Releases: alphagov/govuk-prototype-kit
v13.0.1
Fixes
- #1836: Update broken link to layouts guidance
- #1833: Update content of backup homepage
- #1821: Always delete IE8 Sass files when migrating existing prototype
- #1818: Fix heading sizes in templates
- #1814: Stop express complaining if error occurs after res has been sent
- #1804: Fix previewing templates with JavaScript in management pages
- #1803: Stop installing dev dependencies when creating prototype
- #1796: Fix link to docs in routes.js
- #1791: Keep existing package name when migrating
v13.0.0
In this release we’ve made some significant changes to how the GOV.UK Prototype Kit works.
These changes make the kit:
- more secure
- easier to use
- easier to update in the future
If you have an existing prototype and want to make the changes in this release, we recommend using the migration script to help with any breaking changes.
Migrate an existing prototype to version 13
If you need help with the Prototype Kit, contact the GOV.UK Prototype team.
Breaking changes
The Prototype Kit is now an npm package
The 2 biggest breaking changes to the Prototype Kit are you can now create a prototype:
- without downloading a zip file
- by using an npm command in the terminal
To run the kit, use npm run dev (not npm start).
- #1638: Make serve default command
To make the kit easier to update in the future, we have moved essential Prototype Kit files out of the users prototype folder and into the npm package.
- #1617: Making most files optional
This is alongside other work we've been doing that allows users to delete files they're not using.
Using Node.js
The Prototype Kit no longer supports versions 12 or 14 of Node.js. We recommend you update to the latest LTS version Node.js 18
- #1753: Drop support for Node.js 12 and 14
Creating routes, filters, templates and layouts
How you create routes, filters and templates has changed. There is also a new approach to layouts.
Default user template
The default user template for a new prototype has moved to app/views/layouts/main.html.
- #1752 Move default user template to app/views/layouts/main.html
To help make these changes to an existing prototype, we have a migration script
How to migrate an existing prototype to version 13
Other breaking changes
You can no longer use the Prototype Kit with Internet Explorer 8
- #1394: Remove Internet Explorer 8 support
The Prototype Kit no longer includes the step by step pattern by default
- #1471: Update step by step and install it as an extension
The Prototype Kit no longer includes jQuery by default
- #1478: Remove jQuery from default installation
You can no longer use v6 compatibility mode
- #1432: Remove v6 backwards compatibility support
New features
Manage your Prototype
There is a new Manage your Prototype page in the kit. From this page you can:
-
add and change your service name
-
create new pages using templates
-
find and install plugins that work with the Prototype Kit
-
#1589: Create management pages
GOV.UK Frontend
When creating a new prototype, you will always have the latest version of GOV.UK Frontend.
The latest version of GOV.UK Frontend is version 4.4.0.
Read the release notes
Other changes
-
Guidance and documentation for the Prototype Kit is now at prototype-kit.service.gov.uk
-
There are 2 sets of guidance to support users:
- Using version 13: prototype-kit.service.gov.uk/docs/
- Using version 12 or before: prototype-kit.service.gov.uk/v12/docs/
-
You can no longer see the docs folder in your prototype
- #866: Remove docs from the Prototype Kit
If you need help with the Prototype Kit, contact the GOV.UK Prototype team.
v12.3.0
This release includes Node.js v18.
New feature
Support for Node 18
The GOV.UK Prototype Kit now supports Node 18 LTS (long term support).
How to update to the latest version
This change was added in #1700: Allow Node 18 to be used.
v12.2.0
This release updates the step by step pattern and ensures the GOV.UK Prototype Kit reflects the latest release of the GOV.UK Frontend, v4.3.1.
Breaking change
Update the step by step pattern
The step by step navigation pattern presents an end to end journey in logical steps, with links to content that helps users complete each step.
The changes to step by step bring the pattern in line with what is currently used on GOV.UK and make it into an extension.
If you are working on an old prototype and want to update the step by step pattern, update app/assets/sass/application.scss to remove the old step by step pattern imports.
How to update to the latest version
To continue using the old pattern
It can be hard to update step by step if you currently use an older version of the pattern in your prototype.
You can keep the older version by installing the step by step extension version 1. In terminal type:
npm install @govuk-prototype-kit/[email protected]
This change was added in #1471: Update step by step and install it as an extension.
New feature
Update to GOV.UK Frontend v4.3.1
The new release of the GOV.UK Frontend contains:
- a new Pagination component, which can help users to navigate backwards and forwards through a series of pages
- pass HTML directly into compatible components
- improvements to the ‘Checkboxes’, ‘Radios’ and ‘Select’ components to let services select answers when the page loads by using the ‘values’ option.
- several fixes: some of these are to address issues with the component ES module JavaScript (introduced in v4.3.0)
If you want to use the new Pagination component, you will also need to update the layout.html file in your prototype.
Check the GOV.UK Frontend release notes for changes you may need to make to ensure your prototype works.
These changes was added in:
v12.1.1
Changing the way the Prototype Kit generates prototypes (change)
To reduce the number of npm packages you need to install for the Prototype Kit, we’ve changed the code that compiles assets like CSS and JavaScript. It now no longer depends on Gulp.
This is a big change. It affects 594 lines of the Kit’s code and removes over 300 software dependencies. It makes the Kit easier to develop for our users, as well as improves the security of the code.
This change means running npm install is quicker and hopefully starting the Kit will be quicker too.
While this change will not affect most users, if you previously changed any of the files in the file gulpfile.js or the folder tasks, or if your prototype stops working after this update, contact the GOV.UK Prototype team for support.
You can read more about this change in Remove Gulp
Check your answers page (fix)
The check your answers page no longer shows _unchecked as one of the selected values for a checkbox under any circumstances.
This was added in _unchecked falsey value displays on check your answers page
Read about the fix in Fix _unchecked falsey value on check your answers page
v12.1.0
New features
Mainstream guide template
The GOV.UK Prototype Kit now has a template for GOV.UK mainstream guide pages.
This means you can use this template to prototype realistic journeys connecting your service with GOV.UK content.
This feature is useful when:
- the user journey starts on a page on the GOV.UK website
- you want to prototype content on a page easily
Thanks to @rivalee for contributing this issue and its solution
This was added in #1258: Add GOV.UK Mainstream Guide template page.
Frontend v4.1.0
We’ve added fixes for the character count and date input components. These fixes are not breaking changes, but implementing them will remove unnecessary code from your prototype. If you are using the Nunjucks macros, you don’t have to do anything to implement them.
Read the release notes to see what’s changed
If you need help with the Prototype Kit, contact the GOV.UK Prototype team.
Contributors
Assets 2
v12.0.4
v12.0.3
Replace Basic Auth with cookie authentication
Previously the Prototype Kit used Basic Auth to ask for a username and password when running online. Basic Auth no longer works in all situations so we have replaced it with a password-only page that sets a cookie. This means that when sharing or testing a prototype, users need a password only.
If you were affected by this bug, you may have seen a message that said that you were not authenticated, instead of being asked for a username and password. Updating to this version of the Prototype Kit should fix the bug.
This was added in #1182: Replace basic auth with a custom authentication process.
If you need help with the Prototype Kit, contact the GOV.UK Prototype team.
v12.0.2
Fixes
Installation fixed on M1 Macs
Previously the installation process was broken for new M1 Macs. The issue was related to the node-sass library, we have now moved to the dart sass library. This should have no impact on existing prototypes.
This was added in #1269 Replace node-sass with Dart Sass
If you need help with the Prototype Kit, contact the GOV.UK Prototype team.
v12.0.1
Recommended changes
The Design System team has made some changes to GOV.UK Frontend. While these are not breaking changes, implementing them will mean your prototype uses the latest components.
Read the release notes for GOV.UK Frontend v4.0.1.
Remove the tabindex attribute from the error summary component
If you're not using Nunjucks macros, remove the tabindex attribute from the error summary's HTML. The component JavaScript now adds and removes this attribute.
This change was introduced in pull request #2491: Prevent error summary from being refocused after it has been initially focused on page load.
If you need help with the Prototype Kit, contact the GOV.UK Prototype team.