Although WordPress 3.0 was released about 2.5 months ago, it is now time to begin looking ahead at the next version of WordPress, version 3.1. This version wasn’t originally planned to include some “major” updates, but it is looking that way according to some of the discussions. Please note that not all of these features will be implemented by the time of release, some will be put on hold until a later version, especially if deadlines are not met.
In this post, I will be providing some discussion around each of the planned features and how they will help you in your everyday use of the WordPress blog/CMS platform.
Media Overhaul
The media management system of WordPress certainly needs some work still, but significant changes probably won’t come until version 3.2 or later. Minor updates will likely come with 3.1, which is still appreciated. A key feature that will be included later is the ability to implement HTML as a caption. This is simply a suggested feature, as it isn’t too difficult to add this after using the built-in image uploader to insert some HTML below the image (whether in a “caption” or not).
Advanced Taxonomy Queries
This is a feature/change that will allow site owners to better manage content and may even tie into the creation of more powerful themes. I figure some of the features included in this plugin will be included (currently, WordPress will ignore one of the parameters). For example, if you want to filter posts, you can add additional queries to help your visitors find content.
Internal Linking
If done correctly, this could be a great feature. Essentially, when you click the “insert link” button, you’ll be presented with an option to insert a link to one of your other posts or pages. Obviously, it’ll help you save time having to open up a new tab to find the link to the article. However, if it is implemented in the same insert link area, it might be a little counter-productive.
AJAX-Powered Admin Screens
Few details were provided about this, although I suspect you won’t have to re-load each admin page to change settings. Currently, one of the main complaints about WordPress is how many “clicks” it takes to change settings, so this should help alleviate some of the problems, at least until other solutions are created.
WordPress.com-Styled Admin Bar
If you’ve ever used WordPress.com, you’ve likely noticed an admin bar at the top of your blog (when logged in) as well as from the admin panel. This makes it easy to get quick access to commonly accessed areas, like the “add new post” page and to moderate comments, for example. In WordPress 3.1, this feature will likely be added, with an option to turn it off/on.
UX/UI Cleanup
Some changes to the UX/UI, ranging from cleanup to other modifications will be made. No specific target was made, but I figure it’ll address some of the inconsistencies or other issues experienced by users.
Also included are changes to the UI of the searching/browsing installed themes page, with a WordPress.com look (the “Install Themes” tab may be migrated onto the main page).
Separate Network Dashboard
For multisite users, a separate dashboard will be added, and a personal dashboard to replace the global dashboard may also be considered for this release.
Custom Post Types API Fixes
Some changes to the custom post types API will be made, although nothing major.
Post Templates and Post Styles
Likely another way to style post templates and page styles. More than anything else, it might just mean the ability to style individual posts much like pages.
QuickPress as a Template Tag (Front-End Posting/Editing?)
This could be a big feature in upcoming versions of WordPress, as you won’t have to spend as much time within the back-end to write posts – you’ll (eventually) be able to do it simply by logging in, navigating to your blog, and clicking where you want to edit. Again, I don’t know how far the WordPress team will go with this, whether with this release or in the future, but it could be a great feature.
Conclusion
With a feature freeze by October 15, beta releases by November 15, and a release sometime around December 15, WordPress 3.1 will shape up to be a great update for WordPress users. Although I am not an expert at back-end coding or involved heavily into the future of the project, I hope that many of these features make it into upcoming versions.
What features are you looking forward to in the upcoming versions? Please leave your comments below.
September 9th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Hello,
The “AJAX-Powered Admin Screens” means that when you’re viewing your posts in the admin, loading the next page of posts will be done via AJAX. Also, you will also be able to sort posts by post date, number of comments etc.
The same goes for all list-type screens.