This post is a mere draft. For the last couple of hours I’ve been reading some of the wp 2.8 beta 2 fliles and I finally decided to make a list of the features that are bound blow theme authors’ minds.
1. Theme installtion from within the admin area
The analogue feature was available for plugins since version 2.7; with wp 2.8, users will be able to pick a design for their blog by searching the Theme Repository. This means that themes hosted there will probably reach a much larger audience; this also means that the Repository will attract new theme authors, which will eventually increase the competition and the quality of the themes.
To see all the functions used by this feature, download wp 2.8 beta 1 and check wp-admn/includes/theme-install.php.
2. body_class
I’m not into gambling, but I bet body_class will offer theme authors many nights spent in delightful insomnies. This function provides different classes to body elements, so you’ll be able to have particular styles for different templates (homepage, main index page, category, tag, page, search, archive, date) and even different styles for particular posts, pages, categories or tags. Of course, this function will work best for custm themes, but the the oportunities it opens for public releases aren’t to be neglected.
Usage
In header.php, replace <body> with
For the full list of classes generated by this function, check this post by Nathan Rice.
3. Extended control over widgets
If you take a look at wp-includes/widgets.php, you’ll be thrilled to dicover that wp 2.8 will let you create your own widgets and use them in multiple instances on the same page (i.e. WordPress won’t provide an unique id to each widget, but to each widget instance).
But wait, there’s more. If you want to display widgets elsewhere than the sidebar, you don’t need to create fake registered sidebars anymore. Just use the_widget template tag. This means you can create a custom widget and insert it anywhere you want.
The new widget treatment makes an old dream of some WordPress users, who wanted a “module base” CMS, come true.
4. New template tags
First, the tag_description, which acts like the category description we all know. Second, some author related template tags. A brand new feed related funtion, automatic_feed_links() (when set to true in functions.php, you won’t have to link to the blog’s feeds in header.php). Two new parameters for wp_list_pages(), number and offset. Wp_tag_cloud() now supports an echo argument, which is really cute. Finally, wp 2.8 includes the latest jQuery version.
You should definitely check the Default theme’s files (which now supports WAI-ARIA landmark roles) to see other changes, e.g. the new echo esc_attr().
I’ll end this post here, for I feel like coding.
Thanks for the summary! It’s certainly an exciting update for theme authors and enthusiasts alike.