Exponential Basic 2.4.0.3 is ready: a real extension system, a storage sample, and a cleaner admin UI

7x has released Exponential Basic 2.4.0.3, the next step in the long-running effort to bring the eZ Publish 2 kernel forward to PHP 8. This release makes extensions a first-class citizen, ships a working database-backed sample, and polishes the admin experience across the board.

If you have been looking for a clean way to add your own modules, admin views and database tables without editing the core, this is the release you have been waiting for.

Extensions are now a first-class part of the system

The headline feature of 2.4.0.3 is a complete extension-module pipeline. Active extensions can now supply user and admin views, per-view translations, module.info metadata, admin menubox.php side menus and module icons. The front controller, eZTemplate and eZDesign layers now resolve, merge and translate these automatically, so a module living in extension/myext/ behaves like a native part of the application.

A new create_extension.php skeleton generator produces the whole module layout for you: module directories, datasupplier files, intl catalogues, a menubox and even a starter template. This is the fastest way to bootstrap a new eZ Basic extension.

To show how everything fits together, the helloworld sample has been expanded into a full create-and-list example. It includes the eZHelloWorldItem storage class, which uses eZDB::globalDatabase() for create, fetch, search, update and delete, plus an admin list view styled like the core article archive and a public view that lists stored messages. If you can build a hello-world module, you can build a real one.

Admin experience and core stability

The white admin design has been refreshed. GIF tile borders have been replaced with CSS, desktop body spacing has been tightened, and mobile responsive styles have been improved. Footer branding now uses the Exponential Basic badge, and referrer list parsing no longer produces broken http://Direct links for blank referrers.

Under the surface, 2.4.0.3 fixes admin rendering and fatal errors in contact, file manager, trade, article, newsfeed and eZPBFile views. eZStats reporting has been improved for dates, browser counts, reverse-DNS and blank-referrer handling. Cron scripts now consistently include the autoloader, and the SQLite driver no longer aborts responses when WAL mode cannot be set.

Other operational improvements include moving eZ Basic caches out of kernel/ and into var/cache/, restoring /proc-based sysinfo pages with a PHP 8-safe fallback, defaulting the site root to the article front page, and bumping the bundled phpunit dependency to a secure version.

Try it and get involved

Exponential Basic 2.4.0.3 is available now from GitHub. You can read the full changelog or download the release below.

Download Exponential Basic 2.4.0.3

Read the full 2.4.0.3 changelog

Have a question? Ask on the community forums.

About Exponential Basic

Exponential Basic is the eZ Publish 2 kernel implementation upgraded for PHP 8.1 - 8.3. It is maintained by 7x and released under the GNU General Public License. The project provides a lightweight, educational and production-suitable foundation for personal home pages, community websites and simple PHP applications.

“This release is a practical milestone,” said Graham Brookins, founder of 7x. “Extension modules were always part of the eZ vision, and now they actually work again on PHP 8. With the helloworld storage sample and the updated admin list, developers can see exactly how to extend the system without changing the core.”

We at team 7x are very happy with this new release as it includes a lot of major under the hood improvements to help expand and modernize the core cms features in code and framework.

This is a serious labor of love. This package represents the extended life of a product / framework that launched the programing careers of so very many individuals.

We love Exponential Basic and take care to ensure it's continued use. Join us? Won't you? Download Exponential Basic today!

Exponential 6.0.14 Now Available — Full MongoDB 8 Database Adapter + Critical Cross-Database ORM Fixes

7x is very pleased to announce the release of Exponential 6.0.14 to users worldwide, released on June 7, 2026. This release delivers full MongoDB 8 database adapter support — enabling the entire CMS kernel to run against MongoDB in place of MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite — alongside critical cross-database ORM fixes that were silently breaking all content rendering on SQLite and PostgreSQL installations, shared-hosting MySQL setup wizard improvements, and PHP 8 compatibility hardening throughout the user and role system.

Happy 6/7 to the Exponential Community!

Key Highlights

• MongoDB 8 Database Adapter — A complete new database backend (expMongoDB) implementing eZDBInterface for MongoDB 8.x. Select MongoDB from the setup wizard, migrate an existing MySQL installation using the new bin/mongodb/ tooling, or install fresh. Connection parameters read from the standard [DatabaseSettings] block in site.ini. Full design and compatibility documentation in doc/bc/6.0/MONGODB_KERNEL_SUPPORT_EXPANSION.md.
• Shared-Hosting MySQL Setup Wizard — The setup wizard no longer requires SHOW DATABASES privilege or root access. When an explicit database name is provided the wizard connects directly to the application database using only standard per-database grants.
• Admin UI Fixes — browse.tpl integer PersistentData values no longer silently suppressed, fixing the Copy content action. js_class_languages initialised as [] not empty string. jQuery .size() replaced with .length in node_tabs.js.

Getting Started

• Download the release from GitHub or install via Composer: se7enxweb/exponential.
• MongoDB installations: read the migration guide at doc/bc/6.0/MONGODB_KERNEL_SUPPORT_EXPANSION.md before installing.
• SQLite and PostgreSQL users: this release fixes fundamental ORM breakage — upgrade is strongly recommended.
• Check exponential.earth for packages, extensions, and Composer setup instructions.
• Turnkey Exponential CMS hosting is available at se7enx.com.

Upgrade Notes

• SQLite: all content rendering was broken before this release. Upgrade immediately.
• MySQL shared hosting: no root or SHOW DATABASES privilege required.
• MongoDB: new installations select MongoDB 8 from the setup wizard. Existing MySQL installs migrate via bin/mongodb/. See known limitations in doc/bc/6.0/MONGODB_KERNEL_SUPPORT_EXPANSION.md section 26.
• jQuery: custom code using .size() must be updated to .length.

Get Support

• GitHub Discussions — join the dedicated discussion thread for this release to share your experience and ask questions.
• GitHub Issues — report bugs or track known issues directly on the repository.
• Share — Community Forums — browse existing threads and post new questions.
• Telegram — @exponentialcms — real-time help and community discussion.
• Thank you to everyone in the community who contributed, tested, and reported issues. Enjoy Exponential 6.0.14!

Exponential Platform DXP 2.0.0.2 Now Available (Symfony Only — New Stack — Platform v5)

(Rebooting our own Free Software community software distribution of this Very Powerful Open Source Symfony CMS Framework)
7x is extremely pleased to announce the release of Exponential Platform DXP 2.0.0.2 to users worldwide. This is a Symfony-only, new stack release built on Platform v5, featuring a brand new kernel, a rebranded design, and a clean front-end website design — along with all of your favourite classic features.

All versions support PHP 8.1 through 8.5. We strongly encourage you to run on PHP 8.4 or later for the best security and stability.

Read the full Share announcement for complete details on what is included in this release.

Getting Started

• Download the release from GitHub or install via Composer.
• Review the installation guide and requirements included in the repository doc/ folder.
• Run on a clean PHP 8.4 environment for best results.
• Check exponential.earth for packages, extensions, and composer setup instructions.
• This is a Symfony-only new stack release — ensure your environment meets the Symfony framework requirements before installing.

Get Support

The community is here to help. Join the conversation and get quick answers through any of the following channels:

• Share — Release Discussion Thread — join the dedicated thread for this release to share your experience and ask questions.
• Share — Community Forums — browse existing threads and post new questions.
• Telegram — @exponentialcms — real-time help and community discussion.
• GitHub Issues — report bugs or track known issues directly on the repository.

Thank you to everyone in the community who tested, reported issues, and contributed. Enjoy Exponential Platform DXP 2.0.0.2!

Exponential Platform DXP 1.0.0.2 Now Available (Symfony Only — New Stack — Platform v4)

7x is extremely pleased to announce the release of Exponential Platform DXP 1.0.0.2 to users worldwide. This is a Symfony-only, new stack release built on Platform v4, featuring a brand new kernel, a rebranded design, and a clean front-end website design — along with all of your favourite classic features.
All versions support PHP 8.1 through 8.5. We strongly encourage you to run on PHP 8.4 or later for the best security and stability.
Read the full Share announcement for complete details on what is included in this release.

Getting Started

• Download the release from GitHub or install via Composer.
• Review the installation guide and requirements included in the repository doc/ folder.
• Run on a clean PHP 8.4 environment for best results.
• Check exponential.earth for packages, extensions, and composer setup instructions.
• This is a Symfony-only new stack release — ensure your environment meets the Symfony framework requirements before installing.

Get Support

The community is here to help. Join the conversation and get quick answers through any of the following channels:

• Share — Release Discussion Thread — join the dedicated thread for this release to share your experience and ask questions.
• Share — Community Forums — browse existing threads and post new questions.
• Telegram — @exponentialcms — real-time help and community discussion.
• GitHub Issues — report bugs or track known issues directly on the repository.

Thank you to everyone in the community who tested, reported issues, and contributed. Enjoy Exponential Platform DXP 1.0.0.2!

Exponential Platform Legacy 3.3.44.7, 4.6.23.2 and 5.0.2 Now Available

We are extremely pleased to announce the latest wave of releases for Exponential Platform Legacy — versions 3.3.44.7, 4.6.23.2, and 5.0.2 — now available to users worldwide.
These releases bring a brand new kernel, a responsive admin design, a responsive front-end website design, and all of the classic features you know and love — updated and polished for today's web.
All three versions support PHP 8.1 through 8.5. We strongly encourage you to run on PHP 8.3 or later for the best security and stability.
Read the full release notes on Share: v3.3.44.7, v4.6.23.2 and v5.0.2.

Getting Started

• Download the latest release from GitHub.
• Review the installation guide and requirements included in the repository doc/ folder.
• Run on a clean PHP 8.3 environment for best results.
• Check the get.exponential.earth site for packages, extensions, and composer setup instructions.
• Explore the bundled responsive designs — exp, foundation, and admin4 — to get your site up and running quickly.

Get Support

The community is here to help. Join the conversation and get quick answers through any of the following channels:

• Share — Community Forums — post questions, share projects, and browse existing threads.
• Telegram — @exponentialcms — join our active Telegram group for real-time help and discussion.
• GitHub Issues — report bugs or track known issues directly on the repository.

Thank you to everyone in the community who tested, reported issues, and contributed. Enjoy the new releases!

Exponential Platform Nexus 1.1.0.7, 1.2.0.0 and 1.3.0.3 Now Available

7x is extremely pleased to announce the wave of releases for Exponential Platform Nexus — versions 1.1.0.7, 1.2.0.0, and 1.3.0.3 — now available to users worldwide.
These releases bring a brand new kernel, a responsive admin design, a responsive front-end website design, and all of the classic features you know and love — updated and polished for today's web.
All three versions support PHP 8.1 through 8.5. We strongly encourage you to run on PHP 8.3 or later for the best security and stability.
Read the full release notes on Share: v1.1.0.7, v1.2.0.0 and v1.3.0.3.

Getting Started

• Download the latest release from GitHub.
• Review the installation guide and requirements included in the repository doc/ folder.
• Run on a clean PHP 8.3 environment for best results.
• Check the exponential.earth site for packages, extensions, and composer setup instructions.
• Explore the bundled responsive designs — exp, foundation, and admin4 — to get your site up and running quickly.

Get Support

The community is here to help. Join the conversation and get quick answers through any of the following channels:

• Share — Community Forums — post questions, share projects, and browse existing threads.
• Telegram — @exponentialcms — join our active Telegram group for real-time help and discussion.
• GitHub Issues — report bugs or track known issues directly on the repository.

Thank you to everyone in the community who tested, reported issues, and contributed. Enjoy the new releases!

Exponential 6.0.13 Now Available

7x is very excited to announce the release of Exponential 6.0.13 to users worldwide, released on April 20, 2026. This release delivers critical security hardening, improved PHP 8.4/8.5 compatibility, a new SQLite3 driver, new template string operators, and an upgraded PHPUnit 13 test suite.

Key Highlights

• Critical Security Fixes — 6 SQL injection and OS shell injection attack surfaces closed. Parameterised queries and shell-argument escaping applied across 4 patched files.
• PHP 8 Session Compatibility — ezsession updated so read() returns an empty string instead of false, and globals are properly guarded during early bootstrap, eliminating type-error fatals on PHP 8.
• SQLite3 Driver — Autoload registration fixed, absolute DB paths now supported, and recursive directory creation added for first-run installations.
• New Template String Operators — rstring, ristring, str_pad, wordwrap, chunk_split, number_format, sprintf wrappers and more are now available directly in Exponential templates.
• PHPUnit 13 Test Suite — 6 new test files covering the security attack surfaces closed in this release. Bootstrap updated for full PHPUnit 13 compatibility.
• PHP 8.1 through 8.5 supported — No minimum PHP version requirement raised. Running PHP 8.3 or 8.5 is strongly recommended for best security.

Getting Started

• Download the release from GitHub or install via Composer.
• Review the full changelog on GitHub for a complete list of changes since 6.0.0.
• Read the security hardening reference in doc/hardening.md (1,176 lines) documenting every patch reference, vulnerability class, and fix applied.
• Check exponential.earth for packages, extensions, and composer setup instructions.
• Turnkey Exponential CMS hosting is available at se7enx.com.

Get Support

The community is here to help. Join the conversation and get quick answers through any of the following channels:

• Share — Release Discussion Thread — join the dedicated thread for this release to share your experience and ask questions.
• Share — Community Forums — browse existing threads and post new questions.
• Telegram — @exponentialcms — real-time help and community discussion.
• GitHub Issues — report bugs or track known issues directly on the repository.

Thank you to everyone in the community who contributed, tested, and reported issues. Enjoy Exponential 6.0.13!

Shortly after the rebrand of eZ Publish trademarked resourced on 7x web properties to Exponential the development of the third release of EB 2.4.0.2 (major update; minor upgrade) was finished PHP 8.4/8.5 support and fixed almost all previous bugs.

We at team 7x are very happy with this new release as it includes a lot of major under the hood improvements to help expand and modernize the core cms features in code and framework.

This is a serious labor of love. This package represents the extended life of a product / framework that launched the programing careers of so very many individuals.

We love Exponential Basic and take care to ensure it's continued use. Join us? Won't you? Download Exponential Basic today!