{"id":"69acc70db73c05ef28c940eb","title":"2026 03 08","path":"how-to/committee/release-notes/2026-03-08","contentMarkdown":"# 08-Mar-2026 — Events and Album-backgrounds: 2 features [#12](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/issues/12)\n\n## [build 512](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/actions/runs/22810447767) — [commit 75cf506](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/commit/75cf50661f1c7c7f771546d5705d20e27751f9e1)\n\n_____\n\n## Events Standardisation\n### Navigation and URL improvements\n- Replace MongoDB IDs with human-readable slugs in social event URLs for view, edit, and cancel flows\n- Add `eventIdentifier()` to `UrlService` to extract event identifiers from both `area/` and `area//view|edit` URL patterns\n- Update `pathContainsEventIdOrSlug()` to recognise 3-segment paths ending in \"edit\"\n- Social event edit now navigates to `//edit` instead of `//edit`\n- Cancel from social edit returns to `/` instead of `/`\n- Walk card titles use `routerLink` with slug-based URLs instead of `[href]` with MongoDB IDs\n### Dynamic routing for renamed areas\n- Add `hasTrailingEditPath` URL matcher for `//edit` pattern in `path-matchers.ts`\n- Route `//edit` to `SocialEditComponent` for dynamically named social event areas (e.g. `group-events`)\n- Placed before `hasDynamicPath` catch-all to ensure edit routes are matched before falling through to dynamic content\n### Polymorphic event rendering\n- `CardImageOrMap` renders navigation links using `[href]` with type-aware URL resolution for walks and social events\n- `WalksViewSelector` dispatches to `SocialViewPageComponent` when viewing a `GROUP_EVENT` within walks routes\n- `WalkDisplayService.edit()` routes social events to the social edit page with slug-based URLs\n### Advanced search improvements\n- Extract `advancedSearchSummary()` as a reusable function from `EventsFull` for use in both `EventsFull` and `WalkList`\n- Advanced search criteria now persisted in URL query parameters and restored on page load\n- Add `advancedSearchChange` output event to `WalkSearch`, replacing `BroadcastService` for advanced search events\n- Filter summary displayed in alert messages for both list and map views\n- `AdvancedSearchPane` wraps `populateFromCriteria` and `convertKebabLabelsToIds` in try/finally to ensure `suppressCriteriaChanges` is always reset\n- `applyFilterRangePreset` accepts an `emit` parameter to prevent spurious criteria emissions during initialisation\n- Sync filter option dropdown with advanced criteria after date range loads\n- `rangesAreClose()` uses `PRESET_MATCH_THRESHOLD_MS` for consistent preset matching\n- `resetQueryDrivenState()` clears filters, pagination, and view when navigating without query parameters\n### Alert layout improvements\n- Long alert messages render on a separate full-width row below pagination for better readability\n- `alertUsesFullRow()` and `showResultsHeaderRow()` control layout based on message length\n- Map view spacing adjusted with conditional `mt-2` margin when alerts are visible\n### Map view enhancements\n- Add `HeightResizerComponent` to walks map view for user-adjustable map height\n- Increase max map height from 900px to 2000px\n### Date formatting standardisation\n- Add `UIDateFormat.DAY_NAME` and `UIDateFormat.YEAR_MONTH_DAY_T_HHMM` enum values\n- Replace inline `toFormat()` calls with `dateUtils.asString()` using `UIDateFormat` enums in `DateRangeSlider`, `MigrationSettings`, and `WalkExport`\n- `DateUtilsService.asDateTime()` now handles `DateTime` inputs directly\n- `daysOfWeek()` and `mongoDayOfWeekFromName()` use `UIDateFormat.DAY_NAME` format\n### Dynamic page awareness\n- `SocialDisplayService.socialArea()` and `WalkDisplayService.socialArea()` resolve the current area from URL or page configuration\n- Social view \"Back to\" link uses dynamic area title instead of hard-coded \"social events\"\n### Walk admin \"back\" navigation\n- Replace hard-coded `navigateTo([\"walks\", \"admin\"])` with `Location.back()` in 6 walk admin sub-pages (add-slots, config, export, import, meetup-settings, event-data-management)\n- Users now return to wherever they navigated from instead of always going to `/walks/admin`\n### Social page migration\n- Migration script now converts legacy social pages (`#social-content` fragments) to root pages with an events row for `group-event` type\n- Resolves social page path dynamically from system config `group.pages`\n- Delete `SocialHomeComponent` — no longer needed after migration creates root social pages\n- `SocialViewSelector` treats `LIST` dispatch as `DYNAMIC_CONTENT`, rendering the dynamic content page for both cases\n- Event type strings use named constants (`EVENT_TYPE_GROUP_WALK`, `EVENT_TYPE_GROUP_EVENT`) instead of inline literals\n\n### **album-backgrounds**: backgrounds view, events row, and admin improvements ([#12](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/issues/12))\n\nNew backgrounds album view with smooth crossfade transitions between photos\nand wave-transparency overlays. Text and event links are displayed over the\nimagery with configurable colours, scale, padding, and markdown content that\ncan now be edited directly in-place on the preview.\nColour selections (Title Colour, Text Colour) now persist correctly after\nsaving. The admin panel has been tidied up with consistent range sliders\nfor padding and offset controls, and a reusable RangeSliderComponent for\nfuture use.\nEvents can now be displayed as a page content row with server-side\npagination that no longer causes a full page refresh. Walks pages are\nmigrated to use this new events row pattern.\nAlso removed the legacy social carousel, fixed a gap above the gallery\nview, added PNG upload preview support, and ensured the selected album\nview persists across page refreshes in edit mode.","contentHtml":"

08-Mar-2026 — Events and Album-backgrounds: 2 features #12

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build 512 — commit 75cf506

\n
\n

Events Standardisation

\n

Navigation and URL improvements

\n
    \n
  • Replace MongoDB IDs with human-readable slugs in social event URLs for view, edit, and cancel flows
    • \n
  • Add eventIdentifier() to UrlService to extract event identifiers from both area/<id> and area/<slug>/view|edit URL patterns
    • \n
  • Update pathContainsEventIdOrSlug() to recognise 3-segment paths ending in "edit"
    • \n
  • Social event edit now navigates to <area>/<event-slug>/edit instead of <area>/<mongo-id>/edit
    • \n
  • Cancel from social edit returns to <area>/<event-slug> instead of <area>/<mongo-id>
    • \n
  • Walk card titles use routerLink with slug-based URLs instead of [href] with MongoDB IDs
    • \n
\n

Dynamic routing for renamed areas

\n
    \n
  • Add hasTrailingEditPath URL matcher for <area>/<slug>/edit pattern in path-matchers.ts
    • \n
  • Route <area>/<slug>/edit to SocialEditComponent for dynamically named social event areas (e.g. group-events)
    • \n
  • Placed before hasDynamicPath catch-all to ensure edit routes are matched before falling through to dynamic content
    • \n
\n

Polymorphic event rendering

\n
    \n
  • CardImageOrMap renders navigation links using [href] with type-aware URL resolution for walks and social events
    • \n
  • WalksViewSelector dispatches to SocialViewPageComponent when viewing a GROUP_EVENT within walks routes
    • \n
  • WalkDisplayService.edit() routes social events to the social edit page with slug-based URLs
    • \n
\n

Advanced search improvements

\n
    \n
  • Extract advancedSearchSummary() as a reusable function from EventsFull for use in both EventsFull and WalkList
    • \n
  • Advanced search criteria now persisted in URL query parameters and restored on page load
    • \n
  • Add advancedSearchChange output event to WalkSearch, replacing BroadcastService for advanced search events
    • \n
  • Filter summary displayed in alert messages for both list and map views
    • \n
  • AdvancedSearchPane wraps populateFromCriteria and convertKebabLabelsToIds in try/finally to ensure suppressCriteriaChanges is always reset
    • \n
  • applyFilterRangePreset accepts an emit parameter to prevent spurious criteria emissions during initialisation
    • \n
  • Sync filter option dropdown with advanced criteria after date range loads
    • \n
  • rangesAreClose() uses PRESET_MATCH_THRESHOLD_MS for consistent preset matching
    • \n
  • resetQueryDrivenState() clears filters, pagination, and view when navigating without query parameters
    • \n
\n

Alert layout improvements

\n
    \n
  • Long alert messages render on a separate full-width row below pagination for better readability
    • \n
  • alertUsesFullRow() and showResultsHeaderRow() control layout based on message length
    • \n
  • Map view spacing adjusted with conditional mt-2 margin when alerts are visible
    • \n
\n

Map view enhancements

\n
    \n
  • Add HeightResizerComponent to walks map view for user-adjustable map height
    • \n
  • Increase max map height from 900px to 2000px
    • \n
\n

Date formatting standardisation

\n
    \n
  • Add UIDateFormat.DAY_NAME and UIDateFormat.YEAR_MONTH_DAY_T_HHMM enum values
    • \n
  • Replace inline toFormat() calls with dateUtils.asString() using UIDateFormat enums in DateRangeSlider, MigrationSettings, and WalkExport
    • \n
  • DateUtilsService.asDateTime() now handles DateTime inputs directly
    • \n
  • daysOfWeek() and mongoDayOfWeekFromName() use UIDateFormat.DAY_NAME format
    • \n
\n

Dynamic page awareness

\n
    \n
  • SocialDisplayService.socialArea() and WalkDisplayService.socialArea() resolve the current area from URL or page configuration
    • \n
  • Social view "Back to" link uses dynamic area title instead of hard-coded "social events"
    • \n
\n

Walk admin "back" navigation

\n
    \n
  • Replace hard-coded navigateTo(["walks", "admin"]) with Location.back() in 6 walk admin sub-pages (add-slots, config, export, import, meetup-settings, event-data-management)
    • \n
  • Users now return to wherever they navigated from instead of always going to /walks/admin
    • \n
\n

Social page migration

\n
    \n
  • Migration script now converts legacy social pages (<href>#social-content fragments) to root pages with an events row for group-event type
    • \n
  • Resolves social page path dynamically from system config group.pages
    • \n
  • Delete SocialHomeComponent — no longer needed after migration creates root social pages
    • \n
  • SocialViewSelector treats LIST dispatch as DYNAMIC_CONTENT, rendering the dynamic content page for both cases
    • \n
  • Event type strings use named constants (EVENT_TYPE_GROUP_WALK, EVENT_TYPE_GROUP_EVENT) instead of inline literals
    • \n
\n

album-backgrounds: backgrounds view, events row, and admin improvements (#12)

\n

New backgrounds album view with smooth crossfade transitions between photos\nand wave-transparency overlays. Text and event links are displayed over the\nimagery with configurable colours, scale, padding, and markdown content that\ncan now be edited directly in-place on the preview.\nColour selections (Title Colour, Text Colour) now persist correctly after\nsaving. The admin panel has been tidied up with consistent range sliders\nfor padding and offset controls, and a reusable RangeSliderComponent for\nfuture use.\nEvents can now be displayed as a page content row with server-side\npagination that no longer causes a full page refresh. Walks pages are\nmigrated to use this new events row pattern.\nAlso removed the legacy social carousel, fixed a gap above the gallery\nview, added PNG upload preview support, and ensured the selected album\nview persists across page refreshes in edit mode.

\n"}