Advantages of Building Custom Plug-ins

• Easy maintenance as it’s being built by the native developer
• Built to match the exact requirement of the particular business need
• Could become a contribution to the WordPress plug-in database

When Not to Build a Custom Plug-In

You shouldn’t build a new plug-in when there is already a standard plug-in available in the WordPress plug-in database. Why should time, energy and money to be wasted by building a new one when an suitable plug-in is already available?

When Should You Build a Custom Plug-In?

A new plug-in should be built when the WordPress plug-in database doesn’t exactly match the business requirements, or if the matching plug-in is too difficult to be customized in order to meet your needs.

Case Studies on When we Require Developing a Plug-in

Case 1:

Scenario: The client requires an FAQ feature on their site.

Action: The developer checked on the WordPress Plug-In database and found a number of FAQ plug-ins. But the developer decided to choose one plug-in e.g. “WP Super FAQ,” would best suit the client’s expectation.

Outcome: The developer downloaded the plug-in and integrated it into the project.

Case 2:

Scenario: The client required an item listing which went beyond a normal scope. It required a (restricted type) image upload and a file upload (again restricted types, which they wanted to be editable). It required a basic CK Editor for description, a popup date picker for  and other fields which were related to the client’s business.

Action: The developer checked on the WordPress Plug-in database and found suitable plug-ins. But they found that a lot of customization time would be required in order to meet the client’s expectations.

Outcome: The developer decided to develop their own custom plug-in which could best serve the client and be easily maintained.

Standards to Follow During Plug-in Development

When opting for custom development, many programmers start coding without proper practices and documentation – this is actually quite a serious issue. While developing a plug-in, WordPress coding standards need to be followed. This doesn’t mean that the coding needs to be overly complex as with other core files, but the standards for fetching from the database, updating to the database, including of external Javascript, etc need to be followed. The reason behind following such standards is to have secured and optimized plug-in, reducing the number of lines of code. The WordPress standards for coding can be found here: http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Coding_Standards

Can Your Plug-in Affect Other WordPress Functionality?

Yes, there is a possibility for your plug-in to affect the core features of WordPress. These issues typically come up when there is a conflict between functions or names. The issues can occur at the PHP and/or JavaScript level. Take these steps if your WordPress default functionalities fail to perform properly:

• Check to see if your plug-in name is duplicated with any other plug-in/feature names or function names
• Deactivate all plug-ins and then activate one by one to check which plug-in is causing the issue
• Switch to the Twenty Eleven theme to rule out any theme-specific problems
• Reset the ‘plugins’ folder by FTP or PHP MyAdmin. Sometimes, an apparently inactive plug-in can still cause problems
• Re-uploading freshly downloaded wp-admin and wp-includes folders from WordPress

Can The Developed Plug-in Become Outdated?

Yes, when WordPress version updates, it’s the developer’s responsibility to check if the plug-in is compatible for the latest version of WordPress. The plug-in may also fail because of the direct PHP code that’s used, if the newer version of PHP drops the usage of that code.

Conclusion

A custom developed WordPress plug-in can serve multiple purposes to meet different client needs. Clients and developers should be aware that such a plug-in requires maintaining WordPress version compatibility in order to meet various functionality requirements.

Today Google announced their Google+ social networking platform. The buzz (sic) … in our office is like a bunch of kids at Christmas, hovering outside the living room door, just bursting to get inside!

“Can we come in yet!?”

Before you read the rest of this article here is a video which describes what Google's new social networking (and Facebook competitor) is.

Is Google+ For Real?

In our internet lifetimes we have seen a lot of new and innovative releases. Some that have promised and fully lived up to expectations, some that have survived the trough of disillusionment and made it to stardom and some that have simply wimpered into non-existence. Google itself has produced products that have fallen into each of these categories and the question that we are asking ourselves is;

“Have Google learned enough from Wave, Buzz, Orkut, (and so on) to really engage people with a simple more effective way of socializing that is so compelling that it moves us from our existing platforms?”

Time will tell.

Here Are My Initial 5 Impressions of Google+

1) This launch is a more polished product than usual. The interface and concepts are cleaner and simpler. This will make it easier for early adopters to engage and use. And then share with others!

2) Google+ looks like it will improve some issues within the social networking environment. For example: I hate not being able to post a slightly inappropriate comment on my Facebook feed, way too many of my kids friends go there. Google+ Circles seems an ideal solution for being able to post things that your entire list of friends get to see. (I might be exposing myself here!)

3) I love the thought of integrating search and socialization! My Facebook feed is just as full of Tennis news as it is family news. I love it!

Algorithm based content…. fed from Google into my Google+ based on what I am talking about to my social circles will provide a better user experience for me and I am excited! But I need to have control so I don’t just receive a huge amount of unwanted marketing messages that this new platform will open up on a grand scale!

4) As an internet marketer I see groundbreaking opportunity based on thought number 3. Demographics, social circles, targeting based on the +1 feature that Google is already rolling out. The opportunity here is truly remarkable!

5) Lastly but perhaps most importantly; there is social evolution here! We will have the ability to message, chat and conference with groups of people ad hoc.

Skype + MSN + Facebook = Google+ (in theory).

Keep your fingers crossed….

Google+ Summary

In summary, if there is doubt, confusion or complexity in a new product like this then it is doomed to failure because no one will spend the time to understand since there is already a great medium in existence.

But it looks like Google+ simplifies and improves the ability to socialize within a familiar Google interface.  That’s no mean feat! If the features live up to expectation then we could be looking at an internet changing release that will also provide a huge opportunity for marketers to put a great deal of money into.

As soon as I’m able to unwrap my present….. I’ll let you know whether I got socks (boo), Or the coolest tennis racquet on the planet! (yeh!)

P.S. If someone actually understands what Wave was all about then feel free to drop me a line, I still wake at night wondering.  Hopefully I can sleep better with thoughts about Google+.  Time will surely tell!

What will my site look like?

Earlier this month Google posted a blog about optimizing your site for Google TV, though the information can be used when testing for all devices that bring the web to your TV.

With your existing site do the following:

1. On a large monitor, make your window size 1920 x 1080.
2. In a browser, visit your site at full screen.
3. Zoom the browser to 1.5x the normal size. This is performed in different ways with different keyboards. For example, in Chrome if you press ctrl+ (press ctrl and + at the same time) twice, that’ll zoom the browser to nearly 1.5x the initial size.
4. Move back 3 x (the distance between you and the monitor).
5. Check out your site!

This will give you a good example of how your site will look and demonstrate if you need to update the navigation, change font sizes, enlarge images, etc. You will need to make sure that the text is large enough to be legible from 10 feet away and that users easily navigate the site through button arrows on the remote (a D-pad), rather than mouse/touchpad.

If you use your arrow keys you will even be able to play the game.  Eating ghosts and clearing Pac Man levels.  Work productivity this Friday is sure to go down.

Now here is a spring surprise for all of us. Google has come up with a new look for its homepage. If you look closely at it you will may even find a lot of similarities between the much acclaimed Microsoft BING.

So what are the big changes? There is now a left column where you will find an array of links for images, videos, books, discussion, shopping and more.

Google has also introduced changes to the search box. While not that obvious they do seem to make the engine feel a little bit more contemporary. 

Here is what Google has had to say;

“We’ve added contextually relevant, left-hand navigation to the page. This new side panel highlights the most relevant search tools and refinements for your query. Over the past three years, we've launched Universal Search, the Search Options panel and Google Squared, and it’s those three technologies that power the left-hand panel.

Universal Search helps you find the most relevant types of results for your search. Our expandable Search Options panel launched last spring brought many rich slice-and-dice tools to search. In addition to the left-hand side changes, we’ve updated our look and feel in terms of our color palette and our logo. These changes are slight, keeping our page minimalist and whimsical, but make our overall look more modern. Google Squared (available on Google Labs) helps you find and compare entities.

The new design refreshes and streamlines the look, feel and functionality of Google, making it easier to pinpoint what you’re looking for. It’s powerful, yet simple. Today’s changes are the latest in our continuing efforts to evolve and improve Google. We've been testing these changes with users over the past few months, and what we're launching today reflects the feedback we've received.. We want to ensure that the Google you use today is better than the one you used yesterday, and these latest changes open up many possibilities for future features and enhancements”.

[Source: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/spring-metamorphosis-googles-new-look.html]

Google Showing Us Continued Improvement

With Google has released is an improvement on the overall search experience.

It is nice to see that along with the improvements in the actual Google 'algo' they are also focussing much attention on the usability of their page as well.

Google  has lightened up the Google logo and the footer too, by getting rid of the lines under the links. (think they used Website Optimizer to figure this out?) Also blue is now the color of the links being displayed.  They had had tried various versions before deciding on blue..

So if you haven't tried it yet.  Go have a look!  The changes a subtle yet an overall usability improvement!

This new feature allows you to formulate search queries in your own language. You can find this new small keyboard icon on the right of the search box (except in Arabic) of the Google search homepage or search result page. Clicking on this button will bring up a virtual keyboard that can be controlled either by using your computer keyboard or by clicking on the virtual keys on the virtual keyboard  itself.

This facility is available in 35 languages including Alabanian, Croatian, Greek, Arabic, Thai. Virtual keyboard can be helpful for people who use one of the many non-Latin script-based languages that require special characters such as Arabic, Greek, and Thai. For those who want to experiment with it here is Google’s step by step explanation on how to use the virtual keyboard.

Practical Uses For Google Keyboard

Suppose you are away on a holiday in Thailand, and you want to browse to get some information.  The keyboard however, looks completely foreign to you as it is in the local language. This is where the Google virtual keyboard saves you.  Now all you need to do is use the virtual keyboard (as long as your language is one among the 35 which supports the virtual keyboard facility.) 

With this small addition Google has made a big difference to the search experience for both the non-English user and the English user that is searching in foreign areas. As you can see – Google continues to organize the world's information!

The other issue, is that every week we are expected to have a minimal number of emails in our inbox, as the only emails in our inbox should be items that we are working on. I have decided to outline here, the process that I use for managing my email. So based on a similar concept of the PIFEM email management concept put out a few years ago, and one that is used by many people that I have met years ago, I use Microsoft Outlook 2007. I utilize categories, search folders, and a concept similar to GTD (Getting Things Done).

My Email Management System

Do It

For me, the concept is simple. As I go through my emails, is this something that needs to be done right now, or can I do it right now without it taking more than 3 minutes? If so, then I go ahead and do it. Then I don't have to think about it later.

Delegate It

Is this an item that needs to be accomplished by one of my colleagues? If so, forward it and get it out of my inbox.

Defer It

Will this take more than 3 minutes? If so, decide if it needs to be done before I leave the office, or if it can wait until this evening. I have two categories (keep reading) that I can assign this to. One category is 'Do Before You Leave'. I always view this category at 3:00pm and start working on the items in this section. The other category is “Review This Evening”, I will review anything in that category as I get time in the evening as it is generally just informational, and not actionable.

Ignore It

And the final instance and by far my favorite. Ignore It. Is this something that is just an automated message, a cc mail that I don’t need to be involved in? If so, skim it and categorize it.

Setting Up The Right Folders…

So all of this is fine, but I haven’t discussed how I set up my folders or categories? So I already mentioned two of the categories that I have. Let’s discuss some of the others. We will get to folders later… I only have 1. So for categories, I have many! Here is a basic outline of my categories:

PM Stuff Answered Client a Client b Do Before You Leave Internal Process Related Information Review Tonight Client c, d, e, etc…  (edited to the left)

 What I do is I set the “Set Quick Click” option to automatically categorize as “Answered”. This way when I click on the categorize button it will automatically set the category to “answered”. If this is an item that is client related, then I right click on the category and choose the client associated with that email as well as either mark it with one of the “Deferred” categories, or I respond to it.

So now I have all these categorized emails. What do I do with them?

What about getting them out of your inbox?

Well, Microsoft Outlook also has a concept called Search Folders. Search Folders can be based on Categories.

What you can do is go to your 'Search Folders' and right click on it and say “New Search Folder”. This will bring up a dialogue box asking what kind of criteria you want for your search folder. Just select under the 'Organizing Mail' section, Categorized mail, and then select the category you want to set it as. It is as simple as that.

 Now all the emails you have categorized are automatically found in this folder as well as wherever you move them too! 

Tthe final phase to this (remember I said we need to empty our inbox). Is to utilize the Rules Wizard. Just create a rule where any email marked with x category is moved to the folder titled Reviewed. I run this rule every day before I leave the office so I know when I come in the next day that all the emails in my inbox are fresh emails that I need to start that process all over again with.

If you haven’t been following this process, it can take some time to set up, but once it is, it will save you lots of time! And when you create a new category, just remember to create a new search folder and you will be able to stay on top of it without any issues!

This is just my way of doing things to make work life more manageable. You may have your own way — but if you don't then you better start considering ways to get yourself more organized!  It's essential in this fast paced world!

The reigning search engine giant Google has added another feather to its cap with the purchase of UK based mobile visual search start up Plink. This news was officially announced through Plink’s blog, but the acquisition amounts were not disclosed anywhere so far. This may be Google’s first ever acquisition in the UK. Once again the search leader reiterates its aim to acquire at least one company a month. 

Plink’s blog stated that:

“Google has already shown that it’s serious about investing in this space with Google Goggles, and for the Plink team the opportunity to take our algorithms to Google-scale was just too exciting to pass up.”

What is Plink Anyway?

Housed in Oxford England, Plink is a two person initiative ventured by PhD students Mark Cummins and James Philbin. They were comfortably positioned in the Google Goggles project base in Santa Monica, California as per the take over terms.  Google Goggles team is the one specializing in the visual search project for the search giant.  The founders said that Plink has also held discussions with British galleries including the Tate over potential partnerships.

Plinkart is the first product from this venture which is a mobile application. Enabling you to identify paintings and artworks with just a snap from your phone’s camera. Also, users can then share the photo with friends and also click through to buy a print. Plinkart, launched just 6 weeks ago and was so popular it is reported that the application has been downloaded more than 50,000 times within this short span of time. The application, which only works on the Android operating system, will still be available but not updated.

This purchasing gives Google the ability to improve its video and photo search ability. The visual search engines of today seem to have limitations as they don't actually search for photos and videos on the Internet. Instead they search the language used by web publishers for describing  their images and videos. If Google can overcome this shortcoming by further developing Plink’s technology, it will certainly be a landmark victory for Google not only in opening up a powerful visual search engine but also in building a major ad stream.

A small purchase for the likes of Google but another opportunity that Google doesn't wish to squander!

In the top right corner, you should see a green beaker icon beside the word "New!". Click on this icon to open up the list of features you can enable or disable within Google Maps. 

The New Lab Tools For Google Maps Include:

1) Drag 'n' Zoom: Allows you to drag a box on a certain part of your map in order to zoom in quickly to the outlined area instead of multi-clicking the zoom bar on the left of the map.

2) Aerial Imagery: Rotatable, high-resolution overhead images, but currently for certain areas only.

3) Back to Beta: Add the Beta tag back to your account. I think that's it, really…

4) Where In The World Game: Guess the country from satellite images. Take that, Alex Trebek!

5) Rotatable Maps: Because viewing maps the right way up is sooo yesterday.

6) Latitude & Longitude Tooltip and Marker: I've never been smart when it comes to latitude and longitude, so for those of you keen on this function, have a go and let us know what you think.

7) Smart Zoom: You know when you zoom in on a map and it shows "We Don't Have Imagery At This Level?" Don't you want to scream at Matt Cutts for that? Or maybe his cat, at least? Well, now you can add this feature, which stops the map from zooming in past the last point on the map with an actual image.

Add a few to your Google Maps and play around. I've become a bit of a 'Google Maps/Earth/Street View' junky lately, so these new features please me. As do random pictures of The Stig on Google Street View. But that's a blog for another day.

It seems that Google quietly expanded the service to pretty much every paved road across Canada. You can now use Street View almost anywhere across the country. So maybe there’s not a lot in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, but you get the idea from the coverage map. Street View can be used anywhere you see the blue colouring (no, not the water, funny guy).

It appears that the images were captured around the time Toronto’s were (late summer of 2009), as you can see by the date listed on this church in my old hometown. Thanks to Kip for pointing it out!

It’s nice that smaller towns and rural areas are being added, as those of us from such places who don’t get back to visit much now have a chance to see what’s changed, or even what has stayed the same.

There was one more addition to Street View in Canada that was announced and that was the addition of images from the slopes of Whistler, British Columbia, courtesy of the Google Street View snowmobile.

Now we can all see places in Canada that we always wanted to! Thats cool.