Happy New Year, folks!

I hope 2025 brings happiness, health, and prosperity to you and your loved ones. I've been a bit quieter on YouTube lately, so I wanted to pop in with an update on what's been happening with Trongate and what you can expect in the coming year.

Looking Back at 2024

Last year was monumental for Trongate with two major highlights:

Trongate MX

What started as a simple JavaScript library inspired by HTMX has evolved into something comparable to Angular in terms of file size. Trongate MX empowers us with the ability to handle advanced front-end development without the need for excessive JavaScript. I'm thrilled with how it has turned out. Check out the documentation, if you can. I'm sure you'll be impressed.

Documentation: A Herculean Effort

Creating excellent documentation has been one of the toughest challenges I've faced. However, we've made significant strides. Comprehensive guides for Trongate MX and Trongate CSS are now available, along with a thorough API reference guide for every module, class, method, and helper function. But we're not done; improving our documentation search engine and refining the Trongate (PHP) framework documentation remain high priorities.

What's Coming in 2025

The Return of the Help Bar

Taking down the Help Bar last September was a big mistake. It's one of our greatest assets, and I'm excited to announce its return in the next week or so. We'll also crown our points winner on YouTube with a cool prize, so stay tuned!

Simplifying with Native Solutions

Inspired by Steve Jobs' philosophy of subtraction, we're moving towards native browser solutions for date and time selection. Why reinvent the wheel when modern browsers offer excellent built-in pickers? Expect new form helper functions to simplify working with dates and times, although the current pickers may still be available in the Module Market, if there's a demand.

Trongate Pages: The Next Generation

With Trongate MX, we're set to transform Trongate Pages into the leading free CMS for web development. The current version of Trongate Pages looks and functions well but expanding it requires deep JavaScript knowledge. The next iteration will be far more developer-friendly, making it simple to add custom features.

Module Market and Desktop App

The Module Market is getting a Trongate MX makeover, maintaining its familiar interface while now supporting paid modules. And yes, the Desktop App is ditching its retro Commodore 64 look for a modern redesign! You'll see it soon, and I hope you like it.

Looking Further Ahead

Imagine this:

  • Perfect Documentation
  • A Beautiful Website with a Working Help Bar
  • New form helpers for modern input fields
  • The best CMS in web development
  • A Perfect Module Market
  • A Beautiful New Desktop App

Once these goals are achieved, the focus will shift to creating extensive learning resources, primarily through YouTube. Trongate has always been about evolution without disruption, so expect continuous improvements but no breaking changes.

You're now updated on Trongate's journey into 2025. Here's to a fabulous year ahead, filled with innovation and success for all of us!

With macho love,

DC