Stacks4Stacks

Changes in this free update include the following:

• Checkbox setting to disable the download button.
• Checkbox setting to disable the full screen button.
• Checkbox setting to disable the picture-in-picture (PIP) button.
• Checkbox setting to disable the playback rate (speed) button.

My thanks as always to a kind user (ZTM) who proposed, tested and kindly contributed towards this update.

More details about VideoStack can be read here. This is possibly the most feature-rich free video embed solution that exists for RapidWeaver.

Some big changes and exciting developments are coming in 2024. Be sure to be following me on Mastodon if you want some sneak-peaks ahead of everybody else.

Changes in this free update include the following:

• Fixed an issue whereby horizontal scroll bars might get shown in some instances on mobile.
• New colour pickers for subpage links on mobile.
• New indentation setting for subpage links in the mobile menu.

This update is available using the automatic update checker in Stacks / RapidWeaver. More details about Gator can be read here.

By popular demand, I’m doing a little Black Friday promo. Simply 33% off all themes and stacks between now and 1st December 2023. Use the free demo version links on the website, and if you like what you see in RapidWeaver, just checkout in the normal way. No minimal spend or promo code is needed. Everything is RapidWeaver Classic and Stacks 5 compatible.

I also have some slots available in December for any freelance web development work or consulting you need. Including things like RapidWeaver troubleshooting, website publishing, search engine optimisation, accessibility and privacy audits, custom themes or stacks, databases, coding and more. Feel free to get in touch through my website with some details of what you’re needing help with, and I’ll reply quickly with some ideas and a cost.

Changes in version 2.1.0 include the following:

• Changed the order of some settings shown in the Stacks side panel.
• Fixed an issue of ‘display between’ and 'display outside’ date ranges not working correctly.
• A new checkbox option to show alternative content, when normal content is hidden.
• New and improved timezone settings; more to choose from and in a better order.

Note: after installing this free update, you may be required to re-select your preferred timezone again, for each instance of the stack. You will see that the list of supported timezones has grown substantially. If this is of inconvenience to you, please don’t install this update at the present time.

Learn more…

Changes in this free update for Locator include:

• A new Gesture Handling select menu, to replace the previous Scrollwheel Zoom checkbox.

This update is available via the update checker window in Stacks.

Changes in this free update for Indexer include the following:

• New checkbox in Advanced Settings to apply autofocus on the search box. When enabled, it specifies that the search box should automatically get focus when the page loads.
• Compatibility improvements with some web hosting providers, lacking file_get_contents() support.
• Removed the duplicate ’/’ from the sitemap path, for RapidWeaver sitemap.xml files.

This update is available via the update checker inside Stacks.

Changes in this free update for MicroBlog include the following:

• Adds support for the new Tumblr post editor.
• Compatibility improvements for web servers running PHP 8.2+
• New labels and tooltips for a few settings.
• Added a checkbox to reverse article title / date ordering.

The update is available from the website or via the update checker in Stacks.

Changes in this free update for CommentsStack include the following:

• New setting for pagination padding, to improve appearances when pagination buttons span multiple lines.
• Target the Font Awesome icons in buttons with colouring, to override colouring set by some themes.
• Support for multiple CommentsStacks being used on the same page.
• Omit suffix line breaks in the ratings datafile, to permit more reliable calculations using RatingsStack.
• Updated some labels and informational tooltips.
• The comments form is the correct width in certain themes and frameworks.
• Toggle between preset or custom ratings markup, using a new checkbox option.
• Border radius setting on the submit button is working correctly.
• Checkbox to toggle the reset button on and off.
• Default label text for the reset button includes a Font Awesome icon.
• New style settings for the reset button, to make it more prominent in non-Bootstrap themes.
• Optional checkbox to allow the reset button to also close the form, in addition to clearing form data.
• Horizontal rules in the comments form inherit their colour from the input borders.

This update is available via the update checker inside your Stacks Library.

Learn more…

The new Obfuscator stack replaces the older TouchBase stack. Beyond the name change, Obfuscator has the following changes:

• Obfuscate practically any link type; beyond just email addresses, telephone numbers and Skype handles.
• Compatibility with newer versions of PHP.
• Toggle obfuscation of link labels (button text) on and off with ease.
• Generate the code for obfuscated links that can be used elsewhere in your website; including paragraphs, footers, banners, sidebars and even entirely separate websites.
• More button styles and theme / framework support. Plus an ability to append or prepend button icons.
• Optional custom link attributes for more advanced configurations.
• Refreshed user interface. Complete with options like viewing sample links directly within RapidWeaver.

As its name suggests, Obfuscator converts email addresses and other contact details into encoded, obfuscated links. Normal ‘human’ visitors to a website see no difference in how an obfuscated link looks or behaves. However for spam bots and other nasties, they typically just see gibberish code! Therefore Obfuscator can potentially be a powerful asset in helping reduce the amount of automated spam and other unsolicited communications getting to you via website links. Particularly if you have an aversion to using CAPTCHA or other more intrusive anti-spam measures.

Yes, some free tools already exist online that can do obfuscated links. However most of these only support email links. Some use Javascript to obfuscate links or leave tell-tale things behind like 'mailto’ or 'tel’ in addresses, which can leave links more susceptible to being found. Whereas Obfuscator obfuscates the whole link with server-side PHP.

Until 1st April 2023, I’m providing Obfuscator as a free upgrade for all my customers of TouchBase. Most customers have already been contacted by email this morning with a download link. Although some emails have bounced and other people had opted out of email updates. So if you have not received your copy yet, just drop me a message via the Stacks4Stacks website with your receipt attached, and we’ll sort you out with a copy of this new stack.

Obfuscator has very-much been shaped into this highly-capable stack, thanks in part to valuable feedback received from actual users. My hope is that this entirely new stack fulfills all your obfuscation needs in RapidWeaver.

Learn more…

This update for TopBox adds support for M4A, AAC, FLAC and WAV audio formats. You can obtain this version via the updates checker in Stacks.

This update for the Curtains stack includes the following changes:

• Expands the choice of cookie options, including settings for websites with SSL. 
• Adds a ‘missingURL’ key for Stacks.
• Deletes some surplus icons from unsupported versions of Stacks and RapidWeaver.

Changes in this free update for Paperless include the following:

• Adds separate table columns for file changed and file modified dates.  
• Improvements to date sorting.
• Removed Moment.js that was causing Javascript errors in some situations.

This update can be downloaded via the updates window inside Stacks.

This free update for PlayLister adds the option to display an ‘inline’ download button on the main control bar, for the downloading of audio files. This is in addition to the download button you can already display in the top portion of the interface. As before, download buttons typically only work for audio files being hosted on the same web server that PlayLister is published on.

Just in time for the holiday season. This is a major update for the uTube stack, available as a free download from today.

uTube has surely got to be the most feature-rich YouTube stack that exists for RapidWeaver! Unlike the standard embed code that YouTube already provides, uTube unlocks some secret configurations that you perhaps never knew existed. Plus some extra optimisations exclusively for RapidWeaver-built websites. All packaged inside a familiar drag-and-drop interface with simple GUI controls in the Stacks side panel.

The result of many hours consulting, research, development and testing; the updated uTube 5 stack incorporates the following changes…

• New, longer, higher-resolution 1080p sample video to experiment with.
• Fixes an edge case bug with the Source framework applying extra borders and padding on iFrames.
• Adds support for YouTube Shorts.
• If the playlist is enabled, the box to type in IDs is now taller.
• Added a missingURL key to Info.plist.
• New ‘Enable Privacy-Enhanced Mode’ checkbox. When enabled, YouTube claims not to not to store information or create cookies for your website users, unless they play the video. Good for website privacy compliance.
• Deleted 'mobile actions’ because by now, nearly all modern smartphones can play YouTube.
• Internal changes to make stack templates referenced as an array, per API recommendations.
• Viewing macros updated to API 9, to support future versions of Stacks.
• Added accelerometer, autoplay, clipboard-write, encrypted-media, gyroscope and picture-in-picture attributes to the iFrame tag, to future-proof things further on the frontend.
• Tidied the underlying source code and reduced its overall size for faster page loads.
• Renamed and reordered a couple of stack settings for easier and quicker setup.
• Lazy loading is achieved using the HTML 'loading’ attribute, instead of relying on jQuery. This new method uses significantly less code, is more reliable and well supported in modern web browsers.
• New select menu to choose a video format preset or to set a custom size.
• The ability to hide the video in print / PDF output can be toggled on and off.
• A new setting to exclude video resizing in jQuery FitVids.js (sometimes still included with old or unsupported RapidWeaver themes).
• Updated a couple of the informational tooltips shown against some settings, to make things easier to understand.

An illustration of a ‘YouTube Short’ video now supported by uTube and the expanded choice of new settings displayed within the Stacks side panel:

This update is available via automatic updates in Stacks or you can grab a fresh download from the product page here.

All existing instances of uTube in your websites should update without any issue. But as always, it’s suggested you have reliable backups of your files and you check pages before re-publishing them. Some settings (like lazy loading) may require applying again, if you want to continue using them.

If you like using this stack, please consider how much time it has saved you and make a donation here. Donations help towards the resources needed to keep stacks like uTube available for you to use. Please pay what you think the stack is worth. Or contribute in some other way, like writing a Trustpilot review.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year!

This free update for MastoStack includes the following changes:

• ‘Access Token’ input is now a multi-4 type input, to display longer tokens.
• Removed older icons for versions of RW and Stacks no longer supported.
• New options to add Mastodon website verification code.

Here is a screenshot of the new settings you have for self-verifying webpage ownership with Mastodon. And the great thing is that it won’t cost you $8 a month!

Mastodon has existed for several years. I’ve had an account on there since 2017, back when there were only a few thousand of us on the platform! If you don’t care for all the hatred and hostilities main stream social media (like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) love to revel in, then Mastodon offers a safe refuge. It’s engineered around the core fundamentals of how a social media platform should look and work.

This update for FileTree adds a new ‘Iteration Start’ setting. This controls how many sub-directories or files must be present inside a directory, before it will toggle open.

FileTree is compatible with both Stacks 4 and Stacks 5. A web server running PHP 8 or above is recommended. As of last week, PHP 7.x is now ‘end of life’ and no longer receiving support or updates, unless your hosting company has purchased LTS (long term support) through a separate provider, to keep PHP 7 patched for a little longer.

You can download this FileTree update via automatic updates in RapidWeaver or re-download the stack from here.

My extended thanks to Mark, who took the time to do some detailed testing of this new feature and sponsored it. FileTree + FileMan are a powerful combination of stacks.

By request, I’m offering a discount off all my RapidWeaver themes and stacks. Anything purchased from Stacks4Stacks and ThemeFlood between 22nd November and 30th November will have a 22% discount applied at the checkout.

To keep things simple… 

• The 22% discount is already applied at the checkout for you. There is no promo code you need to enter yourself.
• No minimum purchase value or quantity. So you can mix and match themes or stacks of any value. 
• Free trial versions remain available for everything. Just be sure to complete your purchase before 30th November if you want the discounted price.
• Fast and friendly support remains available if you have any questions about themes or stacks.

As mentioned before, I’ve never been a big fan of Black Friday events. I get the impression they were invented by big US retailers to clear all their unsold inventory piled high in warehouses, prior to more container loads of throw-away junk coming in from China for the next year! It’s not really a business model I think suits RapidWeaver add-ons all that well. I already provide more free add-ons and support than any other RapidWeaver developer does, making discounting hard to justify. But the reality is that just about every retailer now does some-sort of promotion about now, so it has come to be expected.

So to compensate, I’m offering anybody who has purchased any themes or stacks from me (at their full, non-discounted price) in 2022 free copies of the new NavGrid and TouchNav stacks. Just a small way of saying “thanks” for your support and longer-term loyalty. Just contact me (via email, Discord or Mastodon) on the support page, attach a proof of purchase and a covering note. If you’re eligible, I’ll get copies of both stacks sent over to you.

-Will.

Changes in this free update for v2 users include…

• Fixes an issue that caused image icons to not display if added as RW    resources.
• The text label box is now of a ‘multi-2’ type to support more text and font icons.

For more information about Badger, please click here.

In this free update, some new options have been added to display native HTML audio players, within the Advanced Settings.

For more information about InlinePlayer, please click here.

Changes in this free stack update for Paperless include the following:

• New checkbox option in Paperless Style Settings to hide the table header row.
• Removed duplicate ‘Info Text’ box.
• Translations for 'Filtered Entries’ are correctly written into the JS.
• Added icon support for db (SQLite), JSON, aiff, wma, flac, alac, heic, hevc and webm.
• Split the audio and video icons into two separate groups for easier configuration.
• Preview buttons use the same default hover colour scheme as download buttons.
• Paperless now supports 'print’ buttons, in addition to existing preview and download buttons.

I have written further information on the product page about what the new ‘print’ buttons do and how they work.

For more information about Paperless, please click here.

Changes in this update include:

• The RW resources image source now correctly works if the website is published into a subdomain on the hosting server.
• Images added via RW resources can be sorted into ascending or descending order.

Automatic updates are supported in both Stacks 4 and Stacks 5. This is the best way to download and install stack updates.

Learn more about ProGallery by clicking here.

A major update for Stacks was released yesterday by Yourhead Software. Some of the most noteworthy new features in this update include:

• A new ‘Stacks’ menu item in RapidWeaver listing a choice of common actions.
• More keyboard shortcuts when editing stacks.
• Additional viewing and sorting options for the Stacks Library.
• Page Statistics, to provide an overview of what stacks are being used in a page.
• Expanded the choice of preferences.
• Updates ‘under the hood’ to improve speed, performance and stability.

As always, you can learn more about the Stacks plugin here on the Yourhead Software website. There are some tutorials to watch on the website.

As of writing this, Stacks 5 currently costs $29.95 USD if upgrading from Stacks 4, or $49.95 USD if you are buying Stacks for the first time.

Every stack listed on the Stacks4Stacks website is already Stacks 5 compatible. You do not need to request updates for anything. 

As always, just ensure you have all your addons and project files backed-up, before starting the upgrade. You can post any questions you have about Stacks to the RapidWeaver Community Forums.

Changes in this free update to SortStack include the following:

• Increased the number of sortable categories to 25.
• Refactored some of the internal codebase.

More information…

A single change in this free update:

• Added new settings to change the mouse cursor style.

Please click here to learn more about this stack.

Changes in this free update include:

• Added some additional PHP code to encode and decode special characters (like accents) being used in email bodies.
• The box for typing email bodies in the stack settings is now a ‘multi-8’ type, to provide more space.

Learn more…