Andy's Web Blog » wordpress

WordPress 2.8 now available

blackberry — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:00:17 +0000

WordPress 2.8 is now available. See official excert from the wordpress blog below.

The first thing you’ll notice is that visually 2.8 feels a lot like 2.7, just with some minor tweaks here and there. However once you’ll dig in you’ll begin to appreciate the changes.

Major New Improvements

First and foremost, 2.8 is way faster to use. We’ve changed the way WordPress does style and scripting.

The core and plugin updaters in previous versions of WordPress have been such a success we decided to bring the same to themes. You can now browse the entire theme directory and install a theme with one click from the comfort of your WordPress dashboard.

If you make edits or tweaks to themes or plugins from your dashboard, you’ll appreciate the new CodePress editor which gives syntax highlighting to the previously-plain editor. Also there is now contextual documentation for the functions in the file you’re editing linked right below the editor.

If you were ever frustrated with widgets before, this release should be your savior. We’ve completely redesigned the widgets interface (which we didn’t have time to in 2.7) to allow you to do things like edit widgets on the fly, have multiple copies of the same widget, drag and drop widgets between sidebars, and save inactive widgets so you don’t lose all their settings. Developers now have access to a much cleaner and robust API for creating widgets as well.

Finally you should explore the new Screen Options on every page. It’s the tab in the top right. Now, for example, if you have a wide monitor you could set up your dashboard to have four columns of widgets instead of the two it has by default. On other pages you can change how many items show per page.

And Even More

You can read the full list of over 180 new features, changes, upgrades, and improvements on the Codex. The list is exhausting!

The Future

We’re already thinking hard about the next versions, 2.9 and 3.0. Keep an eye out for improved media handling, better dependency checking, versioning of templates and themes, and of course the fabled merging of WordPress and MU announced at WordCamp San Francisco two weeks ago.

source: http://wordpress.org/development/2009/06/wordpress-28/

Twitter bot plugin for wordpress blogs is brillant

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:32:34 +0000

I manage alot of blogs, for clients and my own personal interest. I update them to twitter and this takes sometime. So I thought, I need a bot and the twitter bot plug in for wordpress is brillant.

Just search twitterbot in the plugins section to see how good it is!

WordPress upgrade 2.5 to 2.6

admin — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:06:22 +0000

WordPress have released a new version of this brilliant package. I have just taken the brave step of upgrading to the latest version, if you are to believe the general talk that is around forums at the moment.

I have to admit it was easy, just a case to copying over the files and bamn it is done. Very smooth.

Thank you wordpress team!

WordPress initial impressions – no pun intended

admin — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:59:18 +0000

WordPress is a community designed and supported blogging content management system.

I have been aware of it for sometime but only recently have I actually started to use it for my clients and myself for Blogs that I manage.

The system is driven by a SQL database, now before you go running and hiding away, that is probably that last time you will hear that if you’re a regular user.

The installation is simple. As such, it is nice and easy to get a blog started. The absolute brilliance of the system is the effective and clear way you write and manage the blogs. The entire interface is user friendly and for anyone used to using Microsoft’s Word, it will be easy to pick up.

The best thing about an open-sourced platform such as this is the large number and wide diversity of plugins available for it. For example, you can add you Adsence details to it to display ads from Google.

The most notable customisation is the themes that are readily available and with some css knowledge you can create your own.

WordPress is a blogging dream, it is easy customisable and free! Give it a try and start and blog, let me know how you do?