Version 2.8.0

Version 2.8.0 is a major BuddyPress feature release.

For Version 2.8.0, the database version (_bp_db_version in wp_options) was 11105, and the Trac revision was 11431. Read the full ticket log here.

Highlights

• Modernizing the Codebase
  To continue the migration of legacy code to modern standards and techniques necessary for the BP REST API project and other new features moving forward, BuddyPress 2.8 requires at least PHP 5.3. This will allow us to build better, robust, and secure code, benefitting developers and users now and in the future.

• More helpful “Activate Pending Accounts” screen
  When you click on the username on the “Users > Manage Signups” page, you can now view profile data entered by the user at the time of registration.

• Support for List-Unsubscribe header in emails
  Allow users to unsubscribe from BuddyPress email notifications in some email clients such as Gmail (web), when properly configured.

• Twenty Seventeen Companion Stylesheet
  BuddyPress looks great in WordPress’s latest default theme with the new Twenty Seventeen companion stylesheet.

• More hooks for Messages
  We’ve added new filters and actions for different methods throughout the Messages component.

• A more flexible Group search
  The new search_column parameter allows developers to specify which columns should be matched, as well as where wildcard characters should be placed, when searching via BP_Groups_Group::get().

• Alphabetical sorting for Groups widget
  The groups widget can now be sorted alphabetically, in addition to sorting the results by recently active, popular, and newest groups.

• Enable choice of PHPMailer
  Developers can specify which PHPMailer should be used when sending BuddyPress with a new filter.

• Localization Improvements
  We continue to improve our localization internals, making it easier for translation editors to ensure that BuddyPress will be available for everyone in their own language.

• Developer Reference
  Regular updates to inline code documentation make it easier for developers to understand how BuddyPress works.

• Accessibility Upgrades
  Continued improvements for universal access help make BuddyPress back- and front-end screens usable for everyone (and on more devices).

Changes

Activity

• Activity makes profile activity filtered aswel. (#4062)
• Params for bp_get_activity_content_body filter should be the same whatever the context. (#6971)
• Make hard-coded activity excerpt length a filterable function. (#7321)
• Remove BP_Activity_Activity::array_replace_recursive. (#7334)
• Add new filter to bp_activity_do_heartbeat(). (#7374)
• BP_Activity_Activity::__construct() sets id even if not valid. (#7394)
• Incorrect inline docs for third parameter of activity comment posted actions. (#7398)
• Add bp_parse_args filter key to bp_activity_get_specific. (#7415)
• Remove role=complementary from Post Update form. (#7437)

Administration

• Activity management Edit screen – default panel states broken in multisite. (#4395)
• Deleting profile fields – UX issue. (#4646)
• Add View link for users on BP Signups page. (#7261)
• Notice: Trying to get property of non-object. (#7329)
• Add a buddypress class to body element of wp-admin. (#7353)
• Improve pagination on group editing page in wp-admin area. (#7405)

Build/Test Tools

• get_blog_details() will be deprecated in WordPress 4.8. (#7326)
• Travis: we should have WP_VERSION=4.6. (#7344)
• test_bp_core_ajax_url() doesn’t correctly test forced HTTPS in wp-admin. (#7367)
• Remove WordPress versions previous to 4.7 from PHP 7.1 Travis CI matrix. (#7383)
• HHVM Travis CI job requires environment variables be set. (#7385)
• .jsintrc is a JSON file, indentation should use tabs, not spaces. (#7403)
• Remove fast_finish: true from Travis CI configuration. (#7411)

Core

• PHP 5.2 -> PHP 5.3 code improvements. (#7299)
• Removal of create_function usage for BP 2.8. (#7325)
• Drop support of WordPress 4.2. (#7350)
• Accessibility: Remove redundant title attributes Part 2. (#7363)
• New action: cover image deleted. (#7409)
• Activity: error using bp_activity_get_actions_for_context() without activity component. (#7440)
• BP 2.8 – Prevent loading if PHP < 5.3. (#7277)

Emails

• BP Email: Allow end user to specify which PHPMailer should be used. (#7286)
• Support List-Unsubscribe header in emails. (#7390)
• New action hook bp_send_mail. (#7427)
• Hook for custom email type schema. (#7431)

Extended Profile

• auto-linking for semicolon-separated lists in xprofile. (#5872)
• New filter in bp_field_has_data. (#6667)
• Primary xprofile field “name” does not synch wiht WP profile field “first and lastname”. (#7317)
• Accessibility: Provide sufficient color contrast for BuddyPress admin screens. (#7354)
• Accessibility: Use semantic button elements instead of empty links in Profile visibility settings. (#7358)
• Wrong user data leak with external object cache. (#7401)
• Caching for xprofile_get_field_from_name(). (#7404)
• XProfile: use filterable field input name in radio/checkbox field type. (#7425)
• XProfile: a group’s first field becomes last after save. (#7428)

Forums

• WP-Admin menu mess when both Legacy forum and bbPress activated. (#6705)
• PHP 7 compatibility issues with the bbPress version bundled with BuddyPress. (#7389)

Friends

• Remove usage of deprecated BP_Core_User::get_users(). (#6889)

Groups

• Add group types to bp_get_groups_class(). (#7303)
• Alphabetic sorting in the group widget. (#7313)
• bp_get_group_permalink() should use bp_get_group_slug() internally. (#7340)
• Accepting/rejecting group membership request should mark notification read for all group admins. (#7375)
• groups_promote_member() shouldn’t attempt to fetch BP_Core_User object. (#7382)
• Front-end and back-end Groups Invitations doesn’t match. (#7399)
• Make group search more flexible. (#7418)
• Use BP_Groups_Group::get() where possible. (#7419)
• New Member input box looks visually like a label on group edit page. (#7438)

I18N

• Missing colon in string. (#7252)
• “Group” term everywhere leads to mistakes in usage/translation. (#5037)
• Missing plural on activities for show all comments button. (#6275)
• Standardise front and back end verbiage. (#7289)

Members

• Date field on registration. (#4187)
• Member Types directory not available when Members is the front-page. (#7373)

Messages

• More hooks, more power! (in the messages component). (#5193)
• Upgrade jquery.bgiframe. (#7339)
• New filter in bp_get_thread_recipients_count(). (#7387)

Navigation

• Need a filter for bp_core_can_edit_settings(). (#7280)
• Clean up BP_Core_Nav_Item. (#7345)

Templates

• Update .bp-screen-reader-text. (#7365)
• Update twentyseventeen.scss to pass scss-lint and grunt commit. (#7384)
• “Order by” filters are broken for objects directories. (#7414)

Toolbar & Notifications

• Accessibility: Improve color contrast of pending BP notifications bubble in Toolbar. (#7347)