What's the reason? WordPress 3.7 could be the most popular update in Long Time -
Innovation and change are expected in the world of web. Sometimes they can still be surprising fast-paced. That's the case when it comes to WordPress. Version 3.6 came out in August, and it was only a few months further on, 3.7 is here.
The site is packed with lots of brand new features sure will make WordPress more enjoyable. I'll cover the big new features in this blog. But this new version represents more than just a handful of improvements. It was the fastest-running version of any version of WordPress time, and it is (in my humble belief) possibly the most significant update in a long time.
Why? Learn more about it here.
Automatic Updates
Gone are the days of manually updating to the newest build of a version. Gone are the days of wasting time updating for security updates. In WordPress 3.7, it's all automatic.
It seems simple at first glance, and might not even be an huge leap. Nonetheless, time is money, and automatic updates will save time for everyone who runs their site(s) using WordPress.
It will also ensure speedier update times when security patches go out, arguably making WordPress more secure in the course of updating.
Automated updates only apply to different builds of the same version you already have installed. However, you will need make a choice manually to upgrade to the most recent version (for example, 3.8).
For technical reasons, a few people might not have access to automatic updates. It is possible to go to the Dashboard and Updates to see if your version works.
Other Languages
WordPress's language functionality will improve with 3.7. It isn't clear yet all the details about this upgrade however, it appears to provide an example of gradual improvement.
If you're using WordPress in a language other in addition to English, your installation will download all available translations for official WordPress themes. WordPress themes.
The internet is a worldwide phenomenon and WordPress has a hand in governing nearly 20% of it so it's sense for them to take steps to make it an easier platform for users who aren't using the platform in English.
Better Password Meter
One neat security update is an improved measure of password strength. The more traditional, older gauge of strength for passwords is being replaced with Dan Wheeler's ZXCvbn the first time it was adopted by Dropbox.
Zxcvbn employs a better algorithm that more realistically measures the strength of passwords. Here's the information Dan said about the other meters for password strength:
Simplistic strength estimation gives bad advice. If you don't check for typical patterns, the practice of encouraging symbols and numbers can lead to encouraging passwords that are somewhat more difficult for computers to break, but frustratingly harder for a human to recall.
In addition to zxcvbn 3.7 corrects for those problems, thus making WordPress a little bit more secure.
The unveiling of the New WordPress Search
Now let's talk about what's really got me excited: WordPress search is getting a major overhaul.
Given that just about everyone uses the internet for the search engine (i.e. Google) I think that having good search capabilities for your website is an absolute requirement. WordPress isn't a great search engine and hasn't delivered with regards to this previously, but could this be changing soon?
The Old Deficiencies
There has been a consensus that WordPress search had a problem in many ways - very lacking. Since 2009, Joost de Valk made the observation that "WordPress default search doesn't work well."
It's barely got any better since - since then, the past five years have gone by without significant changes on WordPress search capabilities.
The difficulties that arise with WordPress search are myriad. The search engine only searches for a exact match the user's query - nothing lessand nothing more. That is a painfully obsolete method and isn't the worst aspect of searching.
Results are ordered by chronological order, independent of importance. Instead of getting results that contain the most relevant posts the users are presented with those that are the most recent.
In addition, there's no search refinement or filtering alternatives: you cannot browse within a certain category orsearch in your results.
What makes this new version A Major Improvement
Some of these issues have been fully addressed. While the changes to search may not be perfect but they've not received as much buzz as they should. The first time since the beginning of time, WordPress search is seeing an important change.
For one, search is much more flexible in terms of the terms it searches for, and the way it organizes its outcomes. Here is the new ordering logic:
- Match full sentence to post titles.
- Find all search terms in the post title.
- Search for search terms in post titles.
- Full sentences are a good match for posts the content.
In addition, results from searches will be sorted according to relevancy rather than by dates! This alone significantly improves the effectiveness of the user experience.
WordPress search might not be among the top, but it's now usable and functional an enormous improvement from the past and an opportunity to be excited.
What about other Search Options?
In the past, when WordPress search was a disaster, users didn't just put up with it , hoping for a shift. Driven by necessity and ingenuity, WordPress users sought out or created their own search engines.
In search of the power of web search's powerhouse, many turned to Google Custom Search which brings the capabilities of the world's premier search engine for even small blogs. Some needed an WordPress plugin to suit their requirements, as demonstrated by the great Relevanssi.
We'll look more closely at these two alternatives and then see what they have in common with WordPress 3.7. 3.7 brings with it a better native search.
Google Custom Search
For so long, WordPress search was so bad that even WordPress.org didn't use it. Instead, it used ( and still uses) Google Custom Search.
There used to be a plugin which could be integrated the Custom Search feature to your website but it is now obsolete. In the present, you'll need create the code on your own.
One downside is that it includes advertisements, which don't provide a very good impression to your users. In order to get rid of advertisements on your free custom search engine, your website has to belong to an organisation that is tax exempt as per U.S. law. The only other option to disable advertisements is to shell out $100 each year for the change to Google Site Search.
That said, in exchange for either paying money or hosting advertisements on your site, you gain the benefit from Google's power search algorithm.
Compared to the new WordPress search feature, Google Custom Search is still far superior. WordPress is nowhere near Google's advanced search functionality. However, if your website doesn't require complex search capabilities, it may be best to go with Google's default search to stay clear of advertising and keep things "in-house."
Relevanssi
Relevanssi is actually a plugin created specifically for WordPress. It replaces the default WordPress search engine with a more efficient search engine complete with lots of features and configurable options.
It sorted searches according to relevance long ahead of the WordPress team even came close to doing it The plugin provides the benefit of being able to find phrases using quotes.
Another unique feature is the possibility to search across the entire site that is not limited to posts or pages. Relevanssi allows users to browse comments, tags, categories and even customized fields. Furthermore, fuzzy matching will look for words that correspond to the search terms - stellar functionality that keeps the human element of search results in the forefront.
Relevanssi certainly has a head up on WordPress search, and could be just as efficient or superior to Google Custom Search. Ultimately, for those looking for more advanced search capabilities and want to endure the effort of installing a plugin, Relevanssi is a fantastic choice - even with WordPress's search updates.
Conclusion
WordPress 3.7 includes some neat new features that will enhance efficiency and speed up your time. Both are important.
In addition to all this, the latest features for search engines are amazing. They take WordPress to a level where you can use its search within your website with no embarrassment. While it might be a little pathetic, it is a stride towards the top CMS for managing content.
There's more at work here, also. The search changes are also significant because they demonstrate that the WordPress development team is aware of the search problems and will work to address the issues, which could signal even greater changes to come.
Are you satisfied? Do you think this is one of the greatest updates to come out of WordPress in a long time? Do you think it spells the end for plugins like Relevanssi? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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