What's New in WordPress 3.6

About Me

• Design Engineer at Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com
• Formerly a Senior WordPress Developer with Oomph, Inc. working on the WordPress.com VIP platform
• 3+ years developing WordPress themes and plugins
• WordPress Core Contributor
• WordCamp Boston Organizer
• Boston WordPress Meetup organizer
• Plugin Author

The Focus

The theme I'm proposing for 3.6 is "Content Editing", so especially start thinking about editing, editorial workflows, revisions, autosave, [distraction free writing], etc.

The Focus

• Autosave
• Post locking
• Revisions
• Twenty Thirteen
• Menu management
• Post formats enhancements
• Editorial flow

What Was Dropped

Two major focus areas were dropped from 3.6:

1. Editorial flow
2. Post formats enhancements

Dropped: Editorial Flow

We looked into what the main feature…would involve, and found that there were some really fundamental hurdles that were unlikely to be resolved in the time given. A lot of time was spent on the planning stage, and we just kept surfacing more questions.

Dropped: Post Formats enhancements

I've been talking to a lot of WordPress core developers and contributors, and the overwhelming consensus is that [the new] Post Formats UI is not ready for WordPress core, and that it would be a mistake to ship it as it currently exists. We're going to pull it out, and let it continue development as a plugin…

Autosave

Never lose your content

Autosave: what we've had

This didn't change, but did gain some new friends.

Autosave: lost connection

WordPress now checks if you're connected, and if you aren't, doesn't let you try to save your work.

Autosave: browser storage

Stores a copy of the post your working on in your browser.

If the browser crashes, or you accidentally reload the page, your content isn't lost.

Autosave: login expiration

No longer redirected to a login page if your session expires.

Autosave: how?

WordPress 3.6 includes a new Heartbeat API.

The Heartbeat API periodically checks if your browser can still connect to your WordPress site.

Developers can build upon the Heartbeat API.

Post locking

Never lose your content

Post locking: before

Warning is minimal and easily overlooked.

Nothing stops another user from editing the post.

Post locking: post list

See if someone's editing a post at a glance.

Post locking: what the other user sees

User sees a warning if someone else is currently editing a post.

Post locking: what the original user sees

Original user can't make any more changes once another user takes over the post.

Revisions interface: old

Revisions interface: new

Comparing a single revision to the current version:

Revisions interface: new

Comparing two arbitrary revisions:

Revisions system

• Limit number of revisions stored at a post and post-type level
• Correct author shown for revisions
• No longer store duplicate autosaves and revisions

Try it at
http://twentythirteendemo.wordpress.com

Menus: old

Menus: new

Questions?

Slides are available at http://www.ethitter.com/blog/.

Check Twitter for a link as well: @ethitter.