2.28.0
New features 🎉
File hierarchy view 🗄️
Some data packages make use of a file system structure to organize and present data files. Until now, MetacatUI was limited to displaying files in a flat structure. With this release, we introduce a new file hierarchy view that allows users to navigate through the organized file system of a data package! This long awaited feature is a step toward providing more comprehensive support for large and complex data packages, and will be especially useful for researchers who have organized their data in a hierarchical manner.
The new file hierarchy view is now visible on data packages that have already made use of the atLocation attribute in their data packages, through tools like our R or Python APIs. Future releases will include the ability to view, create, and edit file hierarchies directly through the online editor!
Cesium Map Enhancements 🌍
This release introduces several enhancements to the Cesium map interface, including a new location search feature and improved data layer search and categorization. These updates are designed to streamline user access to specific geographical areas and improve the overall user experience when working with and exploring the Cesium map.
Location search
Maps now include a "viewfinder" feature that allows searching for and navigating to locations using latitude and longitude coordinates, a place name, an address, or a specific area of interest. This new feature makes it easier for users to quickly zoom to specific study areas, communities, or landmarks, and is especially beneficial for researchers who need to quickly view geographical data points in the map.
To enable this feature on your MetacatUI repository, make sure your have a a valid Google Maps API key configured in your app config that includes access to the Geocoding API and Places API. The feature can be enabled for a given map by setting the showViewfinder option to true in the map configuration. For more information about using the Cesium map, see the Cesium map and Cesium map for portals guides.
Layer search & categorization
Layers in Cesium maps are now more searchable and organized! Users can now search for specific data layers within the Cesium map interface, making it easier to find and access the data they need. In addition, layers can now be grouped into thematic categories, providing users with a more organized and intuitive way to navigate through the available data layers in a Cesium map. These enhancements are designed to improve the overall user experience when exploring maps with many data layers.
New map styling
A fresh 'light' theme is now available for portals, which currently apply updated styles to the Cesium map interface. Specifically, the light theme incorporates a new font and color scheme that enhances the visual appeal and readability. Other stylistic changes include refined visuals in the viewfinder and navigation help panels, along with updated styles within the details panel to ensure a consistent and intuitive user experience. A scroll bar has now been added to the Cesium layer list, essential for maps with extensive layers that exceed the window height.
Misc improvements
- Updated PR Guidelines: the CONTRIBUTING document now includes PR code review guidelines #2285
- Bump express from 4.18.1 to 4.19.2 #2332
- Bump nokogiri from 1.15.4 to 1.16.2 in /docs #2260
Bug fixes 🛠️
- Fix the URL method in new data catalog pager #2327
- Directly navigating to page does not work on the new catalog search #2328
- Extra objects added to URL pattern when navigating search pages #2325
- Fix GCMD keyword link in submission form #2284
- Cesium scale bar covers logged-in profile nav dropdown #2261
- Fix the NSF award API endpoint #2233
- Allow entry of -90 & 90 degrees latitude #2227
- Issue with Coordinate Input Regex Validation in EML Editor #2226
- Toolbar menu blocks clicking on Cesium Map #2207
- User menu cut off #1978
Developer notes
- The testing suite has been upgraded with new packages and tools. Developers are advised to run
npm installin the root of the MetacatUI project to update local environments accordingly. Furthermore, a new pre-merge GitHub script has been introduced, which automatically runs tests and checks for JSDoc errors upon PR creation. Developers should address any errors flagged by this script prior to merging. - The documentation site now requires Ruby version 3.1 or higher. If running the docs site locally, developers should update their local Ruby installations to ensure compatibility #2306
- As detailed in the features section, enabling location search in Cesium maps requires a valid Google maps key. Developers should ensure that this key is obtained and configured properly to provide full functionality to users.