DevLab Theme v0.6.0

DevLab Theme v0.6.0 is a visual release for the four surfaces that shape a technical project: its landing page, documentation, publishing stream and downloads. The theme now presents them as one product instead of a collection of individually styled templates.

The release keeps DevLab Zola-native and dependency-free. It does not change the devlab.* content component syntax or require a content migration from v0.5.0.

One visual foundation

Typography, spacing, radii, shadows, motion and surface roles now share a compact set of CSS custom properties. Components use the same scale for hierarchy, focus states and interaction feedback in light and dark modes.

The foundation deliberately favors restrained depth over decorative effects. Raised surfaces, borders and shadows communicate structure, while accent color remains focused on actions, current navigation and meaningful status.

For update-safe customization, continue to use the public CSS tokens documented in Brand and colors before overriding individual component selectors.

A landing page with a clearer story

The wide homepage now has a composed hero, stronger responsive spacing and an optional product preview. Configure the preview in homepage front matter:

[extra]
home_layout = "wide"
home_hero_image = "/images/project-docs-preview.png"
home_hero_image_alt = "Project documentation with sidebar navigation and an on-page table of contents."

When the image is omitted, the hero returns to a centered text composition. Feature summaries, the learn-more section, workflow and final call to action use the same layout rhythm while remaining independently optional.

Homepage configuration still works globally or in content/_index.md. Local values take priority, and an explicitly empty feature array can hide its corresponding card or point collection. See the homepage configuration reference for the complete inheritance rules.

Documentation built around reading

The Docs overview, sidebar, article hierarchy, table of contents and previous or next navigation now have clearer separation without turning every region into a card. Section identity stays visible, long-form content keeps a comfortable measure and navigation remains useful on smaller screens.

Breadcrumbs and adjacent-page links continue to follow the same language-aware documentation tree introduced in v0.5.0. This release changes their presentation, not their routing contract.

A quieter publishing experience

The Blog index now reads like an editorial stream. Metadata has its own column on larger screens, titles and summaries carry the reading hierarchy, release badges use the shared visual language and article headers provide a more deliberate transition into long-form content.

The starter Blog configuration now displays five posts per page:

+++
title = "Blog"
sort_by = "date"
paginate_by = 5
template = "blog.html"
page_template = "blog-page.html"
+++

This is a documented default for new sites, not a forced theme setting. Existing sites keep their own paginate_by value, and omitting it still renders all posts on one page.

Downloads with a visible release path

The Downloads page now separates the release introduction, current status, channels and verification guidance into a clearer sequence. Download actions remain prominent without making every option compete at the same visual weight.

Status and verification blocks share the new surface and type scales, and the layout adapts from a broad release overview to a single-column mobile flow. The underlying Downloads configuration remains unchanged.

Upgrading from v0.5.0

1. Update the pinned theme tag to v0.6.0 using Install and update.
2. Keep Zola 0.23.4; this release does not change the current Zola target.
3. Optionally add home_hero_image and a meaningful home_hero_image_alt to a wide homepage.
4. Review site-owned Sass and template overrides, especially rules that target homepage, Docs, Blog or Downloads internals.
5. Choose the Blog page size explicitly if the new-site example of five posts does not fit the publication.
6. Run zola check and zola build, then inspect the four primary surfaces in light, dark and narrow layouts.

No authored component syntax migration is required.

Compatibility

DevLab Theme v0.6.0 targets Zola 0.23.4. It has no Node.js, npm or external frontend runtime dependency.