Advanced Topics Receive Updates For This Category

A recent article How to Turn a Normal WordPress Installation into a Working Online-Shop discusses how to turn a normal WordPress installation into a working online shop. Although the article is very thorough and well written, it is not the easiest method to turn your WordPress installation into a working online shop. The easiest way to achieve this is by downloading and installing the WP e-Commerce plugin.

1. e-Commerce Install
2. e-Commerce setup
3. PayPal Setup
4. Google Checkout Setup
5. Conclusion
6. Business Blogging

Business Blogging

Why stop there? Business blogging is really starting to take off. More and more people are starting to use WordPress to power their websites – especially now that there are so many powerful plugins. Lets take a quick glance at some of the plugins we use to turn your average WordPress install into a business blogging solution.

• Static Front Page. You might not want the front page of your web site to be your blog. See Creating a Static Front Page.
• Forums. Use bbPress or WP Forum depending on the requirements. Both are easy to install and both have a range of useful features.
• Email Newsletters. Use WP Campaign Monitor because it is simple to install and easy to get the hang of. It also integrates with WP e-Commerce lite.
• Surveys. Information is power. Use the Survey Fly plugin because it is powerful and easy to use. Administrators can download .csv reports that they can manipulate internally using proper spreadsheet software.
• Statistics. Use WP SlimStat because it is so easy to install.
• Google Analytics. Google Analytics tells you everything you want to know about how your visitors found you and how they interact with your site. Google Analytics for WordPress automatically tracks and segments all outbound links from within posts, comment author links, links within comments, blogroll links and downloads. It also allows you to track AdSense clicks, add extra search engines, track image search queries and it will even work together with Urchin. The WordPress Plugin repository has other Google Analytics plugin listed under the analytics tag.
• Search Engine Optimization. Search Everything enables the searching of Pages, Comments and more. No Hacking or modifications necessary, just install, activate the plugin and configure it under Options > Search Everything
• Ecommerce & Shopping Cart. Turn your WordPress Installation into a fully functional Ecommerce Platform. See the available Ecommerce Plugins & Ecommerce Themes for WordPress.

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Free Google Tools for Webmasters

Google Webmaster Central only requires you to:

Register with Google if you have not already
- Verify your sites you want to analyze with this service
- Once registered you will have full access to all of the free Google Tools for Webmasters. The Tools they offer are outstanding and invaluable to the webmaster!

Free Google Tools for Webmasters at Google Webmaster Central:

– Sitemaps – Allows you to submit/review Google XML sitemaps and their status.

– Crawler Acess – Test or create your Robot.rxt file or remove a URL

– Sitelinks – View Google auto-generated links to interior pages of your site

– Change of Address – Used to inform Google when moving a site to a new domain

– Settings – Set Geographic target, choose to use www for domain URL, set crawl rate

– Search Queries – Statistical & Graphic Information for queries & pages of site

– Links to your Site – Get info on Google Backlinks to your site with in-depth detail!

– Keywords – Breakdown on keywords identified by Google when crawling your site

– Internal Links – Breakdown of internal links identified by Google bots

– Subscriber Stats – Google Reader RSS subscriptions to your site

– Malware – Google tells you if any Malware has been found on your site

– Crawl Errors – Identifies errors found when Google Crawled your site

– Crawl Stats – Gives you graphs showing Google Crawl activity on your site

– HTML Suggestions – Identifies Problems in Meta Desc., Title Tags, &  content

– Fetch Googlebot – Send a Googlebot to any page of your site and see the results

– Site Performance – Performance stats on page load times & tools to speed it up

– Video Sitemaps – Very useful for video users with video sitemaps generated

Google Webmaster Central offer an outstanding selection of Google Tools for Webmasters to use to identify problems with your site and to give you details you have always wanted to know and did not know how to get the answers.

You will find by logging into Webmaster Central and verifying your ownership of the web sites you have Google actually becomes very friendly and offers you a tremendous set of free affiliate marketing resources and tools for you to use!

The list of inbound links on Google Webmaster Tools

The list of inbound links on Google Webmaster Tools is generally much larger than the list of inbound links that can be discovered using the link:somewebsite.com search query on Google itself. Google is tight lipped about the discrepancy. The list on Google Webmaster Tools includes nofollow links that do not convey search engine optimization authority to the linked site. On the other hand, the list of links generated with a link:somewebsite.com type query are deemed by Google to be “important” links in a controversial way. Google Webmaster Tools, as well as the Google index, seems to routinely ignore link spam.

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Plugins are composed of php scripts that add additional functionality to your blog. They offer new additions to your blog that either enhance features that were already available or add otherwise unavailable new features to your site.

Plugins extend the functionality of WordPress. The majority of WordPress users do not require Plugins, or only require a few, such as Plugins dealing with comment spam or customized post listings. Other users enjoy the varied options Plugins provide such as frequently updated weather reports, post word counts, rating systems, and more. Since the choice in Plugins is vast, and chosen based upon the needs of the user, they are not incorporated into the core of WordPress.

WordPress Plugins are designed by volunteers and are free to the public. Plugins listed in the sources below have usually been thoroughly tested and considered “safe”. But remember, Plugins are the responsibility of the author and the user, and they are typically works-in-progress as WordPress grows and expands.

If you want to develop your own plugins, there is a comprehensive list of resources at Plugin Resources.

Manual Plugin Installation

To install a plugin that is not in the plugin browser, the following are the general directions to follow. Be sure and follow the specific instructions provided by the Plugin author. Remember: BACKUP – just in case.

1. Read through the “readme” file thoroughly that usually accompanies a plugin, or the website article from where you found the plugin. It is often helpful to print out the instructions so you can check off the installation steps as you complete them.
2. Upload the plugin to the wp-content/plugins folder in your WordPress directory online.
3. Make any changes to templates or files as required by the Plugin instructions including adding Plugin template tags.
4. Activate the Plugin:
5. Access the Plugin Panel in your Administration Panels
6. Scroll down through the list of Plugins to find the newly installed Plugin (if not visible, start from the beginning to check to see if you followed the instructions properly and uploaded the file correctly).
7. Click on the Activate link to turn the Plugin on.
8. Continue making any modifications necessary from the “readme” file instructions to make the plugin actions meet your needs.

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A picture says more than a thousand words.

Images can be displayed in many ways in WordPress, from simple usages to complex galleries, to even mostly wordless PhotoBlogs. Let look at some of the different options for PhotoBlogs and Gallery scripts.

PhotoBlogs

PhotoBlogs are different from normal blogs. Normal blogs put the emphasis on the words with only the occasional image featured. PhotoBlogs are all about the images and not the words.

The easiest way to get started with photoblogging on WordPress is to either install Johannes Jarolim YAPB (yet another photo blog) plugin or the PhotoQ Photoblog plugin.

YAPB adds all of the functionality of a standard photo blog directly to WordPress with a minimum of configuration. It includes automatic image resizing, exif data, and other tools. Johannes site has links to themes already incorporating YAPB, otherwise you can make your own.

PhotoQ takes a slightly different approach, it gives you a queue which you can fill with photos to be posted on your photoblog. PhotoQ is geared to batch processing of photos and it features batch uploads, automatic image resizing, exif support, watermarking and automatic posting via cronjobs among other features. PhotoQ works with most WordPress themes without adaptation and includes an auto-configuration option for some of the most popular photo centric themes.

PhotoBlog Resources

• Pictorialis
• Photoblogs Wiki
• A Great Collection of Gallery Scripts
• Yet Another Photoblog WordPress Plugin
• PhotoQ, WordPress Photoblog Plugin
• BlackBox WordPress Gallery Tutorial (no plugin required)
• Extended Plugin Free Gallery Tutorial

Gallery Scripts

There are many PHP and Javascripts available that will allow you to create and manage online galleries on your WordPress site. Here are just a few that have been successfully integrated with WordPress. As of Version 2.5, WordPress has included a gallery function using the shortcode.

• ANIga gallery
• AWSOM Pixgallery Art/Webcomic plugin
• Build Your Own CSS-based Gallery
• Coppermine
• Duh Gallery
• fMoblog – Upload and display images from your cell phone.
• Gallery 2 embedded in WordPress using the WPG2 Plugin
• GRAND Flash Album Gallery – multi category flash skin based photo gallery with powerful admin. CodEasily.com
• Lazyest Gallery Automatically includes galleries uploaded by ftp
• NextGEN Gallery
• PhotoJAR – Adds numerous features to the built-in WordPress gallery
• PhotoSmash Galleries – User contributable galleries that add images to the WordPress Media Gallery. More info at plugin homepage
• Page Flip Image Gallery – 90 day trialware–other versions require payment. GPL Version
• Phpwebgallery through Photon
• Plogger
• Qdig
• eSPG: enhanced Simple PHP Gallery
• WordPress Include Page Plugin
• w3images gallery – add an useful and costumizable Images Gallery to your WordPress
• WP-PageFlip
• Zenphoto – +WP plugin

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Templates are the files which control how your WordPress site will be displayed on the Web. These files draw information from your WordPress MySQL database and generate the HTML code which is sent to the web browser. Through its powerful Theme system, WordPress allows you to define as few or as many Templates as you like all under one Theme. Each of these Template files can be configured for use under specific situations. More information on creating Themes can be found at Theme Development.

1. General Theme Articles
2. Template File Articles
3. Header, Footer, Sidebar, and Content Sections
4. Archives, Categories, and Special Pages
5. Template Tags Articles
6. CSS, Design, and Layout
7. Tools, Testing and Validating

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What is Ajax?

Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript And XML) is a technology that allows a web page to perform actions or update dynamically, without completely reloading. The idea is that by using Ajax technology, a web site can be more responsive and interactive than a non-Ajax site. For instance, without Ajax, Google Maps might require you to click a link on the left side of the map and wait for the page to reload in order to scroll the map to the left. With Ajax, you can instead simply drag the map to scroll, and while there might be a small delay, it is a much shorter delay and less disruptive process than if you had to wait for the entire page to load.

How does Ajax work?

Ajax technology is actually fairly simple to describe. Basically, the web programmer connects a link, button, or some other type of user interface element on the web page to a JavaScript program. When the user activates the interface (clicks on the link, drags the mouse, etc.), the JavaScript program sends some information or a request for data to a URL on the web server. Next, a program on the web server (probably also created by the web programmer) processes the request and sends back a response or some data. Typically the data is in XML format, but that is not actually required. When the data or response arrives in the browser, the JavaScript program receives an “asynchronous” notification, so that it can be processed or displayed appropriately.

Today, Ajax is supported in some form by most visual web browsers (though only if the user has JavaScript turned on). Of course, like most complex JavaScript, there are differences between how browsers implement JavaScript. However, these are not too difficult to overcome. The only real restriction on Ajax is that the URL you send the information to has to be on the same web site as the URL the JavaScript came from. Other than that, the uses for the technology are only limited to what you can figure out how to program.

Ajax in WordPress

Because of its responsiveness, Ajax technology is being adopted by all sorts of web sites — and WordPress is no exception. Currently, the core of WordPress uses Ajax only in the administration screens. For instance, Ajax is used for instant updates when you are doing comment moderation, and when you are adding and deleting items from lists such as categories, blogroll, and posts; Ajax is also the technology behind the auto-save functionality on post and page editing screens. Several themes and plugins also use Ajax; for instance, some post rating plugins use Ajax to store the visitor rating in the database and then display an updated average rating.

General Information

• Wikipedia Ajax article
• Adaptive Path Ajax essay

Developer Information

• Codex – Ajax in Plugins – WordPress-specific information on how to add Ajax to plugins
• Webpastie Ajax tutorial
• Alex Bosworth Ten Common Ajax mistakes
• fiftyfoureleven Ajax Examples List

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There are times when you will need to edit the WordPress files, especially if you want to make changes in your WordPress Theme. WordPress features a built-in editor for editing files from within your browser whilst online: The Theme Editor. You can also edit files copied or stored on your computer and then upload them to your site using an FTP client.

Before editing any of your WordPress files, check the following:

BACKUP! And Work from Backups

Work from copies of backup files when possible and/or make sure that you backup your information frequently as you work and make changes. Keep backups in a safe place.

File Permissions

When working online, you need to set the appropriate file permissions to modify and save them. If you see a note at the bottom of the WordPress Built-in Editor panel that says “If this file was writable you could edit it.”, this means you need to change the file permissions before you can make any changes.

Using the Theme Editor and Plugin Editor

WordPress contains two built-in editors that allows you to edit Theme files directly from within your browser. They are called the Theme Editor and Plugin Editor.

Access the Theme Editor from the Administration > Appearance > Editor menu.

The Plugin Editor is located at Administration > Plugins > Editor.

To view a file in these editors, click on the file from the left-hand side list.

More information on editing themes is available at Theme Development and Using Themes.. You can learn more about editing plugins at Writing a Plugin and Plugin Resources.

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This article lists common questions for advanced WordPress users, and refers you to articles that contain the answers. There is also a list of resources at Advanced Topics, which might be of help, and a list of resources specifically for Plugin, Theme, and Core WordPress developers at Developer Documentation.

How do I get .phps files to show up in colored text on my server?

If you want to have your server display .phps files in color like this updatelinkroll.phps at carthik.net, add the following line to your .htaccess file in the server root directory. This assumes your server is Apache and that you have the ability to add types in .htaccess

How can I do a bulk edit of the Status field for all the posts in my database?

Use the following SQL commands to change the post_status for every post in your wp_posts database table. This command will do the bulk change and exclude Pages from being changed–remember to replace STATUS with draft, private, or publish.

If you have multiple authors and only want to do a bulk edit of just one author post, you can use the following command, but remember to replace NUMBER with the correct ID number of the post_author.

See also:

• phpMyAdmin
• Database Description
• phpMyAdmin web site
• MySQL web site

How to create a link in my header that links to a URL

This solution assumes creating a Page causes a link to be put in your header.

Install and activate the plugin called Redirectifiy. Create a Page called Wiki and save that Page. Then do Manage->Pages and edit that Page and add the Custom Field with a of redirect and URL to your Wiki in the value. (That last edit of page is necessary to overcome a bug where you can not assign Custom Fields to a new page, but you can do it when you edit the page.)

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WordPress currently supports importing data in the form of posts (articles) and most of the details or features supported by the content publishing platform.

Many of the following Content Import scripts can be found under Tools Import menu of your WordPress administration interface.

If you run into specific problems, a search on the WordPress Support Forum will likely lead to a solution, or try the Codex FAQ. Users of a blogging system not listed here who wish to switch to WordPress are invited to ask for help in the WordPress Support Forum as well.

To help you understand the differences between WordPress and other existing software, we recommend you review the WordPress Features and more on Working with WordPress.

Before Importing

If your exported file is very large, the import script may run into your host configured memory limit for PHP.

A message like “Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 8388608 bytes exhausted” indicates that the script can not successfully import your XML file under the current PHP memory limit. If you have access to the php.ini file, you can manually increase the limit; if you do not (your WordPress installation is hosted on a shared server, for instance), you will have to break your exported XML file into several smaller pieces and run the import script one at a time.

If the import process is run again with the same data file after stopping midway through, it could result in duplicate data, missing data or other errors in the destination database.

For those with shared hosting, the best alternative may be to consult hosting support to determine the safest approach for running the import. A host may be willing to temporarily lift the memory limit and/or run the process directly from their end.

b2evolution

There are currently two methods of importing a b2evolution install into WordPress described in this section.

Direct Import Between Databases

A non-WordPress script for for importing from b2evo to WordPress 2.x is available (legacy importer for WordPress 1.x).

Blogger

Users of WordPress 2.2 and above can import from Blogger. Earlier versions cannot import from Blogger because “New Blogger” was released by Google, invalidating all the old importers. Only WordPress 2.2 and later has support for “New Blogger”.

If you have not already, you must be using New Blogger and a Google Account on Blogger. If you are still using Old Blogger, the importer will not work, but there is a helpful online tool that converts legacy Blogger Atom exports into WordPress WXR export files.

To start the Blogger importer, go to Tools >> Import >> Blogger.
For WordPress versions 2.0.2 to 2.6.5, go to Manage >> Import >> Blogger.

Also see the Google Blog Converters section below.

Roller

You can fairly easily import data from Roller using the MovableType import script. First, you need to export your blog from Roller database, then use it to create entries in your new blog. Pictures you need to copy to appropriate content directory yourself. Modify the $user, $oldresources, $newresources, and $connection variables in a beginning of script, store it on somewhere on you web host where php execution is allowed, and you will get the dump of your Roller blog in MovableType Import format in return. You can just use wget to store it into file. Then follow the instructions for MovableType import…

1. Importing From Roller is complete and comprehensive. This should work for Roller pre-2.0 release. After Version 2.0, the comment table is changed to roller_comment. Just change the select statement to roller_comment.
2. Also have a look another technique explained at the blog Null Pointer.

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Although WordPress displays in U.S. English by default, the software has the built-in capability to be used in any language. The WordPress community has already translated WordPress into many languages, and there are Themes, translation files, and support available in many other languages (see WordPress in Your Language).

To install an international version of WordPress, you have two choices.

Manually Installing Language Files

Here are the steps you will need to follow to install an international version of WordPress.

• Download the .mo language file for your language (see WordPress in Your Language for hints on how to find one). The naming convention of the .mo files is based on the ISO-639 language code (e.g. pt for Portuguese) followed by the ISO-3166 country code (e.g. _PT for Portugal or _BR for Brazil). So, the Brazilian Portuguese file would be called pt_BR.mo, and a non-specific Portuges file would be called pt.mo. Complete lists of codes can be found at (country codes) and (language codes). You can use this plugin to automatically download language files stored in the wordpress svn repository wp-native-dashboard.
• Open your wp-config.php file in a text editor and search for
• Edit this line according to the .mo file you have just downloaded, e.g. for the Portuguese spoken in Brazil you must add:
• Note that if the .mo and .po files do not exist for a language code called for in wp-config.php then there is no error message, but the code is still used in language_attributes(). This is useful for those of us whose language is similar enough to en-US not to require translation, but who do not want en-US as the language tag in the blog, instead wanting some other variant of English. For example:
• Once you have added your language code, save the file.
• On your site server, create a new folder in your /wp-content OR /wp-includes directory called /languages.
• You may also need to translate a few other files