WordPress 2.3 Beta 1 Review and Checklist
- Filed under: WordPress
WordPress 2.3 Beta 1 was released yesterday, August 27, 2007. It’s first release candidate will be available on September 17. From now until its final release on Monday, September 24, 2007, there will be a beta release for WordPress 2.3 on every Monday. While testing WordPress 2.3 Beta 1, there were several noticeable changes and additions:
Tags
The first obvious addition is the tagging system that was not available in previous WordPress versions. Tagging allows more room for organization when your simple list of categories isn’t going to cut it anymore. For details about this new feature, read Ryan Boren’s post, WordPress 2.3 Taxomony Schema.
Here are cropped screenshots of the tags input space and listing.
The_Tags()
The default WordPress theme, Kubrick, introduces a new template function that you can use for your own theme (after upgrading to WordPress 2.3),
. There’s no documentation available for it yet, but it should be pretty simple to modify. Here’s the basic structure:
- Whatever you want to appear before the list of tag links goes in between the first set of single quotes.
- Whatever you want to appear in between tag links goes in the the second set of single quotes.
- Whatever you want to appear after the list of tag links goes in between the third set of single quotes.
For example,
will give you:
Tags: tag1tag2
The empty space after “Tags:” in the first set of single quotes is what separates “Tags:” from the tag links listing.
will give you:
Tags: tag1 tag2
The empty space in between the second set of single quotes is what separates the tag links.
will give you:
Tags: tag1, tag2
will give you: is a line break, which you can’t see in this example. But, you get the idea. You can put almost anything in the third set of single quotes just like how you did it with the first and second sets. Whatever goes in the third set comes after everything of the tag links listing.
Tags: tag1, tag2
Tag Converter
This tool / feature allows you to convert categories into tags. This tool is available at Manage > Categories, at the bottom of the page.
Tag Importer(s)
WordPress 2.3 comes with an importer for version 3 of UTW (Ultimate Tag Warrior) Plugin. Unfortunately for Simple Tagging and Jerome’s Keywords users, those importers are being tested. Users of UTW earlier versions also beware, it hasn’t been tested with versions earlier than 3.
Empty Categories Listing
With earlier versions, WordPress does not list empty post categories in the sidebar. However, WordPress 2.3 does. Correct me if I’m wrong, this change might have been made as early as 2.2. I’m not sure, but I just noticed it in 2.3 beta.
Blogroll Links
Probably due to the sponsored links in WordPress themes debate, the not-always-popular default blogroll links have been changed.
Changed to:
From:
Dashboard Link URL
Perhaps, my favorite change is this; the dashboard link now links to admin/index.php instead of admin/admin.php?page=index.php, which makes a big difference because admin.php?page=index.php doesn’t take you back to a dashboard that lists your latest comments, posts, links, and WordPress news.
No Sandbox?
There was talk about the Sandbox theme getting packaged with the WordPress core, but it’s nowhere to be found in the themes folder. I haven’t kept up with all the WordPress behind the scene stuff so I don’t know what’s going on there. Maybe Sandbox will get bundled with WordPress 2.3 final release?
Thanks for noticing the lack of one particular feature.
Actually, it’s been slated for 2.4. Keep an eye on the Sandobx inclusion trac ticket, though.
I’m jacked about tagging being included although I would be interested in reading people who know detailing if the native tagging is as good as UTW’s – I would love to get rid of UTW (nothing against it, just the fewer the necessary plugins the better), but not if the new tagging isn’t strong – also, I wonder if all the secondary plugins that depend upon UTW will work with the native tagging? Hopefully
does this release also treat differently post categories and link categories? I plan on adding links to sites I like on my site, but have been holding off because I don’t want to do it until the separation between articles and blogroll/links has been made
Thanks for the tip Scott. As for 2.3 tags versus UTW, it looks like 2.3 tags doesn’t have as many features. They’re going with the basic. Whatever extra feature you want for tagging, you’d have to find a plugin for it.
[...] Potato has written up a preliminary review of WordPress 2.3 Beta 1, and I must say that the new features being introduced into this version [...]
What tag features would be missing from UTW? I havent checked 2.3 beta yet
Since the_tags() is a 2.3 tag, how will this work with older versions? There should be a way to deactive this tag so themes designed for 2.3 would work with older versions. like the plugin check
I guess you can use if(function_exists()) to check for the_tags before using it.
[...] awaited built-in tagging functions, as described in WordPress 2.3 Taxomony Schema by Ryan Boren and by WPDesigner, Plugin and core update notification, faster javascript, and SEO-friendly URL redirection. Winners [...]
I played with it the other day and loved what I saw. I can’t wait until it’s all official and we can upgrade. Of course going back and adding tags to all my posts is gonna be a pain the ass. LOL
I’ve joined wp lightly release, and see many people taking about this new version.
Did you see the cache option which like wp cache2 as people what they ever said?
[...] Â Small Potato [...]
I’ve seen many biggies like Paul Stamatiou ditch categories in favour of built in tags in Wp 2.3 beta.
I have not used UTW until now, and want to use tags soon. Should i use 2.3′s tags or UTW? And could you elaborate on the differences between the two? maybe that’d help.
2.3 tags are just simple tagging. UTW includes additional features like tag cloud and etc.
2.3 has a UTW importer so don’t worry about it.
Sandbox 1.0 for WP 2.3+ here: http://code.google.com/p/sandbox-theme/
When I try and use this on one of my themes I get a blank page with I click on a tag. But when I use the Classic theme the tags work. Does anyone have any ideas?
[...] More on Tagging in themes and tag importers from Small Potato [...]
I am afraid I have to correct you on this Small Potato.
WordPress Tags can generate a tagcloud
http://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Tags/wp_tag_cloud
What is different is that WordPress is providing only the native functions, tagging. It isn’t going to include any tag management which would enable us to rename, delete and give us the additional options like what UTW and Simple Tagging does.
For me, I will be going with WordPress 2.3 Tagging, the small limitations are not that big enough to deter me from using 1 plugin less.
Thanks for your correction Darran
Hey SP,
I’ve been playing with 2.3 Beta for a couple of weeks now and like others have mentioned, wish the tagging had a few more features.
Actually, WP 2.3 does have the ability to add a tag cloud – <?php wp_tag_cloud(); ?> will display the tag cloud.
There are also some nifty internal tag functions which have yet to be documented. I’ve been slowly documenting them for my personal use.
The feature that I believe some users of UTW will miss is the tag suggestions and being able to re-use tags that were already issued on previous blog entries.
~ Teli
Yep, I’m definitely missing being able to choose from previous tags. I also didn’t see a tag merge feature for when I inevitably forget which tag I used before!
[...] More on Tagging in themes and tag importers from Small Potato [...]
[...] The new tag feature for full version WordPress users is in the upcoming release of WordPress 2.3, due this weekend. A couple of good tutorials on how to add WordPress 2.3 tags with the new tag tample tags to your WordPress Theme include How To Add WordPress 2.3 Tags To Your Current Theme by Rich Gilchrest and WPDesigner – WordPress 2.3 Beta Review and Checklist. [...]
[...] More on Tagging in themes and tag importers from Small Potato [...]
[...] so neither of these are really as important as the_tags or wp_tag_cloud, but it was still disappointing to see them being [...]
[...] More detail explanations on using the new tag template tags. [...]
[...] More on Tagging in themes and tag importers from Small Potato [...]
[...] More on Tagging in themes and tag importers from Small Potato [...]
[...] Adaptação feita partindo do wpdesigner.com [...]
[...] More on Tagging in themes and tag importers from Small Potato [...]
[...] WPDesigner – WordPress 2.3 Beta Review and Checklist (tips for including tags in your Themes) [...]
[...] e mancano strumenti efficaci per la gestione degli stessi lato amministrazione. Anche se, vista la quantità smisurata di API introdotte scrivere plugin ad-hoc non dovrebbe diventare un compito [...]
So, please, can you help me?
I hav a site and I want to inslall a wordpress on it, is it realy to do so?
Thanks for the introduction. It helps me a lot.
Now i know how to display “Keywords” instead of ” Tags” before the tages.