Cotonti Verona 1.0.0: A Rebranding More Important Than the Code

Cotonti Verona 1.0.0 — is not so much a technical release as it is a strategic rebranding and an attempt to rethink the project. The very name “Verona” hints at a new milestone: the focus shifts from small, point updates to renewing the perception of the system, its positioning, and its future development.

Let’s examine why this release can be considered more important for the brand than for the code.

1. Rebranding as a signal of a restart

The version name Verona is part of a new release naming scheme.

This accomplishes several things:

• creates a more memorable image of the project
• moves away from purely technical version numbers like 0.9.x
• signals to the community: the project is alive and evolving

For an open‑source CMS this is critical. Many users choose a system not only by its code but also by the feeling of the project’s activity.

2. Changing the positioning of Cotonti

Historically Cotonti was perceived as:

• a lightweight CMS
• the successor of Seditio
• a niche system for developers

The rebranding tries to change that image:

from an old project → into a modern platform.

The emphasis is placed on:

• modularity
• performance
• clean PHP code
• flexibility for developers

3. Code changes in Verona — evolution, not revolution

From a technical standpoint the release does not bring a radical rewrite of the engine.

The main areas are:

• improvements in PHP compatibility
• bug fixes
• minor core optimizations
• preparation for future changes

These are incremental changes, not an architectural upheaval.

4. Why the rebranding is more important

In open‑source projects there is a paradox:

sometimes the image of a release influences the future of a project more strongly than its code.

For Cotonti this is especially important because:

• the project was long perceived as an “old CMS”
• the number of developers is small
• the ecosystem of extensions is limited

Verona is an attempt to change that narrative.

5. Possible consequences

If the rebranding turns out to be successful, it may lead to:

• an increase in developer interest
• renewal of documentation and the ecosystem
• the emergence of new modules and themes
• greater community activity

If not — the version will remain a cosmetic update without strategic effect.

✅ In short:
Cotonti Verona 1.0.0 is above all a symbolic release that attempts to relaunch the perception of the project. The code evolves gradually, but the main meaning of the version is to show that Cotonti is entering a new phase of development.

Below is a detailed table that clearly shows the differences and, more importantly, their actual absence between Verona 1.0.0 and Siena 0.9.26‑beta.

Comparison of Cotonti Verona 1.0.0 and Siena 0.9.26‑beta

Main conclusion: Verona 1.0.0 is not a technological leap, but a rebranding. All the new functionality was implemented in the preparatory release Siena 0.9.26 beta. For a developer the difference between the two versions is minimal, but as was stated by the active Cotonti team — the changes are substantial and the list of all changes is posted on the release page of the official Cotonti CMF website.

If you have any other questions, let us know; I am sure this time we can be more helpful.

In April 2026 Cotonti Verona 1.0.0 was released. At first glance — simply a version change from 0.9.x to 1.0.0. But behind this lie several key decisions that define the future of the platform.

🎯 The main point is not the code, but the status

Verona 1.0.0 is almost identical to Siena 0.9.26‑beta (the last release of the previous branch). This is a deliberate step by the developers: instead of accumulating breaking changes, they release a stable version under a new name, declaring the platform mature and ready for long‑term support.

In essence, Verona is a renamed Siena, but it is precisely that act that makes the version “major”:

• Users receive a clear signal — a new era begins.
• Developers do not need to rewrite plugins — backward compatibility is preserved.
• It becomes possible to plan future major changes (2.0, 3.0…) without being tied to legacy code.

⚙️ What really changed (compared to Siena 0.9.24)

If we compare Verona 1.0.0 with the last version of Siena 0.9.24, rather than with 0.9.26‑beta, the list of changes will be more noticeable. All of them were already introduced in the preparatory release 0.9.26‑beta, but for the end user they “arrived” precisely in Verona:

1. PHP 7.3+ is mandatory — support for PHP 5.x is completely discontinued. This increases security and performance.
2. Nested database transactions — it is now possible to safely work with complex operations, rolling back changes on errors.
3. New APIs for developers:
   • cot_user_sqlExcludeBanned() — automatically excludes banned users from queries.
   • cot_generateCaptchaTags() — unified generation of captcha tags in templates.
   • cot_generatePaginationTags() — similarly for pagination.
4. Compatibility mode (legacyMode) — disabled by default. Old plugins that use deprecated functions may require it to be enabled (but it is better to update the plugins).
5. A multitude of minor fixes and optimizations — bug fixes, improvements in cache handling, cleaner code.

📦 What does “Verona” give to a beginner?

For a person just getting acquainted with Cotonti, there is no difference between Siena 0.9.26‑beta and Verona 1.0.0. You can safely install Verona — it is the current, supported version. All tutorials and plugins for Siena 0.9.x will work without changes (unless they rely on deprecated functions — in which case you will need to enable legacyMode).

🔮 Why Verona is needed and what comes next?

Verona is a bridge. The Cotonti team has fixed a stable core and made it clear that more serious changes are being prepared for future versions (possibly 2.0). The rebranding separates the legacy code, which can be cut out in the next major releases without breaking compatibility with Verona.

Result: Verona 1.0.0 is not a revolution, but an important declaration. If your site works on Siena, upgrading to Verona is not mandatory, but for new projects you should choose it precisely.

List of errors, shortcomings, and improvements that remain and require solutions: 

1. 💥⚠️ Incorrect operation of the language switcher in the admin panel  🔗  ➡️  

2. 💥⚠️ hreflang tags for a multilingual site  🔗  ➡️  

3. 💥⚠️ Warning: Undefined variable $touser_ids in search.php on line 666  🔗  ➡️  

4. 💥⚠️ Pagination in multi-pages.  🔗  ➡️  

Additional errors or reports on them are either here for developers or in the desired modifications section.