Version 2.8 of the popular blogging and CMS platform, WordPress, is now available for download or upgrade. I see the notice staring at me while I type this, though I’m reluctant to start upgrading all of my blogs. I haven’t seen nearly as much news and hype as when version 2.7 was released, which also means I haven’t seen any posts regarding potential problems.
So, what does WordPress 2.8 offer?
- Fixed 790 bugs
- Browse the entire theme directory and install a theme with one click
- Make edits or tweaks to themes or plugins from your dashboard
- Completely redesigned the widgets interface (edit widgets on the fly, have multiple copies of the same widget, drag and drop widgets between sidebars, and save inactive widgets so you don’t lose all their settings)
- New Screen Options on every page (you could set up your dashboard to have four columns of widgets instead of the two it has by default. On other pages you can change how many items show per page)
Read the full list of over 180 new features, changes, upgrades, and improvements on the Codex.
Update: I’ve gone ahead and updated a smaller blog to WordPress 2.8 with no problems. The look & feel of the admin section is pretty much the same as 2.7, but there are some added features. The widgets section is much improved! I am currently make sure all of my plugins are updated on all of my sites. Once I’m done with that, I’ll make backups of everything. Once I’m done with that I’ll upgrade them one at a time…
