In version two of the WordPress REST API, several improvements have been made regarding how custom fields are handled in WordPress. If you haven’t downloaded version two yet, you can do so via WordPress.org or by cloning the “develop” branch of the official GitHub repo for the project. In this article, you’ll learn how to edit and create post meta fields using the WordPress REST API and how to retrieve or update metadata for a post. You’ll also learn how to customize the default endpoints for a post to expose post meta or other data related to a post. While this […]

In my last article for Torque on thinking like an app I intentionally did not address how mobilization of WordPress changes the way we approach development in terms of deciding what to build. In this post I will discuss my thoughts on the technical changes that occur when we are doing the actual development. Keep in mind that, for now, when we are talking about developing WordPress apps, we are actually talking about building a specific app for a specific purpose, not building a reusable app to be repurposed by others, similar to the way we write plugins and themes. Reusable […]

WordPress 4.2.3 is now available. This update addresses a cross-site scripting vulnerability and contains fixes for 20 bugs found in 4.2. Users are urged to update their sites immediately. You can download WordPress 4.2.3 directly here, or navigate to Dashboard > Updates, and click “Update Now.” The XSS vulnerability, reported by Jon Cave, allows users with the Contributor or Author user role to potentially compromise a site. Another issue was identified and addressed in this update “where it was possible for a user with Subscriber permissions to create a draft through Quick Draft. Reported by Netanel Rubin from Check Point Software Technologies.” You can view the […]

Making money on eBay isn’t as difficult as you might think. Items you may have purchased from garage sales or heavily-discounted merchandise you bought can easily be resold on eBay to make a profit. Here are five ways you can start making money on eBay. Viewing Completed Listings Successful sellers start out by identifying the market for the items they want to sell by looking through the review of completed listings. You can do this by clicking on the “Advanced Search” button and then entering the keywords that describe your items. In the results, you should click on the “Completed […]

Many people out there think that running a website and running an online business are basically the same thing. Yet, as every WordPresser knows, building a site or starting a blog is the easy part—turning it into a successful and lucrative venture on the other hand is a whole different deal. Two central aspects of going from the former to the latter are promotion and lead generation. The first serves to attract people to your website, the latter is the first step in their journey from window shopper to paying customer. On the Internet, lead generation usually means getting people to […]

To find more great plugins, check out Torque’s free eBook, The Ultimate Guide to WordPress Plugins. Download it here.  Audio player plugins: it’s one of those plugin niches that you never really think about until you actually need one. Take me, for instance. The concept audio player plugins had never crossed my mind (although considering the number of podcasts I listen to I probably have used at least one or two in the past) until I needed to embed some audio files on one of my websites. If you’re reading this post, then you’re probably looking to do the same. […]

Imagine a client asks you to build them a website and a mobile application so that they can easily sell shoes online. If you’re like me, a nerdy web developer, you’d probably start planning how to get data on every single shoe that’s going to be on the site—there must be some JSON or XML APIs provided by manufacturers, or at least some regularly-updated CSV files, right? This would prompt you think about how to properly import this data into eCommerce platforms that you might use to build the site. Then you’d probably start thinking about how to mass process, validate, […]

As a WordPress freelancer, there is much we can learn from those who sell coffee. Just think about the various ways you can buy coffee: You can buy coffee beans from your local supermarket to brew your own coffee for about $.10 a cup. Or, you could go to a convenience store and buy a cup for about $1. Or, you can go to Starbucks and spend $3 (or probably even more). No matter which option you choose, you end up with the same product: a cup of coffee (yes, coffee aficionados will say there are differences in the quality, […]

On Wednesday, Domain Name Wire broke news of another interesting cybersquatting case: Automattic successfully defended their right to use Thesis.com, despite opposition from the Thesis framework developer, Chris Pearson. Although Automattic is a separate legal entity, this case certainly draws parallels to the WordPress Foundation’s legal wrangle with TheWordPressHelpers.com. Automattic vs. Pearson According to the legal documents, both Automattic and Pearson were approached by a third-party regarding the purchase of Thesis.com. Automattic won the ensuing bidding process with a bid of $100,000, and the domain was transferred into their ownership. In response, Pearson filed a domain dispute with the National […]

As we all know by now, WordPress doesn’t stand still. On Thursday, just seventy days after the launch of WordPress 4.2, we started gearing up for the next big update with the launch of WordPress 4.3 Beta 1. The full launch isn’t scheduled until August 18, but the beta is the perfect opportunity to take a first look at the new features. If you want to test out WordPress 4.3 Beta for yourself, all you need to do is install the WordPress Beta Tester plugin. After installation and activation, navigate to Tools > Beta Testing, and select the Bleeding edge nightlies […]