Plone 5.2 is the latest version of the most fully-featured, open source web content management system.
It is the culmination of over 3.5 years of development that was driven by the looming deadline of January 1, 2020: the impending end of support for Python 2.x. Work on Plone 5.2 ran in parallel with continuing feature-centric work on versions 5.0 and 5.1.
Plone 5.2 began to take shape in January 2016, with a Plone Improvement Proposal (PLIP) to update its dependencies to use early Zope4 versions.
Python 3 Compatibility
Support for Python 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 is now included with Plone 5.2, opening up the future for Plone’s continuing 20 year reputation for unrivaled security and stability.
Plone 5.2 ships with Zope 4, which itself comes with Python 3 compatibility, Web Server Gateway Interface (WSGI) support, and a new look.
REST API
Once available as a separate add-on, a REST API is now also included in Plone 5.2, making it even easier to use Plone with modern JavaScript front ends such as Volto (based on React) and to integrate Plone with other applications.
User-Facing and Developer-Focused Changes
But Plone 5.2 isn’t just a backend upgrade: it includes user-facing features such as new dropdown menus, configurable redirects (customizable URL shortening and content linking).
Developers will also find a more pluggable and customizable login mechanism and a modernized virtualenv-based buildout.
Future Proofing
Plone 5.2 is a must-have as of January 1, 2020, for individuals and organizations with complex content serving needs, a rigorous publishing workflow, a multi-person content creation team, or all of the above.
To learn more about Plone, visit https://plone.com
To try a live Plone 5.2 demo site, visit http://demo.plone.org
To download Plone 5.2, get it at https://plone.org/download
To try Volto, Plone's new React UI, visit https://volto.kitconcept.com
Screenshots
New dropdown menus
Configurable Redirects
Refreshed Zope4 Look
Volto, the React Frontend for Plone
For the full, detailed release notes see https://plone.org/download/releases/5.2
For Plone 5.2 documentation, see https://docs.plone.org
For the Plone 5.2 upgrade guide, see https://docs.plone.org/manage/upgrading/
Plone 5.2 is available for download at https://plone.org/download