WordPress 2.5 RC1 Released
WordPress 2.5 RC1 Released
WordPress Development Blog: 2.5 Sneak Peek I love the staccato description Matt uses to start the post: A customizable dashboard, multi-file upload, built-in galleries, one-click plugin upgrades, tag management, built-in Gravatars, full text feeds, and faster load times sound interesting? The first Release Candidate for WordPress 2.5 is out for those that have been waiting […]
WordPress Development Blog: 2.5 Sneak Peek I love the staccato description Matt uses to start the post: A customizable dashboard, multi-file upload, built-in galleries, one-click plugin upgrades, tag management, built-in Gravatars, full text feeds, and faster load times sound interesting? The first Release Candidate for WordPress 2.5 is out for those that have been waiting patiently to try out the new features. Matt details out the updates and the new features of 2.5 on the development blog and the good news is spreading in the WordPress circles.
In addition to many underlying changes and updates to the code, the administration back end of WordPress gets a major rework in this version. The release candidate is not for everyone and can be downloaded for testing and bug searching.
If you make frequent backups and you’re interested in helping us out with development by testing the new code, download and install Release Candidate 1 of WordPress 2.5, and join our testers mailing list to report any bugs you find in the code.
We’re also interested in feedback on the new interface and would love to hear your opinions, thoughts, rants, raves, and anything in between. We created a special email address just for the occasion: 2.5-feedback@wordpress.org.
Colorful Future For WP 2.5 Admin
This past week of WordPress 2.5 developments saw the addition of changeable color schemes to the 2.5 admin interface. Ryan started us off by announcing that WordPress 2.5 will feature two different color schemes. One color scheme will be called Classic while the other will be Fresh. Fresh will feature the newly redesigned color scheme while […]
This past week of WordPress 2.5 developments saw the addition of changeable color schemes to the 2.5 admin interface.
Ryan started us off by announcing that WordPress 2.5 will feature two different color schemes. One color scheme will be called Classic while the other will be Fresh. Fresh will feature the newly redesigned color scheme while Classic will contain darker shades of blue and gray. Now, the only decision is whether to have Classic or Fresh be the default color scheme. So far, it looks like Fresh is winning the race.
If that were not enough, I asked Ryan if this would allow end users to upload style sheets that are created by members of the community into the back end which could then be selected to change the color scheme. Ryan simply answered with “New color schemes can be added as plugins”. For those that need a visual aid, Ozh has published a post which explains how to add a custom stylesheet via a plugin.
And as an added bonus, I think I’ll throw in the fact that the first full fledged WordPress 2.5 administration theme has been released called Fluency. Fluency features a smooth gray color scheme with the main menus displayed in a vertical column on the left hand side of the site and sub menus appearing horizontally across the top.
This theme does have a few rendering issues. For instance, if you are using FireFox and you have too many entries in the second tier navigation menu, the menu will overlap with the header of the subpage. Also keep in mind that not all plugins will look normal within this theme as was the case with WP-PostRatings. Some plugin Option pages will look incorrect but Dean acknowledges that additional plugin option page support will be added as necessary.
You can change the look and feel of the WordPress 2.5 back end yourself or you can use one of the community produced themes and style sheets to make it look just the way you like. 2.5 is starting to come together and I can hardly wait!
WordPress Plugin Releases for 3/11
Section Specific Text The widget allows to display text in certain sections of your blog. The plugin also allows you to insert both html as well as php code provided by other plugins. Release Page | Download FirstTimer Shows a custom message and image to visitors who are visiting for the first time. This plugin uses cookies to identify […]
Section Specific Text
The widget allows to display text in certain sections of your blog. The plugin also allows you to insert both html as well as php code provided by other plugins.
FirstTimer
Shows a custom message and image to visitors who are visiting for the first time. This plugin uses cookies to identify unique users so the message may be served everytime a user clears cookies.
PageFlip
PageFlip is a plugin which allows you to create a virtual book you can browse with your mouse, can be used for creating photo albums and references.
TipJoy TipThis
Allows you to add a TipThis button to each of your posts using your TipJoy account where users can add tips about the stuff you love.
Collapsible Elements
Allows you to add collapsible elements to your posts using the code editor, once added these elements can be collapsed or expanded by clicking on it.
WordPress 2.5 Object Cache Improvements
WordPress 2.5 and the Object Cache: This comprehensive article by Neosmart discusses the caching changes that are going into place with WordPress 2.5. The article has very pertinent links, explains the use and application of the various types of object caches in WordPress and how they are being changed and improved in this new version. […]
WordPress 2.5 and the Object Cache: This comprehensive article by Neosmart discusses the caching changes that are going into place with WordPress 2.5. The article has very pertinent links, explains the use and application of the various types of object caches in WordPress and how they are being changed and improved in this new version. I will not steal Neosmart’s thunder by revealing much here, but if you are interested in understanding the nuances, history and best practices of caching in WordPress (primarily Object Caching), head over to the link above.
Worthy of mentioning however, is that I have never used any type of caching on this blog beside the occasional testing of code and plugins. I love the dynamic nature of the content that I help create and I cherish the highly dynamic nature of WordPress. That is one of the properties of this excellent tool that attracted me to it in the first place. Every site that refers you here, every post you click on, every page you visit, every link you follow, every comment you make, every post you rate and every search you perform is recorded and is used in some way to provide you with a better browsing and reading experience. Even the ads are displayed according to your visiting habits and your participation on this blog (and I have Ozh to thank for much of that code).
WordPress 2.5 Delayed a Week
WordPress 2.5 Delayed a Week: According to this milestone in the WordPress Trac, 2.5 is delayed by a week or even more. There is a lot of work being done on styling, bug fixes and open tickets and even though the milestone is delayed to 3/17/08, a well polished release will be more appreciated and […]
WordPress 2.5 Delayed a Week: According to this milestone in the WordPress Trac, 2.5 is delayed by a week or even more. There is a lot of work being done on styling, bug fixes and open tickets and even though the milestone is delayed to 3/17/08, a well polished release will be more appreciated and will be better for the community than a rush to release.
In the meantime, Lorelle is tapping her feet waiting for the new release and Six Apart is trying to make waves in the wake of WordPress 2.5. Ozh is happy to have the chance to fix some more plugins, Tadd provides some sage advice to people complaining about the wait. I am very excited about this release and what it brings to the table and will be upgrading as soon as I can.
While we are on the subject, in reading through the comments left on Jeff’s post yesterday, we hope we did not cause any added confusion to the impending release. WordPress has gotten more complex since the 1.2 days but that is expected of code reaching a higher level of maturity. However, along with the complexity, WordPress has also gained much anticipated features, has been keeping up and in many cases, leading publishing technology and has become a beacon of success in the blogging and Open Source communities. A lot of the technology that is in 2.5 never existed back when WordPress was forked out of b2 and much of the code and many of the advances have come about due to the hard work of the developers, contributors and supporters of WordPress. Hundreds of developers, contributors and well wishers help shape WordPress and the community is in a very large part responsible for the wonderful peice of software it is today.
The WordPress developers have a feel for their code and they will know when they are ready to put it into production/release. This model creates some confusion because of the nature of the development cycle, but the delaying of the release date and the tweaking and fixing till a comfort level is reached, is not a bad thing at all. On the contrary, if followed with due diligence and with care, this development model can help put together some really good code and it works well in the Open Source (or any shared development) environment. Strict deadlines are more detrimental than a constant update model which has been proven to be more productive and easier to manage.
I have observed and participated in WordPress development from close and afar for many years and though the development cycle might seem disconcerting, I can safely tell you that this effort will bear delicious fruit for sure.
Thanks for being a user and a supporter of WordPress. Here is to a successful WordPress 2.5 in the coming weeks!