Changelog
All notable changes to AdminLTE will be documented in this file.
The format is based on Keep a Changelog,
and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.
[4.0.0-rc3] - 2025-06-24
This release resolves critical production deployment issues and ensures consistent behavior between development and production environments across different deployment scenarios.
🚀 Production Deployment Fixes
Path Resolution System
- Smart Path Resolution: Implemented intelligent relative path calculation for all assets
- CSS/JS paths automatically adjust based on page depth (e.g.,
./css/ for root, ../css/ for sub-pages)
- Image paths dynamically corrected at runtime for any deployment structure
- Works seamlessly for root deployment, sub-folder deployment, and CDN hosting
RTL CSS Processing Fix
- PostCSS Configuration: Fixed
rtlcss plugin interference with LTR builds
rtlcss now only runs during RTL-specific builds (NODE_ENV=RTL)- Prevents automatic left/right property flipping in standard production builds
- Maintains separate
.rtl.css files for right-to-left language support
Image Loading Resolution
- Runtime Image Path Fix: Added intelligent image path correction script
- Detects deployment context from working CSS/JS paths
- Automatically converts absolute image paths (
/assets/img/...) to relative paths
- Ensures images load correctly regardless of deployment sub-folder structure
🎨 UI/Navigation Improvements
- Badge & Arrow Positioning: Resolved sidebar layout issues
- Fixed nav badges overlapping text elements
- Restored chevron arrow indicators for expandable menu items
- Corrected spacing and visual hierarchy in sidebar navigation
- Added
sidebar-open class to all layouts for consistent styling
Cross-Device Consistency
- Full-Width Navigation Links: Enhanced clickable areas
- Set
.sidebar-menu .nav-link { width: 100%; } for better UX
- Ensures badges and arrows align properly at the far right edge
- Maintains proper spacing across all screen sizes and devices
📦 CDN & Dependencies
Updated to Latest Stable Versions
- Bootstrap: v5.3.3 → v5.3.7 (latest stable)
- Bootstrap Icons: v1.11.3 → v1.13.1 (latest with new icons)
- OverlayScrollbars: v2.10.1 → v2.11.0 (performance improvements)
- PopperJS: v2.11.8 (confirmed latest - no change needed)
Integrity Attribute Removal
- SRI-Free CDN Loading: Removed
integrity attributes from all CDN resources
- Prevents "Failed to find a valid digest" console errors
- Allows CDN providers to update files without breaking existing links
- Maintains
crossorigin="anonymous" for security while removing brittle SRI checks
🛠️ Build System Enhancements
Development vs Production Parity
- Unified Asset Pipeline: Both dev and production now use identical asset resolution
- Development copies fresh CSS/JS to
src/html/public/ for hot-reloading
- Production builds CSS/JS to
dist/css/ and dist/js/ then flattens structure
- Smart path resolution ensures consistent behavior in both environments
Git Repository Cleanup
- Production Build Distribution: Added complete
dist/ folder to repository
- Provides ready-to-use production files for immediate deployment
- Simplifies distribution and CDN access via jsDelivr
- Enables direct download without requiring Node.js build environment
🐛 Critical Bug Fixes
Console Errors Eliminated
- SortableJS Loading: Fixed CDN integrity mismatch for SortableJS
- Asset Path Errors: Resolved 404 errors for images in sub-folder deployments
- ESLint Compliance: Fixed
prefer-global-this and prefer-string-slice linting issues
Cross-Browser Compatibility
- Modern Browser Support: Updated all CDN references to use stable, versioned URLs
- Legacy Browser Fallbacks: Maintained compatibility while leveraging modern features
- Touch Device Optimization: Enhanced touch target sizing and navigation
Bundle Analysis
- Size Optimization: All bundle watch checks pass with updated thresholds
- Loading Performance: Faster initial page load with optimized asset delivery
- Runtime Performance: Minimal overhead from path resolution scripts (<1ms execution)
Deployment Versatility
- FTP Deployment: Full support for traditional FTP/SFTP deployment workflows
- Static Hosting: Compatible with GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel, Cloudflare Pages
- Sub-folder Deployment: Works seamlessly when deployed to
/themes/v4/ or similar paths
- CDN Integration: Ready for integration with content delivery networks
🎯 Quality Assurance
Testing Coverage
- Development Environment:
npm run dev - all features verified working
- Production Build:
npm run production - 37 pages built successfully, 0 errors
- Static Serving:
python3 -m http.server - full functionality confirmed
- Sub-folder Deployment: Tested with various deployment paths and structures
Linting & Standards
- Zero Linting Errors: Complete compliance with ESLint and StyleLint rules
- Code Consistency: Unified code style across all JavaScript and CSS files
- Best Practices: Modern ES2022+ patterns with proper browser compatibility
🚀 Deployment Guide
Quick Start
npm run production
cd dist && python3 -m http.server 8080
Deployment Scenarios
- Root Deployment: Upload
dist/ contents to public_html/ or equivalent
- Sub-folder Deployment: Upload
dist/ contents to public_html/admin/ or similar
- Static Host Deployment: Point build directory to
dist/ in your hosting platform
- CDN Integration: Upload assets to CDN and update paths as needed
📋 Migration Notes
From 4.0.0-rc2 to 4.0.0-rc3
Automatic Updates (No Action Required):
- Path resolution works automatically in all deployment scenarios
- Image loading is fixed without any HTML changes needed
- Sidebar navigation displays correctly with proper spacing and indicators
- All CDN resources load without console errors
Recommended Actions:
- Remove any manual path fixes you may have implemented
- Update your deployment process to use the new
dist/ structure
- Verify image loading in your specific deployment environment
- Test both development (
npm run dev) and production builds
Breaking Changes:
- None - this release is fully backward compatible with existing HTML and CSS
[4.0.0-rc2] - 2025-06-20
ES2022 Modernization & Accessibility Compliance
This release modernizes AdminLTE to ES2022 standards and implements comprehensive WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance, making it one of the most accessible admin templates available.
JavaScript & Build System
🚀 ES2022 Upgrade
- TypeScript Target: Upgraded from ES6 to ES2022
- Enables modern JavaScript features: optional chaining, nullish coalescing, class fields
- Improved performance with native modern browser optimizations
- Better tree-shaking and smaller bundle sizes
- Browser Support: Updated
.browserslistrc for ES2022 compatibility
- Chrome ≥97, Firefox ≥104, Safari ≥15.4, Edge ≥97
- Removed Internet Explorer support (end-of-life)
- Build Configuration: Enhanced Rollup configuration
- Native ES2022 module output
- Improved source map generation
- TypeScript integration optimization
♿ Accessibility Features
WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance Implementation
- New Accessibility Module: Complete
AccessibilityManager class (src/ts/accessibility.ts)
- Automatic skip links generation and management
- ARIA live regions for dynamic content announcements
- Enhanced focus management and keyboard navigation
- Screen reader compatibility (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver)
- Form validation with accessible error handling
Core Accessibility Features:
- Skip Navigation: Automatic skip links to main content, navigation, and key sections
- Focus Management:
- Enhanced focus indicators meeting contrast requirements
- Focus trapping for modals and dropdowns
- Logical tab order management
- Keyboard Navigation:
- Full keyboard accessibility for all interactive elements
- Arrow key navigation for menus and tree views
- Escape key handling for closing modals/dropdowns
- Screen Reader Support:
- Proper ARIA labels, roles, and properties
- Live region announcements for dynamic content
- Semantic HTML structure with landmarks
- Form Accessibility:
- Automatic error identification and announcement
- Required field indicators
- Proper label associations
Responsive Design & Preferences:
- Reduced Motion: Respects
prefers-reduced-motion for users with vestibular disorders
- High Contrast: Enhanced support for high contrast mode
- Touch Targets: Minimum 44×44 pixel touch targets (WCAG 2.5.8)
- Color Contrast: All color combinations meet 4.5:1 contrast ratio requirement
🎨 Accessibility Styles
New Stylesheet: src/scss/_accessibility.scss
- Skip Link Styling: Visually hidden until focused, proper positioning
- Enhanced Focus Indicators: 3px outline with high contrast colors
- Screen Reader Utilities:
.sr-only and .sr-only-focusable classes
- Touch Target Sizing: Utilities for ensuring minimum touch target sizes
- Accessible Color Palette: Pre-defined colors meeting contrast requirements
- Print Accessibility: Enhanced print styles with visible URLs and borders
🏗️ Component Improvements
Enhanced Components:
- Header Component: Improved meta tags with accessibility features
- Color scheme support (
light/dark)
- Theme color meta tags for browser UI
- Enhanced viewport configuration
- Accessibility description updates
- Navigation Components:
- Proper ARIA roles and labels
- Semantic navigation landmarks
- Keyboard navigation support
- Screen reader announcements
📚 Documentation & Compliance
Added:
ACCESSIBILITY-COMPLIANCE.md: Comprehensive documentation
- Implementation guide for developers
- Testing procedures and tools
- Browser and assistive technology compatibility
- API documentation for accessibility features
- Usage examples and best practices
API Reference:
const a11y = initAccessibility({
announcements: true,
skipLinks: true,
focusManagement: true,
keyboardNavigation: true,
reducedMotion: true
});
a11y.announce('Content updated', 'polite');
a11y.focusElement('#main-content');
a11y.trapFocus(modalElement);
a11y.addLandmarks();
🔧 Technical Improvements
Build System:
- Zero Linting Errors: All CSS and JavaScript pass strict linting rules
- Bundle Impact: Minimal size increase (~23KB total for accessibility features)
- Performance: <5ms initialization time for accessibility features
- Integration: Seamless integration with existing AdminLTE architecture
Browser Compatibility:
- Modern Browsers: Full ES2022 support in target browsers
- Assistive Technology: Tested with leading screen readers
- Mobile Support: Enhanced touch and mobile accessibility
- Legacy Graceful Degradation: Core functionality maintained for older browsers
🐛 Bug Fixes
Layout Issues:
- Sidebar Component: Fixed corrupted navigation structure
- Header Navigation: Resolved parsing errors in Astro components
- CSS Compilation: Fixed SASS deprecation warnings and property order issues
- Focus Indicators: Corrected outline and focus ring implementations
Linting Compliance:
- CSS: Fixed 72+ StyleLint violations in accessibility styles
- JavaScript: Resolved ESLint violations for numeric separators and function scoping
- TypeScript: Fixed compilation errors with modern syntax
Bundle Sizes:
- CSS: ~357KB (includes full accessibility features)
- JavaScript: ~47KB (includes AccessibilityManager)
- Gzipped Impact: <10KB additional for complete accessibility suite
Lighthouse Scores:
- Accessibility: 100% (WCAG 2.1 AA compliant)
- Performance: Maintained existing performance levels
- Best Practices: Improved with modern JavaScript patterns
🎯 Standards Compliance
WCAG 2.1 AA Requirements Met:
- 1. Perceivable: Text alternatives, semantic structure, color contrast
- 2. Operable: Keyboard accessibility, no seizure triggers, sufficient time
- 3. Understandable: Readable content, predictable functionality, input assistance
- 4. Robust: Valid markup, assistive technology compatibility
Additional Standards:
- Section 508: US federal accessibility requirements
- EN 301 549: European accessibility standard
- ADA Compliance: Americans with Disabilities Act requirements
🚀 Migration Guide
From 4.0.0-rc1 to 4.0.0-rc2:
Automatic Features (No Action Required):
- Accessibility features initialize automatically
- Skip links appear automatically for keyboard users
- Focus management works out-of-the-box
- Screen reader announcements are enabled by default
Optional Enhancements:
<form class="needs-validation" novalidate>
<div class="mb-3">
<label for="email" class="form-label">Email <span class="required-indicator">*</span></label>
<input type="email" class="form-control" id="email" required>
<div class="invalid-feedback" role="alert"></div>
</div>
</form>
<div class="alert alert-success text-accessible-success">Success message</div>
For Developers:
- Include accessibility utilities:
import { accessibilityUtils } from './adminlte.js'
- Use new CSS classes:
.sr-only, .touch-target, .text-accessible-*
- Test with screen readers and keyboard navigation
[4.0.0-rc1] - 2025-06-20
Major Modernization Release
This release represents a complete modernization of the AdminLTE codebase, bringing it up to current standards with the latest tooling, dependencies, and best practices.
Added
- New npm scripts for better developer experience:
npm start - Quick development server launchnpm run build - Convenient build command for development- Enhanced
npm run production with bundlewatch integration
Changed
- Upgraded to ES Modules: Added
"type": "module" to package.json
- ESLint modernization: Complete upgrade to ESLint v9 with new flat configuration format
- Migrated from
.eslintrc.json to modern eslint.config.js
- Updated all ESLint plugins to latest versions
- Resolved 700+ linting issues through automated fixes
- Astro configuration: Added
output: 'static' for proper static site generation
- Build optimizations: Enhanced Rollup and PostCSS configurations for ES modules
Dependencies
Updated
Security & Quality
Fixed
- Resolved all npm security vulnerabilities (0 vulnerabilities remaining)
- Updated browserslist database to latest browser compatibility data
- Fixed all deprecation warnings from SASS and other build tools
Improved
- Code quality: Zero linting errors across JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, and Astro files
- Bundle optimization: All assets pass bundlewatch size thresholds
- Build reliability: Complete production build pipeline works end-to-end
Code Cleanup
Removed
- Technical debt cleanup:
- Removed incomplete TODO comments and dead code
- Cleaned up unused variables and imports
- Standardized code formatting across all files
Fixed
- ESLint configuration conflicts between different rule sets
- Module import issues with JSON imports in ES modules
- Circular dependency warnings in build tools
Development Experience
Enhanced
- Faster development startup with optimized watch tasks
- Cleaner build output with suppressed non-critical warnings
- Better error reporting with modern linting tools
- Improved script organization with consistent naming conventions
Maintained
- Full Bootstrap 5.3.7 compatibility
- Modern browser support with updated browserslist
- Static site generation with Astro 5.x
- RTL (Right-to-Left) language support
Previous Versions
[4.0.0-beta3] and earlier
- Legacy versions with previous dependency sets
- See git history for detailed changes in earlier versions
Migration Guide
From 4.0.0-beta3 to 4.0.0-rc1
For Users:
- No breaking changes in the compiled CSS/JS output
- All existing HTML templates remain fully compatible
- CDN links and package imports work as before
For Developers:
- Update your npm scripts if you were using custom ones
- The new
npm start command replaces manual npm run dev
- ESLint configuration is now in
eslint.config.js (old .eslintrc.json removed)
- Build process now requires Node.js ES modules support
Recommended Actions:
- Run
npm install to get latest dependencies
- Use
npm start for development
- Use
npm run production for production builds
- Review any custom ESLint configurations for compatibility
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