You may notice a little difference with UNL websites in the coming days. UNL Framework 6 is being deployed over the next several weeks to our CMS as well as our suite of public information apps. Programming teams using the framework in their web apps will have access to the new code today.
The bulk of the changes in Version 6 are in the codebase and architecture of the framework, rather than in its user interface. Version 6 brings a minor design refresh and instead focuses on site stability, performance and usability. Major shifts in the codebase are setting the foundation for future incremental updates incorporating new features.
A number of the tools and technologies we use to build, distribute and render the framework are being replaced by newer, more performant equivalents: Vite is replacing Grunt, JavaScript modules (explainer) are replacing RequireJS, and Vanilla JavaScript (explainer) is replacing jQuery. These upgrades will result in better interoperability with UNL CMS and translate to increased speed in page loading and new opportunities for further development. (Every microsecond counts!)
Meanwhile, the most significant design updates are mostly concentrated in the header and footer regions of the site. Updates to the main content area include scroll-based animations and continued additions to Layout Builder components in UNL CMS.
Sites already in UNL CMS will automatically update to version 6 over the coming days, and should require little to no work as a result. Owners of sites not in UNL CMS will need to update template files, and additional updates to HTML, CSS and JavaScript may be required.
Deployment of Framework Version 6 was scheduled for July 8 to minimize any potential disruption, as historical patterns show a lull in site traffic in early July.
More details are on the Framework Roadmap page on the Web Developer Network site.