Since WordPress 2.8 development was begun, there was a lot of talk abut the core enhancements being made. The version is due to bring with it a number of features that users were looking for in previous versions that didn’t make their way into. Two betas have been released and now, WordPress 2.7 Release Candidate 1 is now available for download.
Within the next few days (likely by Wednesday, June 10th), the next version will be released. The final bugs and any problems will be addressed in this final version before the release.
If you are running the latest public version of WordPress, you are set to upgrade. However, there are a few things that you must know when you install 2.8 come Wednesday or its release date.
1. The Widgets Area Has Changed, Dramatically
When you go into the widgets area, you will find that widgets are displayed together to the left, with inactive widgets displayed in an area below this. Each sidebar module, if I can call them that, is collapsible and displayed to the right, where they were always placed. The new process is a bit easier to manage, as you don’t have to save the page once you hit save multiple times for individual widgets. However, there are still some ways they could save some time, albeit not obvious at the moment.
Paragraphs can be automatically added when the checkbox is selected.
2. Installing and Managing Themes is Easier
One thing that bugged me the most about the theme manager is the fact that you couldn’t delete inactive and unwanted themes. In the process of testing themes for placing on the site, it becomes customary to install multiple themes at once while you are trying to find the theme that works best for your site. This can be a problem, especially on hosting accounts with not much storage (each theme can weigh in at up to a megabyte apiece).
An active, preview, and delete link will be displayed beneath each theme. The preview feature was already available in the last version, although some modifications to the process have been made.
Additionally, you can browse new themes from the Themes Directory, although this limits you to only GPL-Licensed themes, some of which don’t appeal to all blogs.
3. Comments, Post Management Areas
There aren’t many modifications to these areas, although you can quickly reply to comments within the comments area (this may have been available in a previous version but I have just recently begun using it).
Secondly, I also just noticed that you can customize the number of posts, comments, and media displayed per page, which is another thing about WordPress that was bothering me in the past. Again, I could simply have ignored the “Screen Options” drop-down area.
4. Media/Image Uploader Improved
Possibly the biggest time saver out of all the other features is the new media and image uploader. It appears slicker and faster at uploading images, especially larger groups of media. When an image is uploaded, it retains the naming format you used – it doesn’t convert all words to lowercase, and includes more ways to organize photos in the pop-up display.
There are further plans to include more features in the next version of WordPress, but I suspect that they deal more around video, such as previews or something more minor that I don’t see on a regular basis.
5. Memory Usage and Speed
From my experience using shared hosting, the new version loads just as fast or faster than previous versions. While I did have to increase memory allotment to a few sites, it wasn’t due to the new version. Most pages (back-end areas) load within a second, and this can save time when you are adding multiple posts at a time or managing a lot of content.
The Main Features
Before boring you with more details, WordPress has already compiled a list of the key highlights in the newest version, along with the new features (I won’t list them all, either).
– New drag-and-drop widgets admin interface and new widgets API.
– Syntax highlighting and function lookup built into plugin and theme editors.
– Browse the theme directory and install themes from the admin.
– Allow the dashboard widgets to be rearranged in up to four columns.
– Allow configuring the number of items to display on management pages with an option in Screen Options.
– Support timezones and automatic daylight savings time adjustments.
– Support IIS 7.0 URL rewrite module.
– Faster loading of admin pages using script compression and concatenation.
Getting Yourself Ready
It is important to note that most upgrade installs of WordPress over previous versions isn’t destructive. In fact, you can restore the database if anything does go wrong. However, before performing any upgrade, I strongly suggest that you backup your database and any important files, which may be your media (if manageable).
Next, upgrade any plugins that you have installed. Deactivate and uninstall those that you don’t use to save some space. Delete spam comments and get your blog in order for the new version.
Using the back-end upgrade/installer, you can upgrade. Manual upgrades are also suggested, although it can be easier and less stressful using their automatic methods if you have never installed an upgrade before.
Once you have installed the new version, make sure everything is working properly, then prepare to active plugins (if you deactivated them as per the instructions).
Theme developers and plugin writers may need more time and changes before their themes and plugins are compatible with the new version. However, in 90% of upgrade cases, you’ll find that they retain at least some of the backward-compatible features, such as the basic blog features and any added features/elements.
Should You Upgrade?
Most people wait until a maintenance release until they install a new version. For some, that might mean waiting from 2.5 to 2.8, but this isn’t suggested. The best way to maintain good working install of your blog/CMS system is to upgrade when you feel it is the right time. Personally, I take advantage of the latest versions and nightly builds, just so I have the most recent version possible.
WordPress 2.8, though what testing I have done (blogging and creating content), it is a solid version with many features that can be taken advantage of immediately. A bug-free release may take some time to come, so the best time to plunge in to the upgrade process may be as little as a week to as long as two months from now.
With the merger of WordPress MU and WordPress.org coming within the next few versions of WordPress, there are more features and benefits to look forward to in the meantime.
