This post has been a long time in the making and as such I'm very happy to announce that we have released v1.1+ of the Zen Grid Framework. All previous Zen Grid Framework templates,except for Zen Simple Shop which will be available tomorrow, are now shipping with the new version of the framework. This update is a significant update with a slew of new features and some bug fixes so its worth checking the full changelog on the forum for a run down on what's new.

A while ago I published the roadmap for the Zen Grid Framework and while we pushed some of the potential features back I'm pleased with what we have added to the framework. My main aim is to keep the user interface intuitive and to avoid unnecessary bloat. I think there is a fine line between making a tool feature rich and keeping it stream lined to enhance a users workflow and so while we have added some great new features working with Zen Grid compatible templates is effectively the same.

What's new?

• Added language support for all templates and Zen Grid core strings

• Added support for the typekit font foundry

• Added support for recent additions to the Google font library

• Improved the interface options and created new panel for menus

• Improved font handling so that all font control in the framework can be disabled if needed.

• Separated font css from the core framework css to reduce file size if font control is disabled

• Added ability to remove Joomlabamboo logo and add your own copyright information via the template administrator

• Added better control over the footer position

• Added increments of one and fifteen to the number of cols available when setting module widths

• Added support for split menu

• Added ability to disable the Joomla Template positions function

• Better control over logo text using font replacement

• Converted logo and split menu markup to framework objects

• Removed default param for the logolink so a blank option goes to the same page as the default menu

• Added base url to all previously relative css references in the core.

• Moved the heading css parameters back into the css overrides where they belong.

• Created better logic for loading css files from the framework and moved the css hilite variable into the main css folder

• Added ability to load extra stylesheets into the compressor via the templateVariables.php file in the template

• Better control over whether the core Panel javascript gets loaded. Recent templates have not used this javascript

• Added option to select speed of the superfish transition

• Added option to control the delay in ms for the superfish menu to close once the mouse leaves the menu

• Added Hover intent javascript for superfish menu

• Added otherCSS hook to load theme specific css files if css compression is disabled

• Added support for the jbChrome module chrome

• Renamed zgf folders elements > admin, includes > functions

• Simplified javascript loading options to either combined and compressed or not

• Added tabbbed modules to the core framework

• Added hiddenpanel js to the core zgf - now option of the popup or the hiddenpanel

• Improved logic around loading of css overrides that are set in the template admin.

• Improved css and javascript compression

• Changed naming convention for extending elements in the template Details.xml eg <param name="styleBG" type="zenListBG" will list the all files in the css/bg folder

• Added sidebar class to mainlayout to make styling vertical menus in left, center and right easier.

• Added check for php5

• Updated layout assets with new logo, split menu objects and module chrome

• Split Menu and logo files can be overidden using the layouts folder

• Tagline input now a text area

• Added overview warning if main content is hidden on the template overview page

For a full rundown of the feature additions and the bug fixes please checkout the Zen Grid Framework changelog on the forum.