WordPress 2.7 Released

WordPress 2.7, code named “Coltrane” after John Coltrane, an American jazz saxophonist and composer, was released last night (December 10th) to the general public, after Release Candidate 2 was released just the day before.  This is one of the most significant updates since the release of version 2.6 in July.

The Main Features

When you install this update, you will find that everything is faster – there has been a recoding and you no longer have to use the sub-menus that were used in many previous versions.  Instead, you can now use the drop-down and expandable columns to the left of each page.

Within the Dashboard, each element is rearrangeable and you can customize each area, including “news” blogs and other areas.  Additionally, elements can be removed or added, so you can clean it up to include only the QuickPress feature, allowing you to write a post without ever leaving the main screen.

Automatic upgrading means that you will never have to manually upgrade WordPress again.  There is truly no reason why you will need to complain about the (not so) frequent updates the team pushes out.

More than 150 people worked directly on the project, with thousands of people testing and submitting bugs to be worked out.  The future of WordPress indicates that this theme will (for the most part) remain intact throughout 2009.

• All new design, focusing on a cleaner (gray/white/black/blue) interface, and less of the blue/red/white that we saw in 2.5.
• Collapsable, expandable, and somewhat customizable sidebar area, which was previously displayed at the top of the page in an extremely hard-to-navigate method.
• Within single post view, you can rearrange “widgets” or the Tags, Categories, Excerpts, and so on, or minimize them to your liking.  This saves space, potentially allowing the entire page to be viewable on a single screen.
• In my case, I was able to abandon the WordPress Automatic Upgrade Plugin, Extra Tag Support (2.3), several plugins related to the backend design, and a file upload plugin.
• New comment features, allowing you to reply to comments without additional plugins and directly through the backend.
• Quick edit mode allowing you to change the title, permalink, publish date, categories, tags, etc. directly from the list of posts.
• Improved media page, utilizing a post-based format, adding tag support, comments for images, and more.
• Easily upload and update plugins with just a few clicks.  There is no need to use FTP.
• Stick Posts, a feature that has been in Blogger for quite some time, allows you to place a post at the top of the page, such as a promotion or “about” statement.
• New template tags that allow you to use shorthand code for rather long operations.
• Comments API, meaning you will be able to use your blog offline and edit comments without ever logging in to the actual admin interface.
• Better tag management.
• More settings for inserting media on posts.
• Spam settings, allowing you to close comments on old posts.

Upgrading Your Installation

If you are tired with 2.5/6 or lower, I’d suggest that you try the new version.  It is quite robust and full of new features – there have been very few problems since I first started using the beta versions.

Here’s some general advice on upgrading your installation to ensure that nothing “breaks.”

1. Back up your databases.
2. Back up all your WordPress files, starting with images and all other content found within WP-created folders.
3. Deactivate your plugins.
4. Download and extract the WordPress package.
5. Delete the old WordPress files.
6. Upload the new files.
7. Run the WordPress upgrade program.
8. Update Permalinks and .htaccess.
9. Install updated plugins and themes.
10. Reactivate plugins.
11. Continue the steps found on the WordPress Extended Installation Guide.

Contact the WordPress Support Forums if you encounter any problems.

If you wait too long to upgrade, you will likely encounter more problems.  The key is remembering to backup all your files before each upgrade, as you will have little to worry about, as everything will be reversible.

• The new version is more secure than ever before.
• There are dozens of new features and enhancements that will speed up your blogging, improving your experience.
• It’ll be easier to stay up-to-date in the future, with easier upgrading.

Video Introduction

Will You Upgrade?

There is everything to like about the latest release.  Why haven’t you updated your blog yet?

Additionally, if you have updated, how do you like the new interface and design elements/features?