countdown 8.x-1.11

Major Refactor & Feature Release

Fully backward compatible - run update.php after upgrading to migrate existing configurations.

Overview

This release represents a complete architectural overhaul of the Countdown module while maintaining full backward compatibility. The module now features a powerful dual-mode rendering system with an advanced JavaScript countdown library and extensive customization options.

Key Features

Dual Rendering Modes

• Static Mode (PHP-based): Server-side rendering with SEO benefits, updates on page refresh, zero JavaScript dependency
• Real-time Mode (JavaScript): Dynamic countdown with millisecond precision, smooth animations, and live updates

Advanced CountdownTimer Library

• Lightweight, optimized JavaScript library (v1.0.0-alpha3)
• Drift compensation for long-running timers
• Multiple precision levels: minutes, seconds, tenths, hundredths, milliseconds
• Event-driven architecture with comprehensive API

Display Styles & Customization

• Automatic: Default HH:MM:SS format based on precision
• Verbose: Human-readable format (e.g., "3 days, 2 hours, 1 minute")
• Compact: Space-efficient format (e.g., "3d 2h 1m")
• Custom Templates: Token-based formatting (DD, HH, MM, SS, mmm)

Completion Actions

• Hide block with fade animation
• Display custom completion message
• Redirect to specified URL
• Auto-reload page
• Switch to elapsed time (count-up mode)
• Trigger custom JavaScript events

Timer Modes

• Countdown: Count down to future events
• Countup: Count up from past events
• Elapsed: Automatic switch to elapsed time after completion

Technical Enhancements

JavaScript API

// Get timer instance
var timer = Drupal.countdown.getTimer("block_id");
// Control operations
Drupal.countdown.controlTimer("block_id", "start|pause|resume|stop|reset");
// Event listeners
$("#countdown-block_id").on("countdown:complete", function(e, time, timer) {
// Custom logic
});

Performance Optimizations

• Efficient drift compensation algorithm
• Configurable update frequency
• Minimal DOM manipulation
• WeakMap for memory-efficient instance management
• Optimized rendering pipeline

Developer Features

• Debug mode with console logging
• Timezone support with display options
• Start offset for fine-tuning
• Auto-start configuration
• JavaScript event system for custom integrations
• Comprehensive test coverage (CountdownBlockTest)

Migration & Compatibility

Backward Compatibility

100% backward compatible. Existing countdown blocks will continue to work in static mode without any changes required.

Automatic Migration

• Update hook countdown_update_8101() automatically migrates existing configurations
• Old url field migrated to event_link
• All existing blocks default to static mode (preserving current behavior)
• No manual intervention required

Upgrade Path

# Standard update process
drush updb
drush cr

New Files & Structure

JavaScript Libraries

• js/lib/countdown.js - Core CountdownTimer library
• js/countdown.integration.js - Drupal integration layer
• js/countdown.admin.js - Admin UI enhancements

Stylesheets

• css/countdown.admin.css - Enhanced admin form styling

System Files

• countdown.install - Update hooks and requirements
• Extended schema with 25+ new configuration options
• Comprehensive help documentation

Breaking Changes

None. This release maintains full backward compatibility while adding new optional features.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed timezone calculation issues
• Resolved memory leaks in long-running timers
• Corrected elapsed time display for past events
• Fixed URL validation and handling

Performance Impact

• Static mode: No change in performance
• Real-time mode: ~2KB JavaScript (gzipped), negligible CPU usage
• Memory: Efficient WeakMap usage prevents memory leaks

Configuration Changes

New configuration options (all optional with sensible defaults):

• render_mode: static|realtime
• timer_mode: countdown|countup
• precision: minutes|seconds|tenths|hundredths|milliseconds
• display_style: auto|verbose|compact|custom
• completion_action: none|hide|message|redirect|reload|elapsed|event
• 20+ additional customization options

Security

• XSS protection in all user inputs
• CSRF token validation for forms
• Proper HTML escaping in templates
• No external dependencies or CDN calls

Documentation

• Comprehensive module help at /admin/help/countdown
• Inline code documentation with JSDoc and PHPDoc
• Updated README with examples and API documentation
• Schema documentation for all configuration options

Credits

Major refactor by Mahyar SBT with the introduction of the CountdownTimer library and real-time rendering capabilities.

🔗 Links

• Project page
• Issue queue
• Repository

Recommended update: This is a feature-rich update with no breaking changes. Testing in a development environment is advised for sites with custom countdown integrations.