“Announcing Symphony 2.3” – Entry – Blog – Discuss

Announcing Symphony 2.3

Date:: 29 May 2012
Category:: Announcements
Discuss:: 15 comments

Last year, a baker once asked me, "Do you want icing on your cake?" Now, if there is just one thing you need to know about me, it would be that my answer is always, "Yes, ALL the icing." This year, I've gone back to my baker to get a new cake. And before I continue with my fictitious story, yes, I have an appointed baker, like I do with tailors, hairdressors and manicurists. I'm an important man, dammit.

Okay, onwards with my tale: every year, without fail, the baker asks me the same question about cake icing. I don't have to tell you again--unless you have the memory of a goldfish--that it's always an "affirmative" on the icing. All of it.

But this year, I had a new thought. An inception planted by Symphonists inside a dream I was having while dreaming about cake. I didn't just want icing. I wanted a new cake. I always get Black Forest chocolate cake; had it for years. Black Forest is old news, joining among the likes of carrot cakes. Customers can no longer tolerate messy and hard to eat cakes. Kids today want better designed cakes. Ones with better user experiences, easier to hold and cleaner to stuff your beautiful face with.

Okay, you all know what this post is about. I just can't help but tell longwinded, non sequitur stories (imagine what I'll be like when I am 70). All this trouble just to say that Symphony 2.3 is released with a new design and all the features.

It's been 458 days since our last major point release and the hard working people at the Symphony bakery has been busy cooking, spooning, finessing and caressing. Crafting Symphony takes both hard work and a good amount of lovin' to bring you all the magnificant things you can poke at below:

The interface now sports a new colour palette. Gone are the brown tinge of yesteryear (farewell sport, we had great times together) and in its place, a hip and polished aesthetic that understands the importance of subtlety, unity and consistency.

Here's a screenshot of Symphony 2.2

And here's a screenshot of Symphony 2.3

On the side of usability improvements, 2.3 finally added breadcrumbs! For a story about cakes, its fitting that breadcrumb is part of the new featureset.

This version has also done away with the clumsy components page. Instead, each component (data sources, events, utilities) now get their own area, joining the ranks of sections and pages.

Drooling yet? I could keep punishing you all with more stories, but why don't we save both of us the trouble and just go see for yourself:

Thanks goes out to all who contributed to the 2.3 cake. You guys are awesome bakers. Now, dig in!