For a good overview on all the changes – take a look: http://codex.wordpress.org/Version_3.5

Download WordPress 3.5

Something to remember – plugins are not all created equally. Quick example – some plugin developers use best practices so that you do not have multiple copies of a javascript library loading while others will include multiple libraries regardless of what you may already have.

By keeping everything up to date is important – but I would also like to stress keeping a lean version of your site is equally important. If you need a certain custom functionality – take into consideration the server resources, time for updates/debugging, etc. versus what you really get from it. Debugging 1 plugin is manageable, debugging 10 plugins is a task, debugging 40 plugins is insanity. Also – if you decide that a plugin is just not working the way you expected – delete it and forget about. There is no reason you need to keep plugins that you do not need around. By keeping these files around – it also takes up valuable resources that could be better used elsewhere.

If you are looking for a fast and secure web site (who isn’t?) remember to keep it simple. Custom functionality is great – but don’t forget to think about the cost.

Thankfully the reason for all the recent updates were not because of any hacks – the important lesson here is that it is essential to update as soon as possible. Not only will your site be more secure but updating a point release at a time is a lot easier than updating a site from several versions back. Things change, code improves, other code depreciates. Updating your version of WordPress is a lot less painless when you do it often and regularly vs. in an emergency because of a hack.

While updating WordPress is essential – so is keeping up to date with plugins. I recently was brought in to assist with an upgrade which had an outdated version of WordPress along with over 40 plugins that were out of date. (Yes – 40). While most people often “do not want to rock the boat” with plugin updates – these updates are also essential. Plugins also contain security updates which are important.

If you are serious about your web presence – take some time to update WordPress and the plugins as the updates come out. If you are concerned that an update might break some custom functionality – create a backup first and then update. If anything goes wrong – you can always go back to what you had right before the update. If you do not want to worry about updates – consider moving to a WordPress host like WP Engine – who will take care of WordPress updates for you.

Recently, while at WordCamp Chicago, I signed up for an account and decided to give them a try myself. Today – I migrated all the content, data, and finally the DNS. Everything went smoothly (minus a DNS prorogation issue which is no fault of WP Engine). WP Engine’s documentation is great, they have a staging environment, their tools are easy to use, and they allow you to take snapshots of your site so you have a backup whenever you need it.

If you are looking for a solid WordPress host – you should definitely check them out!

“The vulnerabilities included potential privilege escalation and a bug that affects multisite installs with untrusted users. These issues were discovered and fixed by the WordPress security team.”

For a full list of all issues addressed in this update, please look at the 3.4.2 documentation.

Download WordPress 3.4.2

Usage Example:

• Page Named: My Test Page
• You need the ability to apply some CSS to something only on this page

In your functions.php file – add the following:

/*
 * Add in page nicename to body class
 * @param $classes = array of class names or a string with space-separated classes names
 */
function sdac_body_page_name_class( $classes ) {
	global $post;
		$classes[] = $post->post_name;
	return $classes;
}
add_filter('body_class', 'sdac_body_page_name_class');

Once that function is in place you will then see this on the test page as a class in the body tag: “my-test-page”. With that in place you can then use something like this to make a page specific change in CSS:

.my-test-page .entry {margin:50px 0 100px 0;}

add_filter( 'avatar_defaults', 'sdac_custom_gravatar' );
function sdac_custom_gravatar ( $avatar_defaults ) {
     $custom_gravatar = 'http://media.sandboxdev.com/wp-content/themes/SDACINC2012/images/logo-small.png';
     $avatar_defaults[$custom_gravatar] = "SDAC Inc. Logo";
     return $avatar_defaults;
}

You will then see it in the list of gravatars in Settings > Discussion on your site as well.

This is quick and painless way to help brand your site.

For more information check out the announcement at http://wordpress.org/news/2012/06/wordpress-3-4-1/

if (!current_user_can('manage_options')) {
	add_filter('show_admin_bar', '__return_false');
}

You can also only show the bar to editors, authors, etc by changing the first line. You can learn more about roles/capabilities: http://codex.wordpress.org/Roles_and_Capabilities