Midgard 1.7rc1 released

Midgard 1.7rc1 "Just Work" released.

Lodz, June 29th 2005 -- The Midgard Project has released the first release  
candidate version of the 1.7 Midgard Open Source Content Management Framework.

Midgard provides a reliable,  carrier-grade CMS framework build for the the LAMP platform. 
Midgard's core features include internationalization, accessibility, scalability and PHP
connectivity.

This development release includes a Midgard2 technology preview.

Major features included: 
  
  * New Midgard Site Wizard for easily setting up websites
  * Multilang support 
  * PAM and NTLM support
  * New midgard-data 
  * Improved Datagard Midgard database installer
  * MgdSchema , GObjects and XML defined PHP objects  
  * MidgardQueryBuilder class , SQL queries creator and executor
  * PHP5 extension without old classic Midgard API
  
  Multilang feature makes Midgard more flexible as it separates metadata
from the current language of objects. Now is easy to use with the new 
midgard-data package which allows to create or update databases very easily 
even for Midgard beginners.

  PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) lets applications authenticate with 
external password repositories. NTLM, single sign-on solution used in Windows
(NT4 and Active Directory) networks. Both solutions allows to use typical Midgard
applications with transparent  person's authentication. 
  
  Midgard-data provides latest file system Midgard Component Framework - "MidCOM" , 
and its over twenty ready to use components. User-friendly "Aegir" and admin 
interface "Spider" are also included in midgard-data. All Midgard applications 
may be easy imported to database with new tool "datagard" which is also responsible 
now to make updates from previous installations.

  MidgardQueryBuilder is a special Midgard class responsible for creating and 
executing SQL queries. It is intended to boost performance of all aplications which 
use new objects registered in Midgard Framework with MgdSchema technology.  

  PHP5 extension do not use old classic Midgard API. It is experimental package
and should not be considered for any production usage. This extension is able to use
only new MgdSchema objects and classes. This extension is also usable with PHP5 language
used as command line interpreter.
  
Changes from 1.6 releases:

  Midgard-core
  * MgdSchema ( global types information storage )
  * New internal types builded with GObjects and GType system
  * XML based types definition
  
  Midgard-apache modules
  * New MidgardSchema directive for pointing correct MgdSchema path.
  * Page and style elements are handled by midgard internals data instead of 
     Apache tables.
  
  Midgard-php4
  * Classes are defined in XML file
  * New API methods for new MgdSchema objects
  * Ability to run midgard-php from command line
  * API changes:
  	
    - mgd_auth_midgard does not send cookie anymore
  	http://www.midgard-project.org/documentation/reference/ot...
  	
    - mgd_set_style works with mgd_preparse
  	http://www.midgard-project.org/documentation/reference/st...
  
  * MidgadQueryBuilder class creates and executes SQL queries  
    
  Midgard-data
  * New file system based MidCOM
  * MidCOM 2.x component system located in file system for better  performance
  * New midcom-template package
  * Site creation Wizard
  * Datagard's 'update database' option is changed to make updates from previous midgard
installations
  * PEAR packages installation supported Datagard 


Changes from 1.7beta1 release:

  Midgard-core
  * More types for MgdSchema object properties
    ( floats and boolean added )  
  * new methods for MgdSchema objects (delete, get_by_guid)
  * Error handling partially moved from midgard-php 
  * QueryBuilder is able to set limit and order
  
  Midgard-php4
  * Fixes for global $_MIDGARD
  * Many improvements for almost all types used by properties
  * New dynamically registered classes uses parameters and 
    attachments methods
  * get_by_guid and delete method added for new objects
  * MidgardQueryBuilder new methods (set_limit, set_order)
  
  Midgard-data
  * New MidCOM 2.4.1 
  * Many improvements for newly created hosts
    
Planned for next releases
  
  * Final 1.7 release in July 2005
  * Next Sheduled release - September 2005
  * Automated testing releases
  * Automated database MgdSchema management 
  
Download page for latest release:
http://www.midgard-project.org/download/1.7.html

Getting started with Midgard:
http://www.midgard-project.org/documentation

Bugs reporting:
http://midgard.tigris.org/issues/reports.cgi

Users and developers support:
Mailing list user@midgard-project.org


About Midgard

The Midgard Content Management Framework was initially released in May
1999, and has since gathered a sizable user and developer community.
Midgard powers thousands of web sites ranging from simple organizational
websites to major portals like New Zealand eGovernment site and
Playbill.

Midgard is being developed by an international team of professionals.
Midgard's development team includes new media designers, system
integrators and content management consultants. Midgard development is
being supported by several commercial and governmental entities
including the European Union.

Piotr Pokora, Midgard release manager
pp@infoglob.pl

Henri Bergius, Midgard spokesman
henri.bergius@iki.fi

The Midgard Project
http://www.midgard-project.org/