Merge pull request #278 from node-red/300

Initial 3.0 release post

Author: knolleary

_posts/2022-07-14-version-3-0-released.md

@@ -0,0 +1,276 @@
+---
+layout: blog
+title: Version 3.0 released
+author: nick
+---
+
+Node-RED 3.0 is now available to [install](https://npmjs.org/package/node-red). If upgrading, please read the [upgrade instructions](http://nodered.org/docs/getting-started/upgrading.html).
+
+The [Change Log](https://github.com/node-red/node-red/blob/1b94cc3ac027bfc38a300867a0b0fd635bf273b8/CHANGELOG.md) has the full list of changes in this release, but here are the highlights.
+
+---
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R9bV2MytHr0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+---
+ - [Migrating from Node-RED 2.x](#migrating-from-node-red-2x)
+ - [Editor Features](#editor-features)
+   - [Context Menu](#context-menu)
+   - [Junctions](#junctions)
+   - [Debug Path Tooltip](#debug-path-tooltip)
+   - [Continuous Search](#continuous-search)
+   - [Default node names](#default-node-names)
+   - [Monaco Text Editor](#monaco-text-editor)
+   - [Remembering cursor position](#remembering-cursor-position)
+   - [Accessing previous welcome tours](#accessing-previous-welcome-tours)
+ - [Runtime Features](#runtime-features)
+   - [Editing stopped flows](#editing-stopped-flows)
+   - [Diagnostic Report](#diagnostic-report)
+   - [Multiple static folders](#multiple-static-folders)
+ - [Node updates](#node-updates)
+   - [Dynamic Link Call node](#dynamic-link-call-node)
+   - [Environment Variables in the Template node](#environment-variables-in-the-template-node)
+   - [Debug node message count](#debug-node-message-count)
+   - [Predefined HTTP Request headers](#predefined-http-request-headers)
+ - [What's next?](#whats-next)
+
+
+## Migrating from Node-RED 2.x
+
+Here are the key points you need to know when migrating to Node-RED 3.x.
+
+ - Node.js 14.x or later required
+ - Internet Explorer no longer supported
+ - Choose if you want to enable the [Stopping Flows](#editing-stopped-flows) feature
+ - Choose if you want to *disable* the [Runtime Diagnostics](#diagnostic-report) feature
+ - Choose if you want to switch to the [Monaco editor](#monaco-text-editor) (if you haven't already).
+
+## Editor Features
+
+### Context Menu
+
+We have (finally) added a right-click context menu in the workspace. This gives
+you quick access to a lot of built-in actions in the editor and should help users
+discover more of the features available.
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/context.png)
+
+Picking what options should be in the menu hasn't been a simple task. There are
+a lot of things that could have been included - so we had to get the right balance
+between having the right options there and making it too long and hard to find.
+
+### Junctions
+
+We have introduced a new special node type called `junction` that can make it
+easier to route the wires in a flow.
+
+Unlike the various 'no-op' nodes that have been published to the community to help
+achieve similar results, the Junctions are far more compact and less obtrusive
+in the flow.
+
+When you hover over a Junction, it expands to show input and output ports. You can
+move the junction by dragging its body, or add a wire by click/dragging on one of
+its ports - just as you do with nodes.
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/junctions.gif)
+
+Junctions do not appear as regular nodes in the palette or flow outline, but can be
+added through the quick-add dialog (Ctrl-click in the workspace) or the new Context Menu.
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/junction-quick-add.png)
+
+You can also insert a Junction into an existing wire by slicing through it with the
+mouse by holding <kbd>alt-shift</kbd> when dragging across the wire. Note that some OS might
+use that same combination to move the active window, so this won't work there. We
+don't yet have a way to allow the mouse actions to be customised, so users affected
+by that would have to use the other methods to add Junctions.
+
+
+### Debug Path Tooltip
+
+When hovering over a node name in the Debug sidebar, a new tooltip shows the full
+location of the node. This is useful when working with subflows, making it much
+easier to identify exactly which node generated the message.
+
+Clicking on any item in the list will reveal it in the workspace.
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/debug-tooltip.png)
+
+### Continuous Search
+
+When searching for things in the editor, a new toolbar in the workspace provides
+options to quickly jump between the search results.
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/search.png)
+
+We've added a pair of new actions to help navigate the results:
+
+ - `core:search-next` - shortcut: <kbd>f</kbd>
+ - `core:search-previous` - shortcut: <kbd>shift-f</kbd>
+
+We've also added some more predefined searches, including the ability to restrict
+the search to the current flow.
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/search-options.png)
+
+### Default node names
+
+The `Debug`, `Function` and `Link` nodes are now given unique default names when
+they are added to the workspace.
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/node-names.gif)
+
+This capability could be added to any node, including contrib nodes, via their
+`onadd` function. We chose just this initial set as they were the ones that would
+most benefit from having a name applied.
+
+A new action has also been added that will apply an appropriate default name to
+any selected nodes that don't currently have a name:
+
+ - `core:generate-node-names`
+
+### Monaco Text Editor
+
+We added the `monaco` editor component as an alternative to the default `ace`
+editor a year ago in the 2.x release. It has proven to be very stable and provides
+a much richer user experience.
+
+With 3.0, we have switched over to monaco as the default editor. New installs of
+Node-RED will pickup the change - existing installs will need to update (or remove) the
+`codeEditor` entry in their settings file.
+
+The ultimate goal will be to remove `ace` entirely in the 4.0 release next year.
+
+### Remembering cursor position
+
+The editor now tries to restore your cursor position when you reopen a node's
+edit dialog. This is super handy with the Function node, amongst others, where
+you don't want to have to scroll back to where you were working each time you
+open the edit dialog.
+
+
+### Accessing previous welcome tours
+
+We introduced the Welcome Tour back in 2.1.0 and it has been updated for each
+release. With this release, we've added a way to access the tours of the previous
+releases in the Help sidebar:
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/tours.png)
+
+## Runtime Features
+
+### Editing stopped flows
+
+We've introduced the **optional** ability to run Node-RED without the flows
+themselves running. We already had Safe Mode that achieved a similar result, but
+with this new feature, you can stop and start the flows directly from the editor.
+The runtime will remember the state of the flows so when Node-RED starts up, the
+flows will stay in the same started/stopped state.
+
+This feature is **not enabled by default**. To enable it, you need to add the
+following to your `settings.js` file:
+
+```
+runtimeState: {
+   enabled: true,
+   ui: true
+}
+```
+
+With that set, you get a new option in the Deploy menu:
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/deploy-stop.png)
+
+Clicking that option will stop the flows running, but you can continue editing
+them and deploy changes. Whilst stopped, the Inject/Debug node buttons will be
+disabled.
+
+When the flows are stopped, the menu shows a start option instead:
+
+![](/blog/content/images/2022/07/deploy-start.png)
+
+### Diagnostic Report
+
+We've added a new admin endpoint that returns information about the runtime and
+the system its running on. This can be used to quickly gather information when
+reporting an issue.
+
+Within the editor you can see the information it returns by running the 'Show System Info'
+action.
+
+We have taken care to ensure this does not return anything sensitive. In some cases
+it will indicate if a particular setting is set, but not what value it has been
+set to.
+
+We realise that not everyone will want to have this exposed depending on how
+they use Node-RED. For that reason, the endpoint can be disabled by adding the
+following to `settings.js`:
+
+```
+diagnostics: {
+    enabled: false
+}
+```
+
+
+### Multiple static folders
+
+The runtime has long-supported the ability to serve a folder of static content
+as part of its HTTP handling. Useful for providing static resources to webpages
+and the like.
+
+With this release you can now specify multiple folders to serve from and, more
+importantly, to specify the http path each folder should be served from.
+
+See [#3542](https://github.com/node-red/node-red/pull/3542) for details on how it
+can be used.
+
+## Node updates
+
+### Dynamic Link Call node
+
+We added the Link Call node in Node-RED 2.1. It lets you create a flow that calls
+out to a Link In node and get a response back. The main limitation was you had
+to hardcode what Link In node you wanted it to call.
+
+With this release you can now use `msg.target` to set the name of the Link In node
+it should call.
+
+### Environment Variables in the Template node
+
+The Template node can now access environment variables using the syntax:
+
+```
+My favourite colour is {{env.COLOUR}}.
+```
+
+### Debug node message count
+
+The Debug node has a new option to report how many messages it has received in its
+status output.
+
+### Predefined HTTP Request headers
+
+The HTTP Request node now allows you to set request headers in the node's edit
+dialog - rather than having to always pass them in as message properties.
+
+
+## What's next?
+
+As happened with 2.0, we've overrun our plan for getting 3.0 released in April. But
+the series of beta releases we have been doing have really helped improve the overall
+quality of this release.
+
+The main challenge has always been getting enough time and attention dedicated
+to keep the release cadence going.
+
+Our next scheduled main release will be 3.1 in late October/November. As ever,
+we have a healthy backlog of items to keep us busy - but ultimately it depends
+very much on the feedback from the community.
+
+If you're interested in contributing to Node-RED, now is a good time to come over
+and chat with us in either the [forum](https://discourse.nodered.org) or [slack](https://nodered.org/slack).
+
+Node-Red 2.x is now in maintenance mode - we won't be added any new features to it,
+but we will do maintenance releases with fixes as needed. In fact, we'll have a
+long overdue 2.2.3 release in the next couple of weeks.