XF 2.4 XenForo 2.4 status and what's new under the hood?

Where are we?​

TL;DR: We're working hard to release XenForo 2.4 ASAP, but it's taking longer than expected due to scope changes and strategic decisions to wait for certain upstream developments that will benefit the long-term roadmap. Here's an analogy to explain why:

Software development is like planning a cross-country expedition with multiple destinations.

When you set out for version 2.4, you're not just driving to the next town over. You're charting a course through unknown territory with several strategic stops planned along the way - each representing a major milestone or feature release.

But the challenge is the landscape keeps changing along the journey.

• New roads open up (better technologies emerge)
• Bridges get washed out (dependencies break or become obsolete)
• You discover scenic routes that would benefit all future travellers (opportunities for architectural improvements)
• Weather conditions shift (market demands or user needs evolve)
• Your vehicle needs unexpected maintenance (technical debt must be addressed)

You can't just focus on reaching the immediate next stop. You must consider how each decision affects the entire journey ahead. Taking a shortcut to reach 2.4 faster might leave you stranded when trying to reach 3.0, 4.0 or even 5.0.

This is why scope changes occur: experienced developers are constantly recalibrating the route based on new information, ensuring the expedition can successfully reach not just the next destination, but all the strategic waypoints that follow.

The delays aren't detours, rather they're course corrections that keep the long-term journey viable.

To be slightly less cryptic, these are some of the specific challenges we have faced along the way:

A new Tiptap version is coming​

When we announced that Tiptap is coming to XenForo 2.4 it was 95% complete, and we then took a bit of a pause to work on other projects, which we have talked about since and will be discussing in this thread. Since then, Tiptap have announced Tiptap V3 which is currently in beta. Given how core the editor is to the forum experience, it makes a lot of sense to ship XenForo 2.4 with Tiptap V3 rather than Tiptap V2 as originally planned. While the changes involved are not too extensive, we also don't want to ship 2.4 with a dependency that is still in beta and subject to change. While we are not planning to wait for Tiptap V3 to be stable, necessarily, we do at least want to give it a little bit more time so we have a higher degree of confidence that we're shipping a stable editing experience.

We started talking about a rewrite (again)​

While this is not currently the direction we've decided to go in, it's responsible for us to at least consider all routes available to us to help us reach our destination.

After nearly 8 years since the release of XenForo 2.0, many of the technologies we use are showing their age, many of the decisions we made have started to slow us down more than we would like, and as a framework, XenForo becomes a less productive framework to work with. The solution to this problem can be to start from scratch, but we have ultimately decided that this is not something we need to do at this stage.

Instead, over the next few versions, including 2.4, we will be attempting to make iterative architectural changes to the framework so that we all have greater tools at our disposal to improve both the developer and user experience, particularly focusing on the implementation of developer tools and features that have become commonplace in other frameworks, such as Laravel.

Some of our best features are simply not finished​

There are one or two features that we see requested consistently from customers in our community forums and feedback channels, and we're excited to confirm they are coming in 2.4! However, it serves no one well if we release such highly-anticipated features before they are ready and before they have the usual level of quality, polish, and extensibility you would expect from a XenForo release. We'd rather take the extra time to get them right than rush them out and disappoint users with a subpar implementation that requires immediate patches or lacks the flexibility for customisation. We'll be sharing exciting details about what these features are and how they work in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

We can't keep up!​

I just counted and there are about 15 features that have been merged or are pending to be merged into XF 2.4 that we haven't announced yet. Some of these are smaller and aren't worthy of a dedicated HYS of their own (so they'll probably be rolled into a "miscellaneous" HYS or two), and some of these are going to be mentioned below, but while we have been "cooking" (as the kids say these days) it has meant that things like code reviews, and writing HYS posts hasn't been easy to balance. There is also potentially more stuff coming from generous contributions from esteemed developers such as @Xon and @digitalpoint, assuming we have time to implement (otherwise they will wait for... a future version).


With all of that now being said, while 2.4 is taking longer than we wanted, we have been busy and we are very much nearing the end of development.

And, while disappointing (to all of us) it is important to maintain perspective. XenForo 2.2 was released in September 2020. XenForo 2.3 was released nearly four years later. XenForo 2.4 is not 3 more years away.

But, you clicked this to find out what's new, right? So let's go.

 

[Wing]

That’s what’s frustrating. Comms is a basic thing for development. Yet people have been absolutely ridiculed in here over the last couple years for trying to bring it up as a concern. @mjda i think this alone, shows some writing on the wall of concern. Not necessarily “doom and gloom”. But it is very different here on this support forum alone compared to the better days in the past. Deep down you know this, so quit kidding yourself

 

[tajhay]

And the frustrating thing is that comms is the easy bit!

I get that software development is hard, but professional devs at least have a target in mind, you don’t just say “it’ll be ready when it’s ready”, that smacks of being a hobby project.

Something like “we aim to have it done by Q2 2025”, then an update like “we have had issues with x and y so it will now slip to Q1 2026”. Yes, disappointing message but nobody could criticise the comms.

Unfortunately devs have a generalisation that they are bad at comms. And the dev team here is a great example of it.

They have stated a number of times that they understand that their communication is mediocre and will attempt to remedy, but here we are lol

Anyway, the only way customers can do anything is at renewal time.

Dont blindly renew.

 

[Digital Doctor]

They clearly can't talk about things.
which makes it even clearer as to the reason behind the delay.

The delay is just time.

 

[smallwheels]

Just 4 months ago, you and others in here were arguing with some of us that were being realists and saying exactly what you yourself now are saying. What happened?

Nothing. Probably no one has ever stated: "It is great thaf XF development is so slow and even better that communicaton is bad. I absolutely love how predictions and timelines stated go off by miles - I hope it stays that way!" Also no one has been arguing apart from yourself. People were tired by you posting the very same tirades over and over, again and again in this thread like a broken record while at the same time stating that you were the only clever person on earth and rudely attacking everyone that dared to have a different opinion to your's.

Deep down you know this, so quit kidding yourself

Even now it seems that you seem to believe everyone else than you is stupid and that now everyone shares your opinon - which clearly is not the case. A lot of people are not happy about the state of things, the slowness of progress and the lack of perspective. But they neither become a drama queen nor do they claim to know what is going on let alone claim to be the only person that has a clue about XF, the world and all the rest and delegitimating other views, perspectives and opions. Plus many see and accept that there is no win for the XF crew to communicate atm b/c the only effect of communicating would be the drama-queens and "i-know-everything" people in this forum to become vocal and insulting again. So the lack of communication that you complain about is at least partly clearly a result of your own behaviour in this thread as well as in others.

They clearly can't talk about things.
which makes it even clearer as to the reason behind the delay.

Interesting. Would you mind to share this reason? The last time(s) you (and otheres) claimed to know this reason it turned out to be plain phantasy...

 

[Wing]

Nothing. Probably no one has ever stated: "It is great thaf XF development is so slow and even better that communicaton is bad. I absolutely love how predictions and timelines stated go off by miles - I hope it stays that way!" Also no one has been arguing apart from yourself. People were tired by you posting the very same tirades over and over, again and again in this thread like a broken record while at the same time stating that you were the only clever person on earth and rudely attacking everyone that dared to have a different opinion to your's.

Even now it seems that you seem to believe everyone else than you is stupid and that now everyone shares your opinon - which clearly is not the case. A lot of people are not happy about the state of things, the slowness of progress and the lack of perspective. But they neither become a drama queen nor do they claim to know what is going on let alone claim to be the only person that has a clue about XF, the world and all the rest and delegitimating other views, perspectives and opions. Plus many see and accept that there is no win for the XF crew to communicate atm b/c the only effect of communicating would be the drama-queens and "i-know-everything" people in this forum to become vocal and insulting again. So the lack of communication that you complain about is at least partly clearly a result of your own behaviour in this thread as well as in others.

Interesting. Would you mind to share this reason? The last time(s) you (and otheres) claimed to know this reason it turned out to be plain phantasy...

Lol I’m not doing this again with you. Relax

 

[JamesBrown]

I can’t stand it anymore. SMF have had THREE updates this year! THREE Meanwhile XenForo is just sitting there, probably having a cup of tea, thinking about maybe updating their favicon sometime in the next decade. Unbelievable. I demand action, or at least a roadmap with exciting bullet points.

 

[Lee]

They clearly can't talk about things.
which makes it even clearer as to the reason behind the delay.

The delay is just time.

What does this even mean

 

[JamesBrown]

What does this even mean

It’s developer-speak for “don’t hold your breath.”

 

[Digital Doctor]

Up to date information can be found at https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07294282/filing-history

Does Ashley still have ownership shares in Xenforo ?
I think he does.

I take it this means Kier increased his shares in August ?

 

[smallwheels]

I think he does.

And off we go with a new round of the everlasting conspiracy theories...

which makes it even clearer as to the reason behind the delay.

As you claim to know the reason it should not be too hard to tell them. Except if it is nothing but phantasy and hot air (as it was the last times until now).

 

[smallwheels]

Meanwhile XenForo is just sitting there, probably having a cup of tea, thinking about maybe updating their favicon sometime in the next decade.

I think this really would be too much of a rush.

 

[PhineasD]

 

[Digital Doctor]

phantasy

fantasy.

I asked if Ashley has ownership shares still ?

I know he doesn't have board voting privileges.

I think the Xenforo re-org brings in a new era of prosperity.
The delay will be a good thing.

/not worried.

 

[zappaDPJ]

I can’t stand it anymore. SMF have had THREE updates this year!

You could always do what I did, move my forums onto SMF

The only real disappoint for me as far as Xenforo is concerned is the length of time it's taking to replace Froala. There really should have been an interim release shortly after Tiptap 3.0 became stable. Waiting for new stuff is one thing but having to live with annoying bugs in the editor for so long is slightly unacceptable in my view.

In the mean time my communities in the main seem quite happy with SMF.

 

[Jimsef]

I used SMF in the past and wasn’t impressed, and my users hated it.

My issue is when I left phpbb I was advised by some to go xenforo and others to go Invision… Not I am starting to worry I made the wrong choice.

 

[sub_ubi]

There's a thread for XF 2.4 complaints, please use that for the sake of my notifications

P

Thread 'XF 2.4 general discussion, feedback, complaints, random off topic posts, etc.'

Sep 13, 2024

Have at it.

• Paul B
• Replies: 1,145
• Forum: Other XenForo discussions and feedback

• 
• 

 

[nodle]

tiptap3 is well out of beta its at version 3.7.2 now

A new Tiptap version is coming​

When we announced that Tiptap is coming to XenForo 2.4 it was 95% complete, and we then took a bit of a pause to work on other projects, which we have talked about since and will be discussing in this thread. Since then, Tiptap have announced Tiptap V3 which is currently in beta. Given how core the editor is to the forum experience, it makes a lot of sense to ship XenForo 2.4 with Tiptap V3 rather than Tiptap V2 as originally planned. While the changes involved are not too extensive, we also don't want to ship 2.4 with a dependency that is still in beta and subject to change. While we are not planning to wait for Tiptap V3 to be stable, necessarily, we do at least want to give it a little bit more time so we have a higher degree of confidence that we're shipping a stable editing experience.

That was one of the reasons they were originally waiting. They were even planning to release 2.4 before Tiptap V3 became stable. That has come and gone already.

 

[JamesBrown]

You could always do what I did, move my forums onto SMF

I was just messing about. Not a chance that I'll be moving from Xenforo, it's too good.

 

[Wildcat Media]

I was just messing about. Not a chance that I'll be moving from Xenforo, it's too good.

Same, and I'm actually moving a couple of blogs over to XF, with a heavily modified theme to reduce the forum-ness of it. It's easier to work with, more stable, and more trustworthy than using WordPress these days.

For me, 2.4 means several months to over a year of waiting for add-ons to be updated and debugged, and a few more months of working on upgrading my projects, between working two other paying jobs to keep the lights on. 2.4 to me only means that 2.3 will reach end of life sooner, and I'll be forced to upgrade so I can keep the software secure (mainly bug/security fixes). Aside from the editor, and despite some cool new things coming, there is nothing in 2.4 that will break the Internet (or at least, my sites) if they didn't exist.

YMMV of course.