StrapiConf 2022 announcements: Dark mode, TypeScript support, v4 Migration Guide and more
Tags: jamstack, headlesscms, strapi, typescript
Published: 2022-03-18 15:14:50

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canonical_url: https://strapi.io/blog/strapiconf-2022-announcements-recap?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=post&utm_id=blog
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# What’s new? 

## In-app marketplace

When building the marketplace, we focused on 3 principles: security, quality, and openness. 
It’s crucial that our users know that they can safely use any plugin they would find on Strapi Market, that’s why our team always does a security check before displaying anything.

We review the code and the design of the plugins to make sure Strapi users have the best and most consistent experience, and we add a validation check to the ones following all of our guidelines.

Finally, we want to make sure anyone can submit and suggest new plugin ideas. So now we have it: a place for the Strapi ecosystem to share and find new integrations. 

Introducing the in-app marketplace. Everything you love about the marketplace directly in Strapi. Now you can find all the plugins you need right in the app.

![strapi market in app](https://d2zv2ciw0ln4h1.cloudfront.net/uploads/strapi_market_in_app_a74edb159d.png)

The in-app marketplace is available in the new version Strapi 4.1.4. Read the [release blog post](http://strapi.io/blog/in-app-strapi-marketplace-is-live) to learn more about it!

## v4 Migration guide

We are pleased to announce the release of the[ migration guides](https://docs.strapi.io/developer-docs/latest/update-migration-guides/migration-guides.html#v3-to-v4-migration-guides) from v3 to v4. As you may know, we made a choice to only support SQL databases for now on v4. For MongoDB users on v3, we will also have a dedicated guide for you to switch from a v3 MongoDB to a v3 SQL project coming very soon. Then, you will be able to follow the v3 SQL to v4 SQL migration guide like the others.

To make it easier and faster, especially for projects with a lot of data, we are working with our partner [Notum](https://strapi.io/partners/notum) to develop migration scripts to help make the process even easier. They should be ready by early April.

## Dark mode beta

Soon, we’re going to release Strapi v4.2, which will include one of the most requested features: the Dark Mode.

![dark mode home](https://d2zv2ciw0ln4h1.cloudfront.net/uploads/dark_mode_home_f3aed31ebb.png)

You will be able to easily switch between the dark and the light mode through the user profile section in the administration panel. This new functionality also sets the foundations for more advanced and custom themes in the future.
As we did on the Strapi Design System, we made a lot of efforts to make it highly accessible for people with special needs by providing high contrasts. We reached an AA accessibility level.
To test the beta version of the feature, please run the command `npx create-strapi-app@beta my-app (--ts)` Feedback always is welcome, please share it on the [forum](https://forum.strapi.io/t/strapi-v4-2-0-beta-with-typescript-support-dark-mode/16732)! 


## TypeScript support beta

Strapi v4.2 will also bring the most voted feature on our public roadmap: **TypeScript support**. 

As developer, you will now be able to create and write lines of code using TypeScript files. All these files will be automatically compiled during the development phase. We updated the Webpack configuration and `yarn develop` command in our CLI to support this new feature natively. In case you want to update these configurations, you’ll be able to do it through a `tsconfig.json` configuration file.

When we developed Strapi v4, we anticipated TypeScript support by introducing an internal typing system. This new TypeScript support relies on it, but it will be also very useful for schema & data migration.
To test the beta version of TypeScript support, run the command `npx create-strapi-app@beta my-app (--ts)` in a terminal. 

# What’s next? 
## Custom fields
What is Strapi missing to take customization to the next level? You know the answer: **custom fields.**

This feature has several purposes. The first one is obviously to support more types of fields. We looked at your projects and there is always a case when you have business data coming from an external source, or you want to pin a location on a map, or a customer needs a custom video player, and so on. Custom fields are the answer to your custom needs.
{% embed https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Rq3zin8XXQ %}

They also improve the content editing experience by displaying the content differently in the administration panel. If you are migrating from an existing CMS, we know that most of the time you want to offer a similar user experience. Something they are used to. With the custom fields, you will be able to reproduce a familiar content editing experience with Strapi.

Finally, under the hood, the custom fields are a powerful way to aggregate APIs together. Imagine, you have a products field. The data is coming from a Shopify store. You pick a product from Shopify and link it with an entry in Strapi. Once you fetch the entry, you will also be able to retrieve the data from Shopify and aggregate the data with a single API call. It will significantly speed up the development.

To make this new initiative a success, we need YOU. We just opened a new custom field [Request For Comment (RFC)](https://github.com/strapi/rfcs/pull/40) that describes in detail the scope of the first iteration. Any comment and help is welcome.

## Strapi Cloud

Our unique ambition behind Strapi Cloud is to provide the easiest way to deploy Strapi projects. The Developer Experience really matters here and offering a seamless deployment process that requires absolutely no DevOps skills is our top priority.

We chose a Platform-as-a-Service approach to double down on what makes Strapi unique: its customization capabilities. Strapi Cloud will allow you to start your project locally, customize it according to your needs, version it through Git, and deploy it in seconds.

We plan to offer automatic backups, a global and fast CDN, multi-database support, and more. All of these features will come incrementally.

{% embed https://www.youtube.com/embed/p-OIqKWhHnw %}
 
We also plan to offer a free tier, so everyone can benefit from this frictionless experience. 

In terms of timeline, our plan is to enroll a limited number of users on the alpha version this year. We'll then launch an official beta program with hundreds of users and partners. 

General Availability is planned for 2023. We will share more details throughout the year. In the meantime, we invite everyone interested in being a beta tester to [join the waitlist](http://strapi.io/cloud).

## Tell us what features you need
We always take your opinion into account when creating the roadmap and prioritizing the next features we should work on. Each vote, comment and insight counts! Please [let us know](https://feedback.strapi.io/) how we can make Strapi a better product for you.

## New to Strapi? Give it a try! 
Strapi is free and easy to use, give it a try! To create a new Strapi project, just run the following command:

`npx create-strapi-app my-project --quickstart`

Follow the [Quick Start Guide](https://docs.strapi.io/developer-docs/latest/getting-started/quick-start.html) for detailed step-by-step instructions or have a look at a video instruction:

{% embed https://www.youtube.com/embed/h9vETeRiulY %}

You can also use a demo project to test the content editing experience. To do that, [fill out the form](https://strapi.io/demo) and you'll receive a link with access.