govuk-frontend - npm Package Versions

5.1.0 (Feature release)

To install this version with npm, run npm install govuk-frontend@5.1.0. You can also find more information about how to stay up to date in our documentation.

New features

5.0.0 (Breaking release)

You can find a summary of the main changes to GOV.UK Frontend v5 on the Frontend site. It's important to note our old frameworks (such as GOV.UK Elements) are no longer compatible with this release. It also stops Internet Explorer 11 from running GOV.UK Frontend JavaScript and removes support completely for Internet Explorer 8 to 10.

Your service will not stop working in Internet Explorer 11, but components will look and behave differently without JavaScript. Read more about how we provide support for different browsers.

Service teams should be using a progressive enhancement approach to make sure users can still access any content and complete their tasks.

If you still need to provide support for older versions of Internet Explorer, you should stay on the latest GOV.UK Frontend v4 release.

If you need it, we have a checklist for the changes you might need to make for v5, which you can view or copy (needs a Google account).

Breaking changes

You must make the following changes when you migrate to this release, or your service might break.

Update package file paths for Sass

In preparation for additional build targets, we've moved our package files into a directory called dist.

Replace govuk-frontend/govuk with govuk-frontend/dist/govuk in any Sass @import paths.

For example:

@import "node_modules/govuk-frontend/dist/govuk/all";

If you've added node_modules/govuk-frontend as a Sass import path, update it with the /dist suffix:

loadPaths: [
  'node_modules/govuk-frontend/dist'
]

If you're building your Sass code through Rails Assets Pipeline or Sprockets, refer to the section 'Update package file paths in Rails Assets Pipeline or Sprockets'.

Refer to the detailed guidance on importing using Sass.

These changes were introduced in #3498: Remove built dist and package from source

Update package file paths for Nunjucks

In preparation for additional build targets, we've moved our package files into a directory called dist.

Replace govuk-frontend with govuk-frontend/dist in any nunjucks.configure() search paths:

nunjucks.configure([
  'node_modules/govuk-frontend/dist'
])

Refer to the detailed guidance on using Nunjucks.

These changes were made in the following pull requests:

• #3491: Update Review app to import govuk-frontend via local package
• #3498: Remove built dist and package from source

Update package file paths for assets such as images and fonts 

In preparation for additional build targets, we've moved our package files into a directory called dist.

If you're serving the assets from the GOV.UK Frontend assets folder (node_modules/govuk-frontend/govuk/assets), update your routing to the new assets path : node_modules/govuk-frontend/dist/govuk/assets.

Refer to the detailed guidance on importing assets.

These changes were introduced in #3498: Remove built dist and package from source

Update package file paths in Rails Assets Pipeline or Sprockets

In preparation for additional build targets, we've moved our package files into a directory called dist.

Update the  node_modules/govuk-frontend part of the path to node_modules/govuk-frontend/dist, if you've added the path to GOV.UK Frontend package inside node_modules to:

• Rails Assets Pipeline search path using Rails.application.config.assets.paths
• Sprockets using append_path

These changes were introduced in #3498: Remove built dist and package from source

Update package file paths if including JavaScript directly

In preparation for additional build targets, we've moved our package files into a directory called dist.

If you've set up your routing to serve GOV.UK Frontend's all.js file from node_modules, update the path you're serving to node_modules/govuk-frontend/dist/govuk/govuk-frontend.min.js.

Update any <script> tag with the new path and filename, if necessary. Make sure they have a type="module" attribute. For example:

<script type="module" src="{path-to-javascript}/govuk-frontend.min.js"></script>

Replace <script>window.GOVUKFrontend.initAll()</script> to import and initialise GOV.UK Frontend using ES modules:

<script type="module">
  import { initAll } from '{path-to-javascript}/govuk-frontend.min.js'

  initAll()
</script>

Refer to the detailed guidance on importing JavaScript.

These changes were introduced in #3498: Remove built dist and package from source

4.7.0 (Feature release)

Note: This release was created from the support/4.x branch.

New features

Added the Exit This Page component to help users quickly exit a page or service

You can now choose to use the exit this page component to help users quickly leave a page or service which contains sensitive information.

This was added in pull request #2545: Add exit this page component.

Added inverse modifier for buttons on dark backgrounds

You can now choose to use the govuk-button--inverse class to style buttons on dark backgrounds with a white background colour.

This change was made in pull request #3556: Add inverse button styles.

Added inverse modifier for breadcrumbs on dark backgrounds

You can now choose to use the govuk-breadcrumbs--inverse class to style breadcrumbs on dark backgrounds with white text, links and arrows.

This change was made in pull request #3774: Add inverse breadcrumb and back link modifiers and styles.

Added inverse modifier for back links on dark backgrounds

You can now choose to use the govuk-back-link--inverse class to style back links on dark backgrounds with white links and arrows.

This change was made in pull request #3774: Add inverse breadcrumb and back link modifiers and styles.

Fixes

We’ve made fixes to GOV.UK Frontend in the following pull requests:

• #3817: Fix package resolution in Node.js 17+
• #3836: Announce whitespace in screen reader announcements of visually hidden text

4.6.0 (Feature release)

New features

Updated the appearance of disabled form controls

We’ve updated the disabled state of Text Input, Textarea, Select and File Upload components so it is consistent across browsers and devices. They’re also now consistent with the existing disabled styles for Buttons, Checkboxes, and Radios.

Disabled form controls appear at 50% opacity and with an alternative cursor appearance when hovered over.

This was added in pull request #3187: Add disabled styles for form controls.

Added a top-level disabled parameter to form controls

We’ve updated the Nunjucks macros for Text Input, Textarea, Select and File Upload components to include a top-level disabled parameter. This will make it easier to enable the disabled state for these controls.

{{ govukInput({
  id: "disabled-input",
  name: "disabled-input",
  value: "Unchangeable value",
  disabled: true
}) }}

Disabled form controls have poor contrast and can confuse some users, so avoid them if possible.

Only use disabled form controls if research shows it makes the user interface easier to understand.

This was added in pull request #3187: Add disabled styles for form controls.

Configure whether the Accordion remembers and restores sessions

By default, when a user leaves a page, the Accordion will remember the layout of expanded and collapsed sections selected by the user. If the user returns to the page, this layout will be restored and override any sections manually set as expanded in code.

You can now disable this functionality by using the rememberExpanded option in the govukAccordion Nunjucks macro.

If you're not using the Nunjucks macro, you can disable it using the data-remember-expanded HTML attribute.

This was added in pull request #3342: Add option to disable sessionState in Accordion.

Added id parameter to Buttons

We’ve updated the Button Nunjucks macro to include an optional id parameter.

{{ govukButton({
  text: "Save and continue",
  id: "continue-button"
}) }}

This was added in pull request #3344: Adding optional ‘id’ attribute to button component.

Thanks to Tom Billington for this contribution.

Added a modifier for text input styles that accept sequences of digits

We've added a new .govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing class for Text Input. This increases readability of text inputs that receive sequences of digits (like security codes, references or phone numbers).

You can add it through the classes option when using Nunjucks, or directly in the class attribute of the <input> when using HTML.

This was added in pull request #2230: Add extra letter spacing modifier for inputs

Deprecated features

Stop using JavaScript API properties other than the init method

We have deprecated all of the JavaScript properties in the API, except for the init method for each component. We'll make all of the deprecated JavaScript properties private in our next main release.

Please let us know if you're using parts of the API other than the init method by filling in this form. We'll use this information when prioritising future additions to the public API.

This was added in pull request #3499: Deprecate all JavaScript instance properties the except init method.

Stop using the .govuk-button--disabled class on buttons

We have deprecated the .govuk-button--disabled class and will remove it in the next major release.

If a Button uses a <button> or <input> element, use the disabled HTML attribute instead.

You will not need to make any changes if you're using the govukButton Nunjucks macro.

Disabling links that are styled to look like buttons will not be supported by future releases.

This was added in pull request #3326: Deprecate govuk-button--disabled class.

Stop using the deprecated Internet Explorer 8 mixins and settings

The next main release of GOV.UK Frontend will remove support for Internet Explorer 8 (IE8). In preparation for this, we've deprecated the settings and mixins used when generating IE8 specific stylesheets.

You'll start seeing deprecation warnings if you're:

• using the govuk-if-ie8 and govuk-not-ie8 mixins in your own Sass code (for example @include govuk-if-ie8)
• changing the $govuk-is-ie8 and $govuk-ie8-breakpoint settings to anything other than their default values

If you no longer need to support IE8, we recommend you stop generating an IE8 specific stylesheet and remove references to the IE8 mixins from your code.

You can also silence these deprecation warnings by adding ie8 to the $govuk-suppressed-warnings setting, but once we’ve released v5.0 you will need to address them as part of the upgrade process.

Fixes

We’ve made fixes to GOV.UK Frontend in the following pull requests:

• #3255: Including the JavaScript source map in the prototype kit config
• #3272: Add empty alt attribute to logo IE8 fallback PNG
• #3306: Re-enable complete hover link styles on the footer
• #3312: Add default value for warning text icon fallback attribute
• #3426: Add organisation brand colour for Department for Business & Trade - thanks to Barbara Slawinska for contributing this change
• #3454: Update default link underline offset setting