If you would like to try out the bleeding edge version of the plugin, I am making the 2.9 alpha versions available.
The components that I expected to update for 2.9 are now completed and I am expecting that at this point we will not be adding new features beyond what is currently included. It should be noted that I have said that before, and that usually means that something will come up that I will want to add, so consider that the caveat.
Stability testing will now begin in earnest and I hope to move the project forward to beta release soon. I would like to have 2.9 ready for production by the end of January, but that is only a target. It could go faster or slower than that.
Testing Needed:
- Sites running a translated version of the plugin – there are a number of changes in this version that will require updates to the translation files. I have generated a new POT based on the current translation strings in the update. There are some changes from previous versions involving new strings and some that have been changed. I have tried to keep this to the minimum necessary. I have not merged this with any of the existing translations at this point, although I might do that to speed up the process.
- Another thing regarding translations that will need testing is that strings for forms and dialogs will now be translated when used, not when the plugin is installed. This will hopefully enable compatibility with multi-language sites so that non-translated field names are stored in the db and translated when the field is displayed.
- The HTML of the forms will probably look a little different in terms of linebreaks and tabs. I could use testing by users who have complex filters, specifically wpmem_register_form and wpmem_login_form. For user viewable output, there really should be no difference in the forms. But for a filter using str_replace, the new HTML could possibly break a complicated filter. I’ve tried to keep this to a minimum (or hopefully zero) and the form defaults do allow for stripping out all linebreaks and tabs, so I am expecting a low impact in this area. But I would like to get some idea of what type of support information to provide for users who want to upgrade.
I have had some people try out the new registration and login form functions as pluggable functions and report back to me that they didn’t notice any difference. Ideally, that is what you should also experience testing the full alpha package. Updates and changes to the plugin are always intended to be “low impact” and seamless. I know sometimes it doesn’t work out that way, but in a perfect world, I do not like to make changes to things that are already part of the plugin’s output. So if you don’t notice anything different in output, that’s a good thing. The main objective with this update is to provide a form building function that delivers more granular control for those that want to customize the output.
Important Notes:
While I have tried to make this as stable as possible, you must remember that this is released as alpha software. That means it is not yet considered beta. You should not use this on a production site (unless you know what you are doing – and even then, that is not recommended). You use this software at your own risk.
The major functions have been released as a separate package as they are pluggable functions. For users not equipped to test alpha software, this may be a better option as you can install the functions for testing in a plugin file so you can test and back out of changes without updating/changing/reverting the main plugin.
Downloads:
WP-Members 2.9.0.a.1 Full Alpha Release version 1: WP-Members 2.9.0.a.1
WP-Members 2.9.0.a.2 Full Alpha Release version 2: WP-Members 2.9.0.a.2
WP-Members 2.9 New Forms as Pluggable File: WP-Members 2.9 pluggable file