TheZeal.co.nz Development Documentation:
RELEASE_NOTES.md
ROADMAP.md
# TheZeal.co.nz — Beta v0.9.6 ### Release Date: November 2025 ### Theme Prefix: Gismic *(working title)* --- ## Overview **Beta v0.9.6** unifies all previous beta development into a single cohesive build. This release establishes the foundation for the upcoming stabilization phase (**v0.9.7–v0.9.9**) that will lead to *TheZeal’s* first public stable release (**v1.0.0**). This version introduces several new systems and completes integration of the core site architecture, including a modular article platform, feature and author galleries, a responsive navigation framework, and a functional media subsystem. While the platform is feature-complete for beta, several user interface components remain under testing. --- ## Design and Aesthetic Context The current color palette—drawn from the **Tokyo Electric** and **Olive Eclectic** themes—has become inconsistent due to rapid feature expansion. A comprehensive visual overhaul, including a refined color palette and spacing review, is scheduled for **Beta v0.9.7**. The upcoming palette will focus on consistency, accessibility, and contrast across all sections; the final color direction remains undecided. The site’s maximum layout width has expanded from **1000px** to **1100px**, requiring a site-wide review of padding, alignment, and responsive behavior. --- ## Key Additions ### Gismic News Sections - Dynamic PHP article-slug system using secure prepared statements. - Dedicated sections for **Business**, **Politics**, **World**, **Entertainment**, and others. - Modular structure supporting featured and supporting article galleries. - Reusable layout framework with consistent typography and responsive styling. ### Comment System - Supports comments from both guest and registered users. - Edit and delete functionality for user posts. - Report-for-review feature for moderation. - Like and dislike voting available to logged-in users. - Fully integrated with dynamic rendering; CSS and layout refinement ongoing. ### Gismic Feature and Author Galleries - Independent author and section gallery modules. - Automatic 1:1 (400 × 400) thumbnail conversion for mobile view. - Consistent layout and use of the `gismic-` class namespace across devices. ### Chyron Player (NZ YouTube Video Gallery) - Live ticker displaying the latest **NZ News** YouTube video titles. - Expandable “Now Playing” mode with embedded video player. - Optimized for smaller screens with responsive text scaling. - Subtle motion cues to create a live broadcast aesthetic. - Currently stable but considered **experimental** pending extended testing. ### Mobile Navigation Bar - Horizontal scroll navigation for viewports ≤ 799 px. - Fade overlays and a pulsing “Latest” indicator. - Defined breakpoint separation (≤ 799 px mobile / ≥ 800 px desktop) to prevent dual-menu overlap. ### User System and Profiles - Avatar upload, resize, and crop functionality using server-side GD. - Editable *Statement* field with inline save and cancel controls. - Toggle menus for changing email, password, or deleting an account. - Fully responsive design optimized for mobile users. ### Infrastructure and Backend - SSL enforced globally via `.htaccess`. - Database schema expanded and standardized for articles, videos, comments, and notifications. - Session handling improved; DNS inconsistencies resolved. - Continued research and development on the **FS Project** *(details redacted)*. --- ## Experimental Components | Component | Status | Notes | |------------|---------|-------| | Chyron Player | Working | Performance and viewport behavior under review | | Forgot-Password System | Working | Template and delivery testing ongoing | | Change-Email Module | Working | Template and delivery testing ongoing | | Comment System | Working | Dynamic rendering and CSS refinement in progress | | Notifications | Partial | UI functional; delivery engine incomplete | --- ## Known Issues and Bugs - Article sharing to **X (formerly Twitter)** omits subtitles, lacks `@TheZealNZ`, and adds unwanted hashtags. - Footer “Site Link Icons” overlap the fixed bottom bar on mobile devices. - Gallery cards have limited clickable regions and require expansion for accessibility. - Legacy **1000px** alignment rules remain on some templates. - Notification system incomplete. - CSS for user-profile pages is unfinished and currently shows blue development borders. - Controls for dynamically rendered comments are unavailable until the page is refreshed. - Comment system UI requires refinement: text sizing, textarea dimensions, and default comment images require improvement. --- ## Deprecated and Removed - **Podcast Player** – retired. - **Original Auto Player** – archived on the Beta page. - **Election Countdown Clock** – replacement planned for 2026. - **More Menu** – retired. - **Tab Menu** – retired.
# TheZeal.co.nz — Roadmap to Stable Release ### Version Range: Beta v0.9.7 → Stable v1.0.0 ### Document Date: November 2025 --- This roadmap will be updated as new versions are released, bugs are identified, and development milestones are completed. --- ## Overview This roadmap outlines the final development stages required to transition *TheZeal.co.nz* from Beta v0.9.6 to its first stable public release (**v1.0.0**). The focus across these remaining beta versions is on **design unification, performance optimization, accessibility, and overall reliability**. All core systems—including the comment platform, Gismic galleries, and Chyron Player—are operational. --- ## Phase Goals | Phase | Core Objective | Outcome | |-------|----------------|----------| | **v0.9.7 – Design Overhaul** | Visual and structural cohesion | Unified color scheme, consistent layout spacing, and responsive balance | | **v0.9.8 – Video Expansion & Optimization** | Final feature integration + performance tuning | Advanced NZ-News video search/player and optimized performance | | **v0.9.9 – Release Candidate** | Stabilization and compliance | Feature freeze, cross-browser QA, and final documentation | | **v1.0.0 – Stable Release** | Public launch milestone | Full production rollout and transition to long-term support | --- ## Beta v0.9.7 — Design Overhaul **Objective:** Establish visual consistency and structural precision across the entire site. ### Key Tasks - Replace the existing mixed color palette with a unified, accessible design (final palette under evaluation). - Normalize spacing, padding, and alignment for the **1100px** layout standard. - Update global UI components, including buttons, forms, and icons. - Replace Twitter icons with **X** branding. - Refine the burger menu and responsive mobile header. - Standardize automated email templates (sign-up, password reset, and notifications). - Add login and sign-up options to the mobile banner. - Conduct an accessibility audit covering contrast ratios, alt text, and font scaling. --- ## Beta v0.9.8 — Video Expansion and Optimization **Objective:** Improve performance, scalability, and responsiveness across all dynamic modules. ### Key Tasks - Launch a **feature-rich YouTube video search/player system**, including: - A dedicated **NZ-News** video search page querying the internal database. - Optional **list/gallery view toggle** for mobile and desktop users. - A separate search page for **non-news video content** (lectures, interviews, documentaries). - Refine the Gismic galleries for performance and consistent click-area behavior. - Improve notification and comment systems (reliability, caching, and UI adjustments). - Optimize SQL queries for speed and efficiency. - Minify all core JavaScript and CSS assets. - Conduct load-testing, caching verification, and basic SEO tuning. --- ## Beta v0.9.9 — Release Candidate **Objective:** Prepare the site for public release through testing, documentation, and compliance. ### Key Tasks - Enforce a **feature freeze** across all modules. - Conduct full cross-browser and multi-device testing. - Audit site content and metadata (titles, descriptions, keywords). - Finalize user interface consistency (buttons, hover states, transitions). - Validate notification and email delivery reliability. - Review data-handling processes for New Zealand Privacy Act compliance. - Update: - **Terms of Service** - **Privacy Policy** - **Comment Policy** --- ## v1.0.0 — Stable Release **Objective:** Official launch of *The Zeal* as a stable, optimized, and unified platform. ### Key Tasks - Deploy the finalized Gismic (or successor) theme site-wide. - Confirm completion of the notification and comment systems. - Launch the video search/player as a core public feature. - Perform live server configuration checks. - Archive the Beta Program and transition to the v1.x development cycle. --- ## Summary The roadmap from **v0.9.7 to v1.0.0** prioritizes polish, performance, and accessibility rather than new feature development. With all major systems operational, these final beta stages will focus on delivering a consistent, reliable, and production-ready experience.
