WP-Members 2.8.7 has been released as a production version. This release hopefully completes the 2.8 project, pending any need for fixes. While there were front-facing features included in some of the releases, 2.8 focused primarily on rebuilding the admin side of the plugin with new features, improved functionality, and better integration with WP’s native features and admin panels.
If all goes will with this release, I will be moving on to open the 2.9 project that will focus on improving the front-side forms and form functionality.
Read on for a description of the features and updates in WP-Members 2.8.7.
Upgraded User Export Process
The new user export process eliminates the use of the old export files. These required direct access to generate the download and thus needed to load the file wp-load.php, which is not a best practice. The new export process is cleaner and more efficient, and it follows WordPress best practices. The old files have been deprecated and removed, and are replaced with the new functionality in a new file.
Elimination of Users > WP-Members Menu Item and Page
The user export process was the final element found on the Users > WP-Members page that had not been yet included in the Users > All Users page. With the export functions rebuilt, access to those functions is now included in Users > All Users, making the old page unnecessary. It has been removed in this version and all available functions for managing users is now accessible through Users > All Users.
Native WordPress Registration Enhancements
Even though the plugin was intended to put the registration process into the front end of your WP site, there are always users that either (a) prefer to use the back-end native registration or (b) don’t read or follow installation and usage instructions. So in an earlier version, I went ahead and added the WP-Members custom fields to the back-end registration if it is turned on. This version finishes that process with proper support for dropdown select fields, checkboxes, and text area fields. It also cleans up the error checking and CSS styling for that process. If you use the recommended setting of turning off “anyone can register” this feature will not show up.
Other Updates
This version includes a new filter hook for the widget title: wpmem_widget_title.
This version corrects some variable notices.