Announcement Legacy Featured Systems are being replaced by Implementing Featured Content Handlers.

[Bob]

With that said, the XenAddons Board of Directors (ME) has already made a decision, at some point (as soon as possible) I will be migrating to the new Featured Content handler (in the same way XFRM has).

I've delayed this long enough!

Just a friendly heads up, I've started the transition to Implementing Featured Content Handlers in all of my Addons (both public and client addons). There will be some legacy feature loss as XF's Featured Content Handler does not have features like Auto Featuring Content. This transition is no different than the decision to transition to Core XF Custom Field System. Quite a bit of feature loss (Filtering, Filter Links, Search all lost), however, in the end, it was (and still is) the right thing to do.

I will be removing the legacy Featured System (php files, functions, options, templates, phrases etc) in all addons, which unfortunately includes things like Auto Feature functionality of the current internal feature system. XFRM did the same exact thing (completely removed its legacy Featured Resources functionality and implemented Feature Content Handler in its place).

Existing Featured Content gets migrated into the new Featured Content System during the upgrade process, so no featured content will be lost during the transition process.

Hopefully XenForo will enhance their Feature Content Handler to include Auto Feature functionality at some point. Maybe Xon will develop a "Featured Content Essentials" addon that includes auto featuring

As for timeline, I am not dropping everything for this, it will be done one addon at a time and will be included in a maintenance release (or XF 2.4 version of the addon).

It IS what it IS. Not the first time this has happened and won't be the last as I doubt XF Developers are done adding new Content Type Handlers anytime soon.

 

[Bob]

Just a quick update on feature loss from the old legacy feature system.

The ONLY feature loss at this time is the Auto Feature/Unfeature functions. Everything else remains in play, to include the CAS Featured Ads Widget Definition.

Things like Featured Ads on CAS Index and CAS Category pages have not changed. Those are still CAS options driven and display featured content in CAS Layout Types as they are not Featured Content Widgets like XFRM does. Of course, you can disable the CAS featured content options and instead ad Featured Content Widgets to CAS Index and CAS Category pages for those of you that would rather display featured content in the Core XF featured content layout types.

Also, the CAS Featured Ads Widget Definition will be retained. There are some modifications made to it, but for the most part, you will still be able to create Featured Ads widgets displaying content in CAS Layout types vs using the Core XF Featured Content Widget Definition. Also, any CAS Featured Widgets that you currently have will still work.

Auto Feature however is NOT possible at this time.

Also, Auto Unfeature is now a part of the Featured Content Handler (as of XF 2.4), so the CAS auto unfeature function has been removed.