A note just came out on certain core changes for WP 3.2, which makes my job tougher.
WP has updated its core JQuery version from 1.4.4 to 1.6.1 and the corresponding JQuery UI version from 1.8.7 to 1.8.12. This means that I now have to have yet another switch at the back-end to compare version numbers of WP, then include the corresponding JQuery UI libraries (one of the JQuery UI plugins I use, “Slider” is not distributed by WP). This also means that faulty plugins have the opportunity to wreck more themes. Aaarrrggghhh!!!
Another undesirable impact is that a release that is already late will get even more delayed – the Beta 1 version of WP 3.2 doesn’t have the latest libraries, so I have to wait till a new Beta is released to test my changes, since I am not very keen about checking code off the development version of WP.
The delays notwithstanding, I plan to put out very soon a demo showcasing some of the new features of the next version of Suffusion. So stay tuned.
would it make it easier/cleaner if you just said 3.7.9 of suffusion only worked on 3.2+?
or maybe have 3.7.9 be the last to be backwards compat. and for 3.8 and on require 3.2+.
I wouldn’t mind meeting requirements for the latest theme. People should upgrade anyway.
Actually the problem is tougher than that, and the main culprits are plugins. A lot of users depend on plugins that are either poorly coded or have not been updated since a long time. Ever since WP 3.0 came out the standard way to update has been to look at the “Updates” section in one’s dashboard, then click “Update All”. Now, if Suffusion is updated but the plugins are not, then I leave the users in a lurch. This is not my problem to solve, but it isn’t a good place to put users in.
The second aspect is the testing. Consider this: the inclusion of the latest JQuery has not yet been included in the beta version. Hence if I wanted to release the theme today, I would have to go out of my way to ensure it didn’t break for something that isn’t even in a beta release. That puts unnecessary burden on a developer.
Lastly, while I agree with you regarding backward compatibility, it is normally wise to leave an application compatible up to the previous version of the platform it is on. So I will be leaving Suffusion compatible with 3.1.x, but not 3.0.x.
Wow, that’s a real hard job!! much harder than what I thought…
Thank Sayontan, you really care about users.
Respect 🙂
Sayontan, this is obviously quite a bit of extra work for you however I’m certain that most of us that use your awesome (and free!) Theme are more than happy to wait. Suffusion is a high quality product and waiting a bit longer to get an update is no problem whatsoever!
Gee wiz man say’ I really wouldn’t know what to do without you.
CSS goes straight over my head and you have literally saved my life.
Your constant attention to new developments is really appreciated.
Thanks allot.
Sayontan,
I looked at a lot of themes, both paid and free, before coming to rest on Suffusion. I want to tell you you have done “a man’s job” in putting this together and keeping it up.
If I may say so, your English is better than that of many native speakers today. I personally appreciate and respect this.
Thanks.
Keep up the good work man. My 21st Birthday Present Website has been running without a hitch since I started building it 2 months ago. I am actually thinking about using Suffusion instead of my premium theme on my main site because it is so customizable.
Hi Sayontan –
WP 3.2 will be ready June 30th from what I hear. Will your theme work on that upgrade? Any suggestions as to how to approach the upgrade using your current version of Suffusion?
Thanks!
Karim
I think the admin panel will face some issues due to JQuery library mismatches. But since version 3.7.9 is not ready, I will be releasing a patch to preempt this.
Thank you!
Hi Sayontan,
I love your theme and I’ve used it for a long time in my blog.
Since I’ve updated to WordPress 3.2, I get only a blank screen and users cannot access to my blog.
Have you any advice to give me?
Thank you in advance!