CIX has today released an update to the API.

This brings a number of updates based on feedback from our developers, including:

• Better support for forum names containing non alphanumeric characters
• New methods which should allow applications built on the API to download data much faster than before
• Updated developer test console to support these new methods

Developers can take advantage of these new features today and some small fixes have been automatically applied meaning updates to applications aren’t required.

The CIX API has been indispensable for several applications, notably Bryan Boreham’s (bjb@cix) popular iXolr for iOS. The uses of the API are practically limitless, with apps for dozens of platforms and even within web applications to embed CIX Forums elsewhere being possible.

CIX Development Team

We are pleased to announce a new major release of CIX Forums, available at forums.cixonline.com. The revamp has been part of the planned overhaul which ICUK  set out to complete since purchasing CIX last year. The changes are based around feedback we have received from members as well as ideas from the creative talents of our development team.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the changes it brings:

Message Viewing

• Messages can be viewed in a fixed width font
• Quotes are now highlighted in a different colour
• Option to mark messages as read when opened
• Maximum thread line display has been increased
• A new button to create an internal CIX link to the current message
• Page size has been greatly increased

Composing

• New ‘quote’ button when replying
• Message copy function has been replaced with an improved ‘repost’ function
• Messages can now be saved as drafts for posting later

General

• Added a new keyboard shortcuts section
• Visiting a thread in a forum automatically joins the forum, if you are not a member
• The left menu bar can be hidden
• Decreased loading times throughout
• Font changes
• Numerous cosmetic changes
• A new sign in page
• The header bar now includes navigational features to make getting around forums much faster
• Dozens of bug fixes
• The ability to create a new forum has been restored
• Syncing pointers is no longer required to view newly created topics
• Users can now sign in to their CIX webmail from inside Forums

Forums Page

• Forum pages have a new layout, displaying all open topics and most recent threads

Search

• Search results are now in date order

Home Page

• Added a new home page that displays all the relevant information from the old home page, and loads around three times faster
• Added a “Who’s Online” list
• Mobile users are now given the option of using our mobile web app

Profile Pages

• Profiles now display CoSy resumes
• Profile picture size has been increased
• Users can now edit their CoSy resume from their profile page

Private Messages

• Messages can now have a reply to address specified

Thanks to all our members who have given up their time to beta test and provide feedback to many of these features during development.  Similarly, we welcome all feedback for future developments as we try and make this one of the best forum platforms available.