WordPress 2.7, now with promotional video and slogan
If you’re still on the fence about the completely revamped design of the WordPress 2.7 administration interface, this video might help:
It ends with a slogan of sorts for WordPress: “this time, it’s personal”. WP 2.7 is all about making the user experience better, so don’t fret!
Oh, and forget to vote which feature in the sneak peek you think is the best.
WordPress 2.7 Beta 2
Just a few days after releasing the first beta, WordPress 2.7 Beta 2 is now out! Based on the announcement, it looks like bug fixes were the focus of this beta release.
And since you can automatically upgrade to the latest version of WordPress from within the admin panel, check it out:
If you have already installed beta 1, you can update to beta 2 via the Tools -> Update menu. Beta 1 does have a bug in the automatic upgrade that breaks certain setups, so be prepared to download and install Beta 2 manually if you experience problems.
Keep this in mind even if you haven’t installed the beta yet, but plan to upgrade to WP 2.7 in the future.
Keyboard shortcuts in WordPress 2.7
Here’s another great feature to expect in WordPress 2.7: keyboard shortcuts. Though WordPress already has several shortcut keys for the Write Post page (documented here and here—the Visual Editor must be turned on), new keyboard shortcuts will be available for managing comments:
- j - next comment/down
- k - previous comment/up
- a - approve comment
- s - spam comment
- d - delete comment
- u - unapprove comment
- r - reply to comment (Esc to cancel reply)
- q - quick edit comment
You’ll have to activate them first in your user profile page, and then you’re all set.
10 new useful features in WordPress 2.7
Demetris of op111.net has written about 10 exciting new things in WordPress 2.7—11, actually! Here’s the shortlist:
- Mass-edit posts and pages
- Modular edit/write pages
- Paginated comments
- Quick Edit (Inline Edit)
- QuickPress
- Recent drafts in Dashboard
- Reply to comments from the administration area
- Show/Hide modules and columns (“Screen Options”)
- Sticky posts
- Threaded comments
- Widgetomodularized Dashboard
I think blog entries like these are must-reads for anybody who’s wondering if they should take the plunge when WordPress 2.7 comes. It’s best to read up on what’s coming as early as now to avoid FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt).
WordPress 2.7 Beta 1
The first beta of the much-awaited WordPress 2.7 version is out! Prepare for a completely revamped admin interface and all the new features we’ve been raving about the past few months.
Several things to note: WP 2.7 Beta 1 works best in Firefox and Safari (for now). And the final WP 2.7 release is 2 weeks behind schedule.
The downside is more waiting; the upside is the team isn’t rushing to get it out but to polish it the best way possible. It’s slated for November 10th, and while the developers are still trying their best to get it done by that date, a release candidate should be out by then. End of November seems more like the WP 2.7 final release.
Favorite Actions in WordPress 2.7
planetOzh writes about a neat little feature coming in WordPress 2.7 called “favorite actions”. It gives you quick access to sections of your admin panel that you frequent the most. This dropdown menu links to “Add New Post”, “Add New Page”, and “Manage Comments” but as mentioned in the blog entry, this can theoretically be modified with a plugin.
Yet another hint of what’s to come in November!
WordPress 2.7 on “feature freeze”
Ryan Boren has just announced at the WP-Hackers mailing list that the upcoming version of WordPress has gone into feature freeze, meaning there will be no new features added from now on until the official release. Read more details about the new features at this blog post from Performancing.
Jeff Chandler also mentions in there that the admin panel demo by Chris Johnston is still up, so if you want to check out what WP 2.7 currently looks like without having to download and install it for yourself, just login (username: admin; password: demo).
What’s coming in WordPress 2.7
The new features planned for WordPress 2.7 are spreading around in the blogosphere, so here’s what to expect:
Proposed New Features
This is a WordPress Codex article on what will “definitely be in 2.7″. Since it’s in the Codex, it must be pretty official.
Features Planned for WordPress 2.7
This is a report from Weblog Tools Collection based on the discussions at the Codex and informal meetings in the IRC. As WordPress Garage has noted, it appears that WP 2.7 will be “heavily based on existing plugins”. See also Quick Online Tips
WordPress 2.7 Theming May Change Everything
This is a project by Ian Stewart on Parent and Child Themes. He’s put up a Trac proposal and it seems to be working well with the bleeding edge version of WordPress.
WordPress.com users get 24/7 Support
Bloggers on WordPress.com can now enjoy round-the-clock support by sending a message through the support contact form.
This is great news, considering most services out there (blogging or not) usually offer support only if you pay for them. Read more about the announcement here.
WordPress MU 2.6
WordPress multi-user or WPMU is now version 2.6, whose code was based on the standard WordPress 2.6 release. You’ll find similar new features like the return of the “Press This!” bookmarklet, Google Gears support, theme previews, and so on. Donncha O Caiomh has more details.
