Ghost Release: 0.7.0

TL;DR

Ghost 0.7.0 introduces a completely redesigned admin interface with a modern, responsive UI that improves the content management experience. This major update brings new features like admin search for posts and users, a guided onboarding flow for new blogs, and improved tag management. The update also removes jQuery from the default front-end, fixes several long-standing issues with RSS feeds and template helpers, and improves the upgrade path for older Ghost installations. This release represents a significant visual and functional overhaul that makes Ghost more intuitive and powerful for content creators.

Highlight of the Release

• Complete redesign of the admin interface with modern, responsive UI
• New search functionality for posts and users
• Guided onboarding flow for new Ghost blogs
• Improved tag management that preserves tag order
• jQuery removed from default front-end inclusion
• Fixed issues with template helpers for next/prev posts
• Enhanced form validation and error handling
• Improved accessibility with better keyboard navigation

Migration Guide

jQuery Removal

jQuery is no longer automatically included via {{ghost_foot}}. If your theme relies on jQuery, you'll need to manually include it in your theme's code injection settings or directly in your theme files.

Database Schema Changes

This release includes several database schema changes:

• New 'order' column in posts_tags table for tag ordering
• New columns for OAuth client support
• New 'tour' field added to User model
• Changed type for private blog settings

If you're using a custom database setup or have direct database access scripts, you may need to update them accordingly.

Tag Management Changes

Tags now respect the order they are added to a post. If your theme or custom code relies on tag ordering, be aware that the order will now be preserved as entered rather than alphabetically or by creation date.

Validation Changes

Form validation has been significantly improved throughout the admin interface. If you've built custom admin extensions, you may need to update your validation approach to match the new inline validation pattern.

Theme Compatibility

If your theme uses any of the fixed helpers ({{tags}}, {{author}} in next/prev post helpers), you should test to ensure everything works as expected after upgrading.

Upgrade Recommendations

Recommended Upgrade Path

This is a major update with significant UI changes and database schema updates. All Ghost users are encouraged to upgrade to benefit from the improved interface and bug fixes.

Before upgrading:

1. Take a complete backup of your Ghost installation, including the database and content/images directory
2. If you've made any customizations to the admin interface, these will likely need to be redone
3. Test your theme with the new version, especially if you use any of the fixed helpers

Upgrade process:

1. Follow the standard Ghost upgrade process for your installation method
2. After upgrading, verify that your content appears correctly
3. Explore the new admin interface to familiarize yourself with the changes

For developers: If you've built custom integrations with Ghost's API, test them thoroughly after upgrading as there have been several API improvements and changes.

For very old installations: This release includes fixes for the upgrade path from very old Ghost versions. If you've been hesitant to upgrade an old installation, this version should provide a smoother upgrade experience.

Bug Fixes

Tag Management

• Fixed issues with tag order not being preserved when editing posts
• Added validation for tag names starting with commas
• Fixed focus and duplication issues in the tag editor
• Fixed new tags disappearing in Post Settings Menu when saving a post

Template Helpers

• Fixed {{tags}} and {{author}} not working in next/prev post helpers
• Fixed issues with the {{foreach}} helper

RSS Feed

• Fixed an issue with protocol-relative URLs in the RSS feed
• Fixed issues with featured post queries in the API

Authentication and Setup

• Fixed regressions with password reset functionality
• Fixed missing redirect on settings/code-injection when not authenticated
• Fixed signup bug that prevented successful signup from invite
• Fixed issues with the setup process to prevent loops and improve validation

Editor

• Fixed occasional issues with the editor not rendering due to scrollPosition
• Fixed Cannot read property 'val' of undefined errors in the editor
• Fixed double-click and enter/o editing shortcuts

Mobile Experience

• Fixed broken content management to editor links on mobile
• Fixed navigation menu issues on mobile devices

Other

• Fixed upgrade path from very old versions of Ghost
• Fixed pagination for tags with post_count
• Don't rely on order of updates when editing multiple settings
• Use previousAttributes when model is destroyed

New Features

Admin Interface Redesign

The Ghost admin interface has been completely redesigned with a modern, responsive UI codenamed "Zelda." This new design improves usability across devices and provides a cleaner, more intuitive content management experience.

Admin Search

A new search functionality has been added to the admin interface, allowing users to quickly find posts and users. The search results refresh automatically when the input field is focused if results are older than 10 seconds.

Onboarding Flow

A guided setup process has been implemented for new Ghost blogs, making it easier for new users to get started. The flow includes steps for blog creation, user setup, and inviting team members.

Profile Image Upload

Profile image upload functionality has been added to the signup form, allowing users to set their avatar during the registration process.

Spin Button Component

A new spin button component has been added that provides visual feedback during asynchronous operations, ensuring users know when an action is in progress.

Mobile Preview Tabs

On mobile devices, Markdown/Preview tabs have been added to the editor footer, making it easier to switch between editing and previewing content on smaller screens.

Security Updates

Authentication

• Fixed auth token refresh failing on app-boot with expired access_token
• Improved authentication middleware and strategies
• Added new public API permission handling functions to better control access to endpoints

OAuth Support

• Added necessary table columns for client OAuth support
• Added dynamic client_id/client_secret generation
• Added ghost-admin and ghost-frontend clients
• Added client.read() API endpoint

Performance Improvements

Front-end Performance

• Removed jQuery from auto-inclusion via {{ghost_foot}}, reducing the default page weight and allowing developers to choose their own front-end libraries
• Updated lodash to 3.1.0 and cheerio for better performance

Admin Interface Performance

• Improved animation performance by using appropriate CSS transitions
• Better handling of resize events with a single resize event handler exposed as a service and mixin
• Optimized mobile navigation for better performance on smaller devices

API Performance

• Improved API query for featured posts
• Added support for a 'fields' parameter on browse requests to reduce payload size
• Changed how post_count is added to tags to use a select subquery rather than a join for better performance

Database Performance

• Added transaction support for tag operations
• Improved migration process by using sequence for migrations instead of Promise.all to ensure proper completion

Impact Summary

Ghost 0.7.0 represents one of the most significant updates to the platform's admin interface since its initial release. The complete redesign (codenamed "Zelda") modernizes the content management experience with a responsive, intuitive UI that works well across all devices.

Content creators will benefit from the new search functionality, improved tag management, and better error handling throughout the interface. The new onboarding flow makes it easier for new users to get started with Ghost, while the improved mobile experience ensures content can be managed effectively from any device.

Developers will appreciate the removal of jQuery from the default front-end inclusion, giving them more control over their theme's dependencies. The fixes to template helpers and RSS feeds resolve long-standing issues that affected theme development. The addition of OAuth table columns and client support lays groundwork for future API improvements.

The database schema changes for tag ordering ensure that tags are displayed in the order they were added to a post, rather than alphabetically or by creation date, providing more control over content presentation.

Overall, this release significantly improves the user experience for both content creators and developers while fixing numerous bugs and laying the foundation for future enhancements to Ghost's API and authentication systems.

Full Release Notes