This bi-weekly serves to inform and enlighten our minds on latest happenings in the sprawling countryside we call WordPress-land. There’s a saying in WordPress-land. Just one.
Release News
- WP 4.6.1 released recently and contains patches for two security vulnerabilities and fixes 15 bugs. More info on the release and the problems it fixes can be found in the WordPress.org blog.
- WP 4.7 will introduce significant changes to action and filter iteration to address some callback bugs. If you are a developer who has been using the $wp_filter global rather than hooks API, you are silly and will need to update your code prior to the release of 4.7. Details and code examples here.
- There’s a renewed push to get the REST API content endpoints integrated into WP core for WP 4.7. I’d personally like to see this happen since any progress on rolling the API into core entirely is good in my opinion.
- 4.7 will also see a bunch of new theme functions designed to aid in child/parent theme relationships. For example, the new get_theme_file_uri() function will allow the overriding of parent theme files with child files, simply by creating the file in the child theme (similar to how the get_template_part() function currently works with theme templates).
- In a nod to all things gratuitous, WP 4.7 will be increasing the character limit for passwords on protected posts from 20 characters to 255. It’s really about time. I’ve been itching to use my go-to password (&vi!kN%NKn%7V0!p4p$AnAhDm0Ev8DhOuWAtQ8POU51dab8BFkw#Bi2iJkj1AABYJh8d9Np7Ww78mOghk@OC3^p9EA$ohXBZb8o@SZtMTff8SMA#K#ntFhw#MgZ18pX6FW*8z8MrUuIdPpzmJ7L7wAikZ0qxe4xCutS6h$@beStERp$uVb94oVv&2#Q!RelS%&6akwLDyt4MiU2uAPD&$JLgw@W6jtK47gp*hP6NGt^Kj9q6pQx9z&^%$WiNmy7) for protected posts. Memorizing new passwords is awful!
Extending WordPress
- WP Engine recently posted a roundup of a few solid calendar plugins, with feature outlines for each. Solid choices for a regularly requested feature.
- There’s a new Drupal -> WP plugin that just dropped that is sure to make developers overseeing a CMS transition sleep a little more soundly at night.
- WP 4.7 will come packaged with the new Twenty Seventeen theme. Can’t wait to delete that every time I install and update WP!
WP Drama
The dirty side of dev.
- Headway Themes, a company that sells drag-and-drop layout generators for WP has been mired in financial difficulties and blatantly ripping off customers by selling packages and providing no support for them. After being called out by WP Tavern, Headway released an apology and plan for fixing their mistakes, while completely failing to address the fact that they haven’t paid their staff and extension authors in months. The company is owned by Grant and Clay Griffiths who recently started a new company, Pressmatic… so maybe stay away from that one too.
Misc
I don’t know where to file this crap.
- WP Engine loves WordPress (obvs) and loves infographics. In their latest foray, they compare WP to Medium. Beyond the infographic though, they give a fairly exhaustive rundown of the differences between the two and while WPE miiiiiight be slightly biased, there is still a fair amount of good info here for someone choosing between the two.
That’s all for now. Check back in two weeks for another rundown.