Tag: WordPress

All things WordPress @ http://wordpress.com, http://wordpress.org, and WordPressMU @ http://mu.wordpress.org

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BNS Theme Add-Ins

Although it started more as a “Mallory-Everest” idea, I just submitted to the WordPress Extend Plugins repository the “BNS Theme Add-Ins” plugin. My 11th submission!

It is a collection of functions and code that can be used to extend the capabilities of WordPress Parent-Themes and Child-Themes. Current functions:

* Add BNS Extra Theme Headers
* Add BNS Child-Theme Version Control
* Add BNS Readme Menu Item
* Add BNS Changelog Menu Item
* Add BNS Child-Theme TextDomain and i18n (translation) support

Although I did offer to release each of the above functions individually, how I optimized this initial release (read: alpha version) requires the code to remain intact.

I usually make these announcements on BuyNowShop, but this plugin quickly became very special as I utilized more advanced code techniques as well as core functionality I have not implemented in the past; and I just didn’t want to wait until it get subversion access.

Besides, this seemed like a great “Aside” post to make.

Enjoy!

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WordCamp Toronto 2011

It’s Official!

WordCamp Toronto 2011 is now listed at WordCamp Central!

We have a date: November 5 & 6, 2011

We have a venue: George Brown College

We need sponsors! We need speakers! We need volunteers!

Most of all we want you to come out and enjoy a great WordCamp and learn more about WordPress and the Toronto WordPress community … and remember, even if you have never heard of WordPress before, you are more than welcome to come out and enjoy the time with us.

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Add WordPress Required Version and Tested Up To Version

I just made my second submission to the WordPress Core Trac with the summary above. Here is a link to the new ticket #16868 … and here is the description:

The premise of this idea is for Theme authors to be able to add a reference to the version of WordPress their Theme requires to work correctly; and, the version of WordPress the Theme has been tested up to. This idea comes from the the plugin readme.txt file and some of the data that is expected to be found there.

Once implemented, further enhancements to the Appearance tab in the Administration Panels can be added to better inform end-users on the compatibility of the Theme with their current WordPress installation.

This is essentially an extension of my previously submitted ticket #16395 to “Add ‘Template Version’ for use with ‘Template’ in Child-Themes” I wrote about here.

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Automattic = dot-wp?

Yesterday this post was made by Matt Mullenweg regarding the recent accreditation of Automattic as a domain registrar.

I think this leads to a real possibility of dot-wp top level domains (TLD)! As I have recently fallen to the little known affliction of IDA I am quite concerned that this may create a unscratchable itch?! Will this create a digital land-rush for .wp domains?

There is also the potential for a dot-blog TLD that may be more appealing to the Internet in general. As it is, for more general details regarding the creation of a new TLD, head over to ICANN and read this article

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Time Flies

I cannot believe it has been 10 days since I last made a new post here. I do not even have the excuse of being busy posting on my other sites although there have been a few posts made.

I wrote about the lastest release of one of my plugins, BNS Featured Tag version 1.8.1 on October 3, 2010. It was more or less my standard announcement post when I release a new version of a plugin.

A few days later, I wrote about the latest version of Ground Floor, 1.6, on October 6. Again, a simple announcement post for one of my free WordPress Themes.

The following day I posted an article at WPFirstAid.com under my nom de plume for that blog of The Doctor. The gyst of the article was how to Extend the WordPress Menu, referring to adding content to the wp_nav_menu() function output. I started writing the post on October 6 and published it on October 7 as I found it a bit more involved to explain the technique for everyday use after it had been sorted out.

Yesterday, October 12, I wrote a post for the just opened domain WPTRT.com. I registered the domain a little while ago for any potential uses the WordPress Theme Review Team (WPTRT) may need that were not readily available. The post itself was a summary of the First Meeting the WPTRT held on October 9, 2010 (via IRC).

It seems I have been busy doing a great many things I enjoy over the past 10 days which proves the old adage:

time flies when you’re having fun!

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Manna and Music

These items just struck me as having a great photogenic and blogging potential: my Filthy Chai Grande; and, a brand new Apple iPod Nano. The picture was taken with my iPhone and uploaded via the WordPress app.

Starbucks Filthy Chai and Apple iPod Nano

I used my Starbucks card to pay for my Chai, it was pre-loaded earlier this week. The hand-written drink order on the side of the cup just looks so naturally part of the design, its as though the cup was printed just like it appears. Quality penmanship is becoming more and more rare in these days of digitality that when you come across fine example such as this one it should be shared. Also to note, Starbucks in Canada also offers free wi-fi to everyone.

My wife and I used Airmiles to get the iPod Nano for our daughter, Jackie. It arrived at my desk this morning; I had not thought about seeing it anytime soon as the confirmation suggested it would be two to three weeks before we would see it. It’s soooo small! … and, it still has a serious “cool” factor about it. Besides, we had to do something with all those airmiles.

Just looking at the two items on my desk made me think what a great picture this would make … the rest of the post is just my usual musings.

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Featured Themes

Hard work and keeping focused on the potential benefits of the tasks at hand can bring unexpected rewards.

It’s been three months since I joined the WordPress Theme Review Team (WPTRT). Today, Simon Prosser and I were granted moderator privileges to the Extend/Themes forum at WordPress.org.

Our privileges at WordPress.org allow us to: take a theme submitted for review “live” if it passes all of the Theme Review criteria; “mark as old” if it does not; or, suspend the theme, if necessary or requested.

Our latest bump allows us to now be directly involved in selecting which themes are listed under the Featured Themes heading on the main page of the Extend Themes repository page.

The Theme Reviewers intent is to involve the community as much as possible in the selection process. There are currently no set guidelines we will be using, aside from the requirement that themes being considered will need to meet current Theme Review guidelines and standards … with the emphasis being on currently released themes.

Now, as community members ask how are Featured Themes chosen I would like to extend to the community the opportunity to recommend the general guidelines for choosing the themes to be shortlisted … perhaps additional related criteria the WPTRT should consider … or maybe even who should be choosing the actual themes to be featured?

As the WPTRT Lead I am not looking for which theme you want to recommend, yet, but I am looking for why any particular theme should be recommended. What criteria would you use?

Take advantage of this opportunity and leave a comment. Share your thoughts and ideas on choosing Featured Themes.

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10 Minutes

Start writing … and do not stop for ten minutes. This was a suggestion by a friend on how to generate content for a blog. It’s not a bad idea as it can be used as a stream of consciousness exercise. As long as you keep typing the content will keep growing. Although you may not have any serious masterworks of prose it does provide a good base to start from and with judicious edits it is a great post idea.

The whole concept in my opinion is to not really think about what you are writing in as much as make sure you are. A practice to create a habit, a habit to create a skill, a skill to replace a practice.

The opportunity to delve into your own creativeness simply occurs on its own as the thoughts start to flow freely and easily. A great idea or an insightful bon mots are just some of the potential you can, and will, discover.

There will always be more that can be written and there are never-ending streams of ideas to put to digital paper at least in the case of a blog. This method works just as well with the “old school” tools known as pen and paper, too. I believe with living in this digital age the environmental benefits of not using a resource that can better be used elsewhere is a good idea. I’m writing this on my iPhone, as is common for my Sunday posts, and it actually saves me edit time afterward with its auto-correct functionality … stop writing.

Thanks to Alex Frakking for suggesting this idea at the last WordPress Toronto Meetup gathering on August 21, 2010 … just another of the many benefits of the group.

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WordPress Toronto August 2010 Meetup

Traveling home on the TTC Subway after the latest gathering of the WPToronto Meetup group, I am putting some thoughts into the next Meetup currently scheduled for Sept. 18, 2010.

The turnout was quite good with a peak attendance of 15 people. This was another summer workshop session with no agenda or scheduled topics for discussion.

Once again there were many new faces and several returning members as well. We solved some issues, shed light on others, and added insights to ideas being formulated … or in others words a very successful Meetup in my opinion.

Although the concept of more than one monthly meeting is still left up in the air and we did not sort out a major speaker or idea to have for the September Meetup, I believe the group in general would benefit from short presentations on a regular basis.

Andy McIlwain put forward the idea of discussing how to generate content for a blog taking into consideration the general audience that would be visiting and reading it.

I am suggesting as a possible follow-up presentation of what can done afterward, such as using plugins to measure the traffic being generated by what content.

Alex Frakking suggested the premise of a short introduction period followed by some social interactions and then the presentations would be a good general agenda.

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Thelonious Is In The House

Being a self-professed WordPress junkie I would be remiss in not making the obligatory post regarding the release of WordPress 3.0 … which I saw only a short while ago on the @wpdevel twitter account.

For some additional reading you can follow this link to Matt’s post on the WordPress Blog.

All of the sites I am involved with, or manage, have been successfully updated to this latest version of WordPress.

If you are having any troubles, concerns or issues please contact us at BuyNowShop.com for additional assistance through our premium WordPress Services.

Have you blogged today?