R8: Front Page

This is a bit out of the blue, but, here is the brand new theme called R8. Theme features new xScape Theme Framework version 1.6.2 and 8 built-in color schemes and has a third top navigation menu under the header. Also, it uses Nivo slider with even more customization options.

R8 is the theme I am developing with GD Star Rating 2.0 to integrate and test all new plugin features. But, I managed to assemble theme very quickly, and it’s a shame to leave it waiting for next two months, so here it is. Right now, theme is fully functional, and over time it will get specific GD Star Rating 2.0 features as the plugin development progresses.

Theme has 8 color schemes built-in, it uses Nivo slider with wide range of settings per template basis, 3 navigation areas in the header (extra menu are is added above main menu). As with all other themes, all xScape features are implemented, there are 2 sidebar areas (only one is on by default) and footer widgets area.

xScape Theme Framework 1.6.2 will be available for download later today, with all themes updated in the next 2 days.

To see the theme features and read more about new R8 theme or watch introduction video, check the main theme page:

R8 Info:
http://www.dev4press.com/themes/r8/

To see the theme and framework in action, visit the WordPress MultiSite powered demo website and get your own blog to see who the framework back-end works:

Demo Site:
http://xscape.info/
R8:
http://xscape.info/load/?theme=r8

Both themes are complete as the features go, and they will get updates only when something major is changed in xScape to require changes in the themes. I don’t plan to release minor updates for both themes if not required, but framework only updates will work as always.

To see the theme and framework in action, visit the WordPress MultiSite powered demo website. You can get your own demo website to test themes controls. If you want one, use contact form.

Demo Site:
http://xscape.info/

Sitemap Exclusions and Extra Links

Brand new version, GD Press Tools 4.0.3 Pro, brings many improvements to XML Sitemap Generator (exclusions of posts and terms and extra links list), improved plugin front page boxes, added more descriptions to some of the options and fixes several bugs.

New Extras & Exclusions tab is on the image on the right. So, you have list of additional links to be added to sitemap. They will go into Core sitemap file, and you have new entry added to the Content Settings panel for these links.

Exclusions of posts can be done by post ID, and all post types are supported. You can exclude posts belonging to terms for any taxonomy. But, if you use WP 3.0, only categories and post tags will be used, for all the taxonomies you need WP 3.1. You can also exclude terms links from taxonomy archives sitemaps, for each taxonomy individually.

Also, now you can see the sitemap status on plugin front page. Cron jobs counts are also displayed there with few more quick links to different plugin panels.

Bugs fixed in this version include: adding attachments to sitemap wasn’t working, date archive splitting wasn’t working as expected, renaming admin username failing in some cases and few other minor problems.

Next version will add more XML Sitemap Generator changes that include priorities calculations for links added to sitemaps and post exclusion controls on the post edit panel. 4.0.5 or 4.0.6 should see few more changes and improvements for generating sitemaps in multisite environment. After that there will be more improvements to backup and brand new SEO module coming in 4.1.

GD Press Tools 4.0 Pro: http://www.dev4press.com/gd-press-tools/

Sitemap Build Status

You can see when the map is built, how many files are in it and how many links. You see used PHP memory and time needed to build the map. On this image you see that post types are split each one into separate file, but all taxonomies are in one, and all date archives in one. You can control splitting in different ways depending on your content.

Build process will product 5 files in most cases, or more depending on settings. 4 files are actual maps (double that if you want both uncompressed XML and compressed GZIP files) and one is for index. Index is only one submitted to the search engines, they will find the rest of files from that one. Index file can contain only GZIP or XML versions, and by default GZIP versions are included. You see size and number of links of each file and if the file belongs to the index file or not.

You can see results from sending sitemaps notifications to search engines.

Plugin will be released during this month. Few more teases and updates are coming soon.

Promo coupon to get 40% discount for this plugin (for yearly recurring payments standard and developer licenses only): GDPRESSTOOLS4. Coupon is active now, and can be used until March 1 2011.

There are several XML Sitemaps plugins available, but none of them is flexible enough to cover all things I need for my projects, and none of them has full and proper support for multisite installations. XML Sitemaps in new GD Press Tools 4.0 Pro will support all sitemaps features including different methods of splitting maps into files, working with custom post types and custom taxonomies, several methods of expanding maps, controlling when to run sitemaps rebuilding and more. Here is the screenshot of the panel where sitemaps content is controlled.

GD Press Tools 4.0: XML Sitemaps Content

Plugin will be released during this month. Few more teases and updates are coming soon.

Promo coupon to get 40% discount for this plugin (for yearly recurring payments standard and developer licenses only): GDPRESSTOOLS4. Coupon is active now, and can be used until March 1 2011.

newsScape Login Theme

First major update to newsScape theme is here. It has brand new xScape 1.5.4.1 inside and it’s updated to support styling of WordPress login page. Also, all different networks icons sizes are merged into one file, as a first step to further loading optimizations and speedup.

To see the theme and framework in action, visit the WordPress MultiSite powered demo website and get your own blog to see who the framework back-end works:

Demo Site:
http://xscape.info/

Similar optimizations of images will be added to other themes, and also, depending on the theme more (or less) images will be merged, since not every theme uses same set of images.

To see the theme and framework in action, visit the WordPress MultiSite powered demo website and get your own blog to see who the framework back-end works:

Demo Site:
http://xscape.info/

newsScape Ad Location

New version of newsScape is here. It has brand new xScape 1.5 inside and implements many new features framework adds. Templates are updated to include ad locations in archives, single post and page templates and 404 template. More will be added in next versions.

On the image on the right you can see the archive page with ad after first post. It’s one of many ad locations built in right now. All templates are cleaned, some things reorganized to make modifications easier to make and templates to follow.

Check all settings just in case because many of the panels are reorganized for new and better settings control. Changes that are part of newsScape will be added to all other themes in the next couple of days.

Promo coupon

Starting now, until the end of November 2010 you can get 40% discount for xScape Theme Club Membership (includes all current and future themes) and GD Affiliate Center plugin (both with yearly recurring payments only). For this discount you need to use coupon: XSCAPE15.

xScape Theme Club:
http://www.dev4press.com/themes/xscape/purchase/
GD Affiliate Center:
http://www.dev4press.com/plugins/gd-affiliate-center/editions/

And more

To see the theme and framework in action, visit the WordPress MultiSite powered demo website and get your own blog to see who the framework back-end works:

More Info:
http://www.dev4press.com/themes/newsscape/
Demo Site:
http://xscape.info/
newsScape:
http://xscape.info/newsscape/