Pro version Database tools are updated and expanded. Now, for each table you have optimize and repair options. Also, cleanup tools is split into two: one for optimization of database only, and other for repair. Sending email after backup is fixed, with few minor typos and errors displaying list of backups.

Most important new addition here is use of mysqldump program to create backups of the database. For this to work, plugin needs access to mysql program and also some PHP functions. New mySQL panel on Database panel is there to set and check all prerequisites. For manual and schedule backup jobs you can choose which backup method to use. If the mysqldump can’t be run, classic method will be used. Also, GZIP mysqldump method can’t be used on Windows servers.

Also, both versions are now fully compatible with latest build of WordPress 3.0.

After this, next step is to add sending backup archives via email and to add restore options for archived database files.

Updater

New updater plugin adds new page under Plugins menu where you can see status of all Dev4Press plugins and options to update them when update is available. Another panel is added under Settings menu where you can set Dev4Press API key and update status to check for.

For updater to work you need a valid API Key you can get from your Account page on this website. Updater reports your WP version, website URL and info about Dev4Press plugins you have installed. To work, plugin requires at least WordPress 2.8.

Final version will add dashboard notifications of updates and few more things. Please, report any problems you may encounter and we will fix it for the final release. To get the plugin, go to your Acount page and you will find Updater page there.

Detailed info for the sign up is updated on your account affiliate page. If you have any more problems with the sign up and adding products to your ShareIt affiliate account, please leave a comment I we will try to resolve it.

And, the solution is found in VPS.NET cloud hosting. They offer scalable VPS servers with adjustable number of nodes to increase CPU speed, bandwith and available memory. To test the new hosting system, our website TVScape.NET has been transferred to new server yesterday. And the tests showed that TVScape is now 3 times faster (on average), then on old server. Response time is cut in half, and typical page with over 80 images fully loads in less then 15 seconds, while on old server same page needed 40 to 100 seconds. Also, new server is VPS and that allows fine tunning of cache settings, expiry of resources allowing much better optimization.

Dev4Press is moving to new server most likely next friday, so that the support and other normal functions of the website are not interrupted. In any case, there will be a notice announcing the exact period when the transfer is in progress. Major problem during the transfer will be DNS change that with some DNS servers can take up to 24 hours for new server IP to propagate. So, for a day website will work on both servers and depending on your location, you might get old or new website.

Until today, GD Star Rating website run on eNews theme (ElegantThemes). And I have measured the impact of this theme and new baseScape. With same plugins active before and after baseScape is installed and same version of WordPress (2.9.2), website uses 2MB less memory: win for baseScape. To generate the page eNews theme needed 51 SQL query and 0.2 seconds to execute them. baseScape needs only 24 SQL queries and 0.07 seconds to execute them. This measurement is actually very acurate since the content on the front page is exactly the same for both themes (these numbers don’t include plugins and their queries). Another win for baseScape. And finally, all this caused that page generation time drops from 1.2 seconds with eNews to 0.7 seconds for baseScape. Another point for baseScape. I have also tested with Pingdom, and determined that large amount of time eNews was spending on generating thumbnail images with awful TimThumb where each image requires separate PHP thread, where baseScape uses much better thumbnail method and all is done in a single, main thread. baseScape: 4, eNews: 0.

So, check out the GD Star Rating website and see how the theme looks like and how does it feel using it. Check out the comments form with validation, contact form on every page, hidden on the left side of the screen, front page slider, social icons links with each post (built in the theme and highly customizable), main menu mixing categories and pages, jQuery powered breadcrumbs navigation and much more, all built in into the xScape framework.

GD Star Rating website will help test theme and the framework further, and more improvements will follow before xScape is released. If you notice any bugs, or have any suggestion, please leave a comment.

GD Star Rating: http://www.gdstarrating.com/

Here is the list of features in xScape theme framework that will be part of the initial 1.0.0 release. Features marked as PRO will not be available with free themes:

• Settings panels: for theme and framework settings, ajax powered and easy to use
• Basic Tools panel: clear cached data, export and import of settings,
• PRO: Extra Tools panel: existing images custom fields conversion
• PRO: Layouts panel: advanced management for theme templates and sidebars
• Menus panel: advanced menu designer with many customization options
• SEO controls: search engine optimization for titles, meta tags and much more
• GD Star Rating: direct integration for standard and multi ratings into comments for review websites
• jQuery powered: breadcrumbs, comments forms validation, contact form, featured posts slider
• Visual elements: paged navigation for posts and comments, author and related posts blocks
• WP Integration: post and page panel integration for additional options and images upload
• Custom Taxonomies: template support with page integration and navigation
• Extra Templates: twitter statuses, archives and website site-map
• Actions & Filters: expanding theme using actions and filters, same way the WordPress works

Additional elements included with framework include widgets and modules. Modules are similar to WordPress plugins, but integrated into the theme with own settings and controls:

• Widgets: Flickr, Twitter, Recent Posts, Single Ad, Networks Social Links
• PRO: Modules: Share This (Submit to social websites), Translate This (Google Translate support)

As for the requirements, theme will require PHP5, and will work with different versions of WordPress:

• WordPress 2.8.x
• WordPress 2.9.x
• WordPressMU 2.9.x
• WordPress 3

Free themes will have no support (apart from reporting and fixing bugs and access to some basic tutorials). Pro themes will be sold for one time fee that will include premium support (forum, premium tutorials), critical and regular updates.

For Pro theme, there will be two different editions: Standard and Developer. Developer edition will include Photoshop PSD files and 2 email support tickets. Single Pro theme will cost 35 EUR (46 USD) for Standard edition and 55 EUR (75 USD) for Developer edition. When you purchase 3 same editions themes, you get one additional theme for free. Once the number of themes is increased, we will offer subscription based model (both standard and developer) to cover all themes and add some additional support elements like SVN access and more email support tickets.

In the next 24 hours, GD Star Rating website will be the first website to get new baseScape theme. By the end of this week, WPMU website will be activated on xscape.info domain where everyone can sign up for a 24 hours blog that will allow you to test drive each theme before deciding if you want to buy it.

Stay tuned and feel free to ask anything you want to know more. xScape will be unleashed very soon…

Main focus in the last two weeks were on completing the xScape theme framework and first two themes built on top of it. More about this will be in the separate post later today, but for now I can tell you that work on that is almost done. Framework and first theme called baseScape will be deployed tomorrow on GD Star Rating website.

But, aside from framework, work on plugins is very active. New GD Star Rating will be released tonight with some enhancements added that were originally planned for the GDSR 2.0. GD Press Tools 3.1 is in development, and features some bug fixes, improvements to database export and compatibility with WordPress 3.0. It’s expected to be released in the next 5-6 days. Also, you can expect one more GD Taxonomies Tools release soon for more WordPress 3.0 related changes. Pro version of this plugin will get another interesting tool for interlinking posts based on taxonomies.

Finally, WordPress 3.0 supports hierarchical custom taxonomies, and plugin will now allow you to make such taxonomies and use it. Also, some elements in the custom taxonomies structure have changed and for now plugin handles both old and new formats well. If more changes are introduced in WP 3.0, plugin will follow soon after.

This way, you will get best possible explanation and on the other hand I am sure that there are other premium users who have same problem and they will also benefit from it. And Dev4Press content will be more and more driven by premium users and that’s exactly how this should work in the first place.

To leave the suggestion for the tutorial, use the General/Suggestions sub-forum (topics can only be accessed by premium users with any purchased license). There are pre-created topics, one for each plugin and you can leave reply to any of them with your suggestion, and very soon after that I will record or write new tutorial.

Now we are focusing on the themes, but I can’t give you exact release dates yet because we don’t want to rush with the development. Our intention is to deliver the stable and usable product from the very start. First theme called baseScape will be ready by the end of the week, and will premiere on the GD Star Rating website that will switch from the current theme to baseScape. During the transition I will make many benchmark tests to measure xScape speed and resource usage compared to the current theme on that website.

Also, there are few more things that are in the works for the launch. A website will be created running on WordPress MU that will allow you to register for a free blog and test drive themes. And in the future, each new theme will be added to that test website. This way you can try everything themes and framework have to offer and decide if you want to pay for them. And very important thing will be video tutorials to showcase all the features, to offer help and explanation for using the themes, documentation and everything else end users might need. Unfortunately, all that can’t be done overnight, so be patient, I promise that xScape and themes built on it will be great.

Also, we are compiling the list of features other currently available frameworks have and we will compare all of them including the xScape. I will announce final list of compared framworks next week, and the list will include both free and commercial frameworks: Thematic, Buffet Framework, StudioPress Genesis, WooThemes WooFramework, Carrington, K2 and Hybrid.

unSerializer in action

New feature is Debugger panel. Right now it has one tool called unSerialize. It’s very simple, and allows you to paste any serialized PHP string and you will get unserialized visualization of it. Display can be done using standard print_r or advanced gdp_r function (also GD Press Tools Pro exclusive).

On the image on the right you can see result of the process. Top part is the original serialized string, and on the bottom is gdp_r visualized result of the serialized object.

Logo

Logo is clean and simple, different variations will be used, but here is the basic version.

xScape Logo

Framework and themes editions

There were many questions about different versions, free and premium editions. Framework will have two different versions, one will be used in free themes and the other in premium themes. Free framework version will have less options and will lack some of the functionality. Also, free themes will have one or two color schemes built in, while the premium will have much more of them. Exact differences will depend on the theme. Also, there will be no support for free themes beyond basic error reporting.

Premium themes will come in two versions: Standard and Developer. Theme delivered in both of them will be the same, and differences between them are:

• Standard Premium: theme with framework, forum support, tutorials and documentation, regular updates, nightly and beta releases.
• Developer Premium: everything from Standard, email support tickets, layered PSD files for designs, SVN access.

Single theme purchases are one time payments with no recurring fees. When you buy three themes, you will get fourth one for free. Once we create more themes, there will be Standard and Developer Bundle Packages available. They will be subscription based with recurring payments, and will include all published themes and all future themes as long as you are subscribed. Final prices are not available right now.

We have prepared many banners for Dev4Press and all individual plugins in different sizes: 125×125, 120×240, 200×125, 234×60, 468×60 and 300×250. As for the signup details and everything else you first need to create account here. If you already have account, go to your Account dashboard and you will see affiliate link there. You have URL for signing as affiliate, details about the program and links for banners download.

Affiliate program is handled by ShareIt (all sales on this site go through them also). They will be responsible for sales tracking and sending earned money to you. And, you will have continuous earnings for all membership licenses sales. To get started, make account here and go to this page when you are logged in:

http://www.dev4press.com/user/affiliate/

Expanding the theme

Theme will have over 100 actions allowing you to tap into almost everything and add your code, expand some things and more. To allow all this, theme features very advanced loader that controls inclusion of CSS, JS files, adding jQuery on load statements. Every module in the theme uses that loader to activate based on the settings.

Framework is isolated from the theme, and in theory it can be updated without messing the theme. Theme actually extends the base framework classes and adds own settings, additional modules and other things. Visually, each theme will contain different styles. They will change colors, images and fonts and that will be isolated for use in the separate style files. So, changing things will be very easy, and will allow us to include many different styles with each theme.

Plugin will support Post Thumbnail (WP 2.9), and will be expanded with anything new added to WP 3.0, and I will soon start testing with WP 3 development version.

Widgets & Modules

Number of widgets built in is not yet final, but for now there are several: Flickr, Twitter, Video Player, Search, Ads, Feedburner.

As for the modules, right now framework include: Breadcrumbs, Pager, Contact Form (AJAX powered), two different types of menus, SEO module, integration with GD Star Rating and more. SEO will allow you to add and control many important SEO elements without need for complex SEO plugins. Still, SEO will not be as elaborate as with specialized plugins, but for most uses will be enough.

As for the requirements, xScape requires WordPress 2.8 or newer. Right now I am developing with PHP 5.2, but I will test with other versions. Since framework needs JSON, I have added JSON php implementation for PHP older than 5.2.

What’s next?

During this week I will post completed designs screenshots for first premium themes: baseScape and photoScape. Also, as soon as baseScape is done, GD Star Rating website will switch to that new theme (most likely by the end of next week).

Plugin will have several administration panels. Main one will contain theme settings. And there will be one additional with framework settings. Framework settings are general options that deal with integration of the framework in WP and other general things. One more panel will be used to export and import all the settings. Best thing is that settings will be cross-theme compatible and can be reused on different themes.

Header Settings

Unique and never before seen features in any of the currently available themes and frameworks will be kept under wraps, but believe me they will be very, very interesting and useful.

Theme and xScape settings panels will look the same and will use ajax to save data. Image uploader (you see logo upload on this image) can handle uploading files, linking local files and even downloading remote images to be used for resizing. To resize images we are not using awful TimThumb script, and all resizing will be done with WordPress built in functions. And also, plugin can use brand new Post Thumbnail added in WordPress 2.9, but also allows you to upload images for posts and pages. For color changing of some elements, plugin uses color picker. And there are many other standardized elements for any number of settings.

Framework can also handle settings specific for different versions of WordPress. So, already mentioned Post Thumbnail option would be available for WP 2.9, and not for older WP versions.

Right now designer is working on different color schemes for first upcoming themes, and I hope that I will be able to show you previews of design next week. Also, important thing to mention is free and premium themes difference. We are making primarily premium themes, but we will offer number of free themes. First two we are making will have free versions. They will lack some of the settings and elements, and will have only 2 color schemes. Each premium theme will have at least 6 color schemes or even more, and we will be able to add more of them if you need them. Premium will also have PSD source files for designs. And free themes will have no support, except for reporting bugs. More will be announced soon.

First themes are expected in February. So stay tuned for more previews.

Most important fix is change in lock website option (only logged in users can access the website). This option breaks flash uploader. But now, that’s fixed and credit goes to Frank P. Walentynowicz (http://fw2s.com) who figured out the proper way of doing this. Also, for Pro version, debug print function will include jQuery for blog pages if it’s not loaded by the theme.

Plugin will be able to perform the update of only Pro plugins, because Free and Lite can already be updated by the WordPress updater. For new upgrade plugin to work, you need API Key (on the profile page on this website). And plugin can update itself also, and will be able to upgrade to beta and nightly builds (depending on your license for a plugin).

Due to the problems with WordPress 2.9 and broken cron in this WP version, auto tagger tool in GD Press Tools got also broken. And for some users there was no way to run it again. So, now you have forced cleanup tool for tagger that will reset it and allow you to use it again. Also, plugins Cron Scheduler panel allows you to run all jobs in there whenever you want. Now you can safely run update check jobs whenever you want. This will work only with WordPress 2.8 and 2.9.

Pro version got new tool allowing you to change the WordPress core update so that you can use auto update to update to beta and nightly versions. This is not something you want to use on production blogs, and it’s only for development. To change this, option is located on Settings panel, Administrator tabs.

First plugin will be added in the next two weeks (and it’s a Pro version of one very important and very popular WordPress plugins). And after that one more developer will join, with 2 or 3 plugins. These plugins will be maintained by their authors, and they will be responsible for providing support for them. Also, these plugins will not be part of Dev4Press plugin bundle license.

There will be some changes on the website to prepare for third party plugins. So, stay tuned, more news on this will be available soon.

This is stability mainly release, with some functions changes and several minor fixes and changes. Plugin is tested on WordPress 2.7, 2.8, 2.9 and it works fine on all 3 versions. Over the next 2 months or so, I plan to release 2-3 bug fixing and stability releases. But, the development focus is on GD Star Rating 2.0 that is planned for end of April 2010. Progress on that will follow.

More details on the official website:

GD Star Rating 1.8.0 MMX: http://dv4p.com/i5