with the path alias system, you might want to test thoroughly before upgrading
• If you rely on jQuery UI components that are now deprecated, consider updating your code first

Composer Users

If you use Composer to manage your Drupal site, ensure you update your dependencies properly:

composer require drupal/core-recommended:^8.8.0 --update-with-dependencies

Bug Fixes

Editor Switching Errors

Fixed an issue where switching between editors on the format configuration would cause errors upon save.

Media Library Validation Errors

Resolved an issue where the Media Library caused validation errors when used in a required field of a nested form.

Drupal.Message.clear Exception

Fixed an issue where Drupal.Message.clear would throw an exception if the message wrapper was not initialized.

Views Plugin "Rendered Entity" Language Issue

Fixed a bug in the Views "Rendered Entity" plugin that was not adding the language code in the render function.

Entity Reference Autocomplete Limit

Addressed the hardcoded result size limit in the entity reference autocomplete widget, making it configurable.

Media Library and Multilingual Content

Fixed an issue where multilingual content was shown twice in the media library view.

Inaccessible Media Entities in Media Library

Resolved an issue where inaccessible Media entities still had rows generated for them in the Media Library view.

Form CSRF Token Race Condition

Fixed a race condition issue where forms would become outdated after login due to CSRF token problems.

Views Grouped Filter Identifiers

Fixed an undefined index notice when renaming grouped filter identifiers in Views.

Recursive Rendering Protection

Improved the error message for recursive rendering protection to provide more useful information for debugging.

New Features

Media Library Now Stable

The Media Library module has graduated from experimental to stable status and is ready for production use. It provides a rich media management experience, allowing content editors to reuse existing media assets across the site.

Claro Administration Theme

A new experimental administration theme called Claro has been added to core. Claro provides a modern, accessible user interface with improved contrast, touch support, and better visual hierarchy.

Workspaces and Content Moderation Integration

Workspaces and Content Moderation modules now work together, allowing for more sophisticated content workflows. This integration enables staging content changes across multiple entities before publishing them.

Sub-workspaces Support

The Workspaces module now supports creating sub-workspaces, enabling dev → stage → live workflow for content.

Path Alias System Restructuring

A new path_alias module has been introduced to handle URL aliases. This restructuring improves the architecture and prepares for future enhancements.

Search Capability in Help Topics

Help topics now include search functionality, making it easier to find relevant documentation within the Drupal admin interface.

API for Installing Fieldable Entity Types

A new API has been added for installing fieldable entity types, simplifying the process of adding new entity types to existing sites.

JSON:API Field Aliasing and Disabling

A public API has been added for aliasing and disabling JSON:API resource type fields, giving developers more control over API responses.

Security Updates

Phar Stream Wrapper Update

Updated typo3/phar-stream-wrapper to a PHP7-only version with security improvements.

Archive_tar Security Update

Updated pear/archive_tar to version ^1.4.8 to address security vulnerabilities.

Diactoros Security Update

Updated to Diactoros LTS version 1.7 instead of 1.8, which was out of security coverage.

Performance Improvements

Cache Invalidation Optimization

Improved the cache invalidation process to prevent lock wait time and reduce the probability of deadlocks when invalidating broad cache tags like 'node_list' early in a transaction.

Pager Service Conversion

Converted the pager.inc functionality to a service, improving performance and maintainability.

Search Indexing Efficiency

Made search indexing calls more efficient by optimizing the way content is processed for indexing.

Layout Builder Performance

Fixed performance degradation in Layout Builder and other areas by optimizing the rendering process.

JavaScript Asset Cache

Improved handling of JavaScript asset caching when updating translations, ensuring new translations are properly loaded.

Impact Summary

Drupal 8.8.0 represents a significant step forward in Drupal's evolution with several key improvements that impact both users and developers. The stabilization of the Media Library module provides content editors with a robust, user-friendly interface for managing media assets across the site. This change alone dramatically improves the content editing experience.

For developers, the path alias system restructuring with the new path_alias module represents an architectural improvement that may require code updates but provides a more solid foundation. The deprecation of several jQuery UI components signals Drupal's continued modernization of its frontend, moving away from legacy libraries toward more contemporary solutions.

Site builders and administrators will appreciate the integration between Workspaces and Content Moderation, enabling more sophisticated content workflows. The new experimental Claro administration theme offers a glimpse into Drupal's future UI direction with improved accessibility and usability.

Performance improvements for cache invalidation and various bug fixes address pain points reported by the community, particularly for sites with heavy content editing needs. The enhanced Composer integration improves the developer experience when managing dependencies.

Overall, this release balances new features with important architectural improvements and deprecations that prepare the way for Drupal 9. While it requires some adaptation, particularly for custom code interacting with paths or using deprecated jQuery UI components, the benefits in terms of improved content management capabilities, performance, and developer experience make this a valuable update for most Drupal 8 sites.