What Is New in WordPress 2.6
WordPress 2.6, "Baker," introduces a solid set of enhancements focused on content creation, revision tracking, and core performance. This release is a significant step up for anyone managing content-heavy sites. The table below summarizes the key changes.
| Category | Key Changes |
|---|---|
| New Features | Post Revisions, Press This Bookmarklet, Image Captions, GZip Compression, Theme Preview |
| Improvements | Word Count, Speed Optimizations, Plugin Management, Update Notifications |
| Developer | XML-RPC API, _wp_relative_upload_path(), SSL Admin Support |
| Security | Capabilities Checks, Server-Proximity Detection for Updates |
How does Post Revisions change the editing workflow?
Post Revisions is the headline feature, automatically saving a complete history of every edit made to a post or page. This is a game-changer for multi-author blogs, eliminating the fear of losing work or overwriting someone else's changes. You can now compare any two revisions side-by-side and restore a previous version with a single click.
What new tools help with content creation?
The new "Press This" bookmarklet lets you quickly grab text, images, and videos from any webpage and publish them to your blog without logging into the admin panel. For images, native caption support was added, allowing you to easily add and style captions directly from the image uploader. The built-in word counter also gives writers real-time feedback on their progress.
What performance and under-the-hood improvements were made?
GZip compression is now enabled by default for a significant reduction in page load times and bandwidth usage. The core code saw numerous speed optimizations, making the entire admin area and front-end feel snappier. For developers, the XML-RPC API was fully enabled, allowing for more robust remote publishing and management.
How is plugin and theme management improved?
Managing plugins is now safer and more informative. The update notification system was enhanced to work more reliably across different server environments. A new "Theme Preview" feature allows administrators to see exactly how a theme will look on their site before officially activating it, preventing unexpected front-end breaks.
FAQ
Does the Post Revisions feature bloat my database?
Yes, it can. Every save creates a new
revision. In practice, you'll want to manage this by periodically cleaning up old revisions or using a plugin to
limit the number of revisions stored per post.
Is the GZip compression compatible with all hosts?
Most modern hosts support it, but if
you're on a restrictive server, it might cause a white screen. If that happens, you can disable it by adding
define('ENABLE_GZIP_COMPRESSION', false); to your wp-config.php file.
How do I use the new image caption shortcode?
The caption shortcode is now generated
automatically when you add a caption to an image in the editor. It wraps the image in a <div>
with a class of wp-caption and uses a <p> tag for the caption text, making it
easy to style with CSS.
What's the deal with the new _wp_relative_upload_path() function?
This is a new core function
for developers that returns the relative path of an uploaded file, excluding the base WordPress directory and
site URL. It's useful for making file path handling more portable across different installations.
Can I force the entire admin area to use SSL in 2.6?
Yes, you can. Forcing SSL for the admin
panel is now supported. You need to define FORCE_SSL_ADMIN as true in your
wp-config.php file and ensure your server has a valid SSL certificate configured.