Code folding is now supported for Ace users.
To create a fold, select some code and press Ctrl+Shift+C 
You can expand the fold by pressing Ctrl+Shift+E or just by double clicking it.

Edit in new tab

You can now edit files in new browser tabs instead of ShiftEdit tabs. This will give you a little more screen real estate and is great if you prefer to manage tabs using your browser. You can also bookmark the resulting tabs and come back to them later without having to load the full-blown IDE.

To open a file in a new tab from the ftp explorer.
Right click -> Open -> Edit in new tab

There is also an option in preferences to default to this behaviour when opening files.
Edit -> Preferences -> Open files in new browser tab 

CSS Lint

CSS Lint has been integrated and provides much more comprehensive CSS checking and is fully configurable from preferences.
Edit -> Preferences -> CSS Lint 

Other changes

• Lots of new options in the edit menu including Add semicolon ctrl+;
  
• Animated title during FTP transfer 
  
• New Help menu with feedback form
• Home tab is now closable. 
  
• Several fixes
  

If you're unfamiliar with Dropbox, it allows you to share a folder across multiple computers and devices. This is great because it is now very convenient to edit files on your computer using ShiftEdit.

To get started download and install Dropbox:

Add a new site in ShiftEdit and select Dropbox from the Server Type dropdown. You will be redirected to dropbox for approval. Once approved you then just need to press Save.

Hope you enjoy this new update. If you have any issues please report them to the list.

• ShiftEdit now loads much faster with fewer requests.
• FTP is now quicker at listing files.
• Fixed a bug with find+replace.
• You can right click tabs for save and close options.
• Added "Close other tabs" option,
• Added "Select Parent Tag" to Edit menu.
• Can switch language syntax from View Language
• Upgraded to Ace 0.1.6

Users of ShiftEdit will be familiar with the Bespin component which is used for editing. The Bespin project has now been merged into Ace.

Ace is somewhat different to Bespin but we've started to integrate it - and it can now be selected from the list of available editors in Preferences.

There are still a few bits we need to do - but support is pretty good. Ace is the future and will eventually become the default editor.

Ads 

We've received feedback that the adverts are somewhat intrusive. What with ad-blockers and unrelated ads - they've never been a great source of revenue so they've now been removed completely.

In order for the project to remain viable we do need to generate some revenue. So we've added a 3 site limit to free accounts. If you are currently using more than 3 you will only be able to access 3 of them. Premier edition is unlimited. And is now even cheaper at just $5/ month or $50/ year. 

Our systems are fully patched and we have a firewall in place to prevent hackers but we have to plan for the worst case scenario. What if a hacker somehow obtained our database and source code?

If you connect without using the save password option then the password is kept in the session until you logout or the session expires.

If you have many sites typing in all the different passwords can be annoying and also hard to remember. So we've introduced a new master password feature.

You can set a master password by going to Preferences -> Security. Once the master password is set any ftp passwords that are stored will be encrypted using your password. You will then only need to enter the master password once per session to access all of your sites.

Without the master password the only way a hacker could obtain your passwords would be using an unfeasible brute force attack.

If you forget your master password - you can remove it but you will lose all of your stored FTP passwords.

This is an overview of how the master password system works:

Setting the master password

1. Client enters master password.
2. Master password is hashed using SHA1 and a unique salt in the clients browser
   
3. Hash is then transmitted to server
4. Existing FTP passwords are AES encrypted using the hash
5. The hash is then re-hashed and stored on the server
   

Accessing a site

1. Client enters master password
2. Master password is hashed using SHA1 and a unique salt in the clients browser
   
3. Hash is then transmitted to server
4. Hash is rehashed and verified against stored hash
   
5. FTP password is AES decrypted using the original hash
6. The hash is stored in the session until the user logs out or the session expires

For professional and business users alike we present ShiftEdit Premier Edition.

• SSL security
• Dreamweaver import/ export
• Telephone / email support
• Ad free
• £50 per user per year.

Version comparison and order page.

This should make development a lot easier as you can now do everything from the same tab without having to open new browser tab or window.

Source Formatting

From the edit menu you can now select "Apply Source Formatting". This will go through the opened file and add line-breaks and tabs where necessary. This is useful if you are working on a file that has been minified or is in an untidy state.

Balance Braces

You can select all code between brackets by pressing ctrl+' or selecting "Balance Braces" from the edit menu. If you press it again it will find the next outter set of braces. This works for regular, square and curly brackets. This is useful for finding a closing bracket - or checking if brackets match up.

Realtime syntax error checking

When working on a PHP or JavaScript file the script is checked for syntax errors as you type. If an error is found the error message is displayed above the code editor. You can also click the line number in the error message to be taken straight to the broken line. This is an excellent tool for debugging and is a great time-saver during development.

Bracket closing

In PHP and JS files brackets are now automatically closed as you type. This is a useful time-saver and works for normal, square and curly brackets.

Tag closing

When you close an opening HTML tag the closing tag is automatically appended. This is another time-saver.

All of these features can be disabled via the preferences window if they are not your cup of tea. (Edit->Preferences)

Save Password option

When creating new sites the FTP password is now optional. If left blank. when you connect you'll be prompted to enter your password. The password is stored in your session so you will only need to enter it once and it's cleared when you logout. Using this option prevents the password from being stored in our database.

Code Snippets

Code snippets are chunks of code that you use every now and then. You can add as many snippets as you like and organise them into folders. They are then readily accessible whenever you need them.

Bespin 0.9a1 came out which was a major milestone as it now supports most of the core features that we need it to. As well as basic editing it can now be used with Find and Replace.

Find and Replace is a very important tool for any developer and has been made more intuitive. When performing a search you just have to press enter instead of clicking the Find button. It will also tell you if you've reached the end of the document.

We had a request for SFTP a while back. I'm pleased to say this is now in. In order to integrate this we had to abstract the FTP code. This should pave the way for adding new connection methods like SVN.

There is a new preferences dialog where you can set the tab size and font size. Expect more options to come.

Aside from these major updates there have been a lot of bug fixes - some of which were quite critical. If you haven't used ShiftEdit in a while, now's the time to get back in as it is a much more stable beta.

We are currently seeking testers and feedback. Also if you like ShiftEdit, please help spread the word - whether it's on a blog or social network.

A full changelog is available.

So far this only works in Firefox 3.6 and above.

This technology is built on web standards so hopefully in the not so distant future it will be supported by other browsers such as Chrome and IE.

This system has had years of development and is very mature and is used in a production environment. It is also the subject of regular maintenance and support contracts are available for on-hand assistance.

The following screencast demonstrates how little time it takes to add your website.

You can view the different options available here:
http://www.shiftcreate.com/development/support

If you'd like to take out a support contract either place an order via the link above.

New and existing development projects are covered by a 3 month warranty period. Projects that aren't covered by warranty or subscription either need to take out a support subscription or pay per hour for support / maintenance. 

Log into your account and go to services. Click on the hosting account and then "Dreamweaver Site Definition" .

This will download a .ste file which can be imported into dreamweaver by going to Manage Sites -> Import.

The Bespin project by Mozilla is also providing a stand-alone editor component. It has a more robust implementation and greater resources behind it.  It is integrated into the development version of ShiftEdit. Currently the Bespin component has a few bugs and is lacking some features. Once these are resolved and Bespin is fully integrated, ShiftEdit should be ready for prime-time. Then I'll be able to eat my own dog food and end my reliance on Dreamweaver.

Campaigns are a powerful tool to send regular, personalised emails to your subscribers.

When creating a campaign you can use an existing mailer or a URL for the email content. You can then define some simple rules to determine when your subscribers will receive them.

These are the sorts of things you can do:

• Have an email sent to each subscriber on their 18th birthday.
• Have a follow-up email sent to a subscriber 1 week after they registered.
• Have an email is sent to all your subscribers with your latest products on the 1st of every month.

Providing you have a detailed database you can be very specific with your criteria e.g.

• Have a yearly email sent to female subscribers aged between 18-25 from Italy!
  

A credit is deducted for each email that goes out. You will be notified if/when you run out of credits.

To get started just click on the campaigns section within ShiftMail.

From the product spiel:

Ideal for small businesses. The ShiftCreate intranet allows you to manage your clients and invoicing with ease. Automated systems for recurring invoices and reminders greatly reduce time spent on admin.

Key features

• Customer management
• Invoicing
• Sales figures
• Quote system
• Automated email reminders
• Customer notes
• Customisable theme
• Customer account area
• And much, much more

Register your interest here:

i.e this will not work:
<p class="red">red text</p>

This means that for the best chance of you email being displayed correctly you need to use inline CSS. e.g <p style="color:red">red text</p>

This is not how designers are used to working and takes a lot longer to go through every tag and apply the correct style.

The solution? We've now added a new option to automatically convert CSS to inline. Once this option is enabled any time you save your email all CSS including external stylesheets will automatically be converted to inline CSS. So you get all the compatability benefits without any of the hassle of creating it!

To use this feature, go to preferences and enable the option "Convert CSS to inline"

If all goes well we will default this feature to On.

Pressfinders.com

Skills applied:
We provided design, development, hosting and email marketing.

Site features:

• Sophisticated search facility and machine directory
• Comprehensive machine database includes over 5000 unique machines.
  
• Ecommerce for sponsored listings
• Banner management
• Forum

thepaintballshop.co.uk

Skills applied:
We provided design, development, hosting and email marketing.

Site features:

• Ecommerce
• Over 100 products
• Wishlist
• Featured products
• Delivery bands
  

Brook-Borg.com

Skills applied:
We provided development, hosting and email marketing.

Site features:

• Job search facility
• Job applications.
  
• Job basket
  
• Featured jobs
  
• Latest news
  

Promotional-People.co.uk

Skills applied:
We provided development, hosting and email marketing.

Site features:

• Sophisticated application process includes rigorous validation and ability to submit multiple photos and a CV.
• Bulk SMS facility in admin system
• Advanced application search in admin system
  
• Dynamic model portfolio section.
  
• Client enquiries

DanceMass.tv

Skills applied:
We provided development, hosting and email marketing.

Site features:

• Video uploading and automatic encoding
  
• Ecommerce facility to buy credits
  
• Star ratings for videos
  
• CMS system for news
  
• Automated time-sensitive emails
  

We've now made it easier to embed and customise. To start using:

1. Log in to ShiftMail
2. Click 'Mailing List'
3. Select your list
4. Click 'Website Gadget'
5. Customise and copy the generated code into your website
   

Example

• Files and settings are accessible from any device that has a web browser. So even if your computer blows up you can get onto another one and continue where you left off.
• Back-ups are taken care of automatically.
  
• Easy sharing of files with other users in real time.
  
• You always have access to the latest version of the app. No more time spent installing updates.
  
• Web apps are faster to open and close and use less memory.
  

ShiftEdit is a web-based IDE primarily for developing websites.

With it you can edit HTML/ CSS/ JS and PHP files.

It has most of the things you'd expect from an IDE including built-in FTP and a tabbed interface.

It is functional, free and we are accepting new registrations.

ShiftMail Integration.

Export your users straight into ShiftMail where you can then send them a mailing.

Coupled with the new search facility this can be a powerful tool.

Search

Quickly find what you are after with keyword and advanced search options.

Import/ Export

You may need to import a list of products from a spreadsheet. Or export customers for a mal-merge. Both can be achieved with the new import/ export options.

You can view a short screencast highlighting some of these features.

For example you might want to label  a contact as a 'Hot lead' or something else.

You can apply labels to your customers individually or en masse. You can also apply a label when importing subscribers..

You can then send a targeted mailing to just those subscribers that you hsve labeled..

These sites access a core library of components called ShiftLibrary. The library contains popular open source libraries such as Prototype and Lightbox as well as ShiftCreate modules including CMS and ecommerce.

So what does this mean for you?

Proactive support

As well as lifetime support for sites that we host ShiftLibrary enables us to proactively support your website. When certain script errors occur or pages are not found we are automatically notified and can fix the problem behind the scenes before anyone else notices. This can also lead to improved...

Security

Notifications of errors can enable us to see if anybody is trying to hack your website. We can then take appropriate measures. Updates to the library will include security fixes to further keep the hackers at bay.

Features

From time to time we will introduce new features into the library as well as refining existing ones. This will make systems we develop even more functional and  robust.

Accessibility

By keeping the libraries up-to-date we ensure that the key components of your website will always work well in the latest and greatest browsers.

Existing customers can start using ShiftSend right away.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us.