Category: WordPress

WordPress Update: WordPress 4.2.3 Available

WordPress 4.2.3 is now available and should be applied to all your sites as soon as possible as it addresses security issues and contains fixes for 20 bugs from WordPress version 4.2. For more information, see the release notes or view the list of changes.

You can read more about the update: http://wordpress.org/wordpress-4.2.3.zip

Query All Custom Page Templates in WordPress

Make your WordPress quality assurance easier by using this custom query to easily find all custom pages templates and the pages that use them.

Here is a query you can use/run to find an example of any custom page template created and used on your WordPress site:

The Custom Page Templates Query

SELECT posts.ID, meta.meta_value
FROM wp_posts AS posts
LEFT JOIN wp_postmeta AS meta ON posts.ID = meta.post_ID
AND meta.meta_key = '_wp_page_template'
WHERE posts.post_status = 'publish'
AND meta.meta_value IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY meta.meta_value

The Custom Page Templates Results

That query will then return results that show the post ID as well as the page template file name so you can then easily see all your custom page templates in place. (See image below as an example)

Using the Results for Quality Assurance

In order to then actually see the pages that use the custom page templates, you would use the following URL format:

http://www.yoursite.com/?p={ID}

Real world example using this web site as well as the post ID of 123:

http://jzelazny.wpengine.com/?p=123

To do your final QA – you would just substitute the post ID with each found in the query results. You can then be sure you have tested a sample of each custom page template.

Easily Align Fields in Columns with Gravity Forms

Recently while working with Gravity Forms on a project – we needed to set up a large form that would span two columns. Since this is something common – I decided to look first at the Gravity Forms documentation.

Per the documentation I found this:

In Gravity Forms 1.5 we added “Ready Classes”. Using these new classes, you can easily create more advanced alternative layouts for the fields in your forms. Essentially, Ready Classes are class names that you can add to the parent element surrounding each field to take advantage of pre-defined styles included in the default form stylesheet.

By simply adding a new class to your form field (Advanced > Custom CSS Classes) – you can easily create columns (2 or three) without any custom CSS classes to worry about. In seconds – I had the style I needed!

Readyclass_admin_input

If you are looking to customize the layout for your Gravity Forms forms – do yourself a favor and read the following documentation: https://www.gravityhelp.com/documentation/article/css-ready-classes/ as it will save you a lot of time and frustration.

WordPress Update: WordPress 4.2.2 Available

WordPress 4.2.2 is now available and should be applied to all your sites as soon as possible as it addresses two security issues, includes hardening for a potential cross-site scripting vulnerability when using the visual editor, and contains 13 bug fixes from 4.2.

You can read more about the update: https://wordpress.org/news/2015/05/wordpress-4-2-2/

You can download WordPress 4.2.2: http://wordpress.org/wordpress-4.2.2.zip

WordPress Update: WordPress 4.2.1

WordPress 4.2.1 is now available and should be applied to all your sites as soon as possible as it contains a critical security update.

You can read more about the update: https://wordpress.org/news/2015/04/wordpress-4-2-1/

You can download WordPress 4.2.1: http://wordpress.org/wordpress-4.2.1.zip

WP Engine Spring Hosting Sale

We here and SDAC Inc have been using WP Engine for over two years and have enjoyed unparalleled support and satisfaction. Before referring one client to WP Engine, we tested them with our business and personal sites for over a year. After we were completely comfortable with the service/support we began referring our clients to WPEngine and our clients have also been very happy with them.

If you are unhappy with your current host or looking to start a new WordPress site and need a great host?

For a limited time only – WP Engine is running a special on their hosting: 33% Off the first 2 Months of a monthly Personal, Professional, or Business plan.

WordPress Update: WordPress 4.2 Now Available

WordPress 4.2 is now available with all sorts of great features including:

  • An easier way to share content
  • Extended character support (including emoji) 😉
  • More embeds (tumblr and Kickstarter)
  • Streamlined plugin updates
  • For developers…Complex query ordering, utf8mb4 support, shared term splitting, and javaScript accessibility (send audible notifications to screen readers)

You can read more about the update: https://wordpress.org/news/2015/04/powell/

You can download WordPress 4.2: http://wordpress.org/wordpress-4.2.zip

WordPress Update: WordPress 4.1.2 Now Available

WordPress version 4.1.2 is now available to download and contains changes to address the following serious security issues:

  • A serious critical cross-site scripting vulnerability, which could enable anonymous users to compromise a site.
  • Files with invalid or unsafe names could be upload.
  • Some plugins are vulnerable to an SQL injection attack.
  • A very limited cross-site scripting vulnerability could be used as part of a social engineering attack.
  • Four hardening changes, including better validation of post titles within the Dashboard.

You can read more about the update: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/log/branches/4.1?rev=32234&stop_rev=32144

You can download WordPress 4.1.2: http://wordpress.org/wordpress-4.1.2.zip

No Excuses! Keeping WordPress Up to Date is Easy

Every once and awhile I will see an older version of WordPress when working on something for a client. Yesterday I saw a super blast from the past: WordPress 3.04. This prompted me to do a service announcement: keeping WordPress up to date is easy. Fixing a hacked version of WordPress can be complex.

Let’s break it down:
Keeping WordPress up to date is easy.

  • Easiest: automatic background updates (WordPress 3.7+)
  • Easy: One-click update (WordPress 2.7+)
  • Manual (still pretty easy – but not everyone is comfortable with FTP)

Documentation on updating WordPress: http://codex.wordpress.org/Updating_WordPress

Fixing a hacked version of WordPress can be complex.

  • Google can/will blacklist your site with Google Blacklist
  • Simple updates take moments, having someone find the source of the hack, fixing it, and cleaning up can take hours.
  • Did you really have a good backup? Whoops.
  • All passwords, secrets will need to be changed
  • Hacks can insert spam into your content. No one wants content spam
  • You will need to scan your site for malware to make sure everything is removed so it does not happen again right away

Documentation on what to do if your WordPress site has been hacked: http://codex.wordpress.org/FAQ_My_site_was_hacked

In the end:
You are going to have to update to the latest version of WordPress anyways. You have options (automatic, one click, manual) – not excuses.

WordPress Update: WordPress 4.1.1 Now Available

WordPress version 4.1.1 is now available to download and contains 21 bug fixes from 4.1. If you have not updated (or are not set up for automatic background updates) – take some time to backup your site and update.

You can read more about the update: http://wordpress.org/wordpress-4.1.1.zip