Plugin will store settings for site and network (for website running in multisite/network mode). Settings will be using variation of model developed for xScape themes. In new GDSR there are much less settings that are general for the whole plugin. Most of the settings are now part of the new rating classes (more on that later). To ensure better integrability, GDSR will use different loading method for the plugin and it will be more based on actions and filters than before. I thing that GDSR 2.0 will have 10 times more internal filters/actions than current versions.

One major problem with GDSR 1.x is that it had post/page/comment ratings implemented. For post/page you could use single and multi stars ratings and thumbs ratings, for comments you could use singe stars and thumbs ratings. With GDSR 2.0 many things will be implemented in a base class, and that can be used to create new rating types. By default plugin will have rating classes for: post, page, user and comments. Each class can be on site level, on network level on or both levels. This will allow implementing BuddyPress specific ratings. Each rating code will be in 4 files: init (settings for a rating type), load (main class with control over the rating type), single (settings to override specific settings for each rating element) and admin (for interface control). Plugin will allow adding new rating classes. Base rating classes is defined as abstract, and use interface to layout functions needed for each class. Saying that, complete plugin code is using PHP5 class model (all with private/public/static/abstract/interface goodness) and there will be no way to run plugin on PHP4. Believe it or not I got more than 20 requests to make plugin PHP4 compatible.

As for the rating models, GDSR 2.0 will implement single and multi star ratings, single and multi (new one!) thumbs ratings. And for each one you can have review rating (author of the post ratings existing right now also).

That’s it for now, more info coming soon.

I must say, without being to modest, that new framework is going to be the most advanced currently available framework with wide range of options, layouts and modules customizations, packed with advanced administration interface, export/import of settings, filters and actions support for easier integration and much more. Expanding themes will be easy with specially designed classes for settings and options and much more.

All themes will use Blueprint CSS framework, and will support different styles that can be easily customized for different color styles and images. Also, depending on the theme design, some colors would be customizable from control panel using color picker. Also, themes will use special page templates that can be changed to include different layout elements, customizable sidebars, superfish based drop down menues, integrated widgets and more.

Also, each theme will be fully integrated with all our plugins. This will include all GD Star Rating features (comments integration and everything else), specially designed rendering templates and even stars and thumbs graphics. GD Affiliate Center will also be integrated allowing use of ads from this plugin in theme ad areas. GD Simple Widgets will have special templates for all widgets and styling. Framework will also include number of third party functions for post pagination, breadcrumbs and other useful functions.

At this point I am creating Base theme that will have no images and will be used as sort of a showcase of what framework can do. I will post screenshots of framwork interface next week. Stay tuned.