WordPress 2.6 Promises Content Creation Improvements

WordPress, the popular blogging and content management software, released version 2.6 today. The release includes new features for content creation, as well as a number of incremental improvements and nearly 200 bug fixes.The main new features for Wordpress 2.6 are Post Revisions, which allows comparisons of current and older versions of content; Press This, a bookmarklet that simplifies the process of creating links to other content and sites; Google Gears support, which speeds up many editing functions by using a local cache for certain pages; and Theme Preview support, which allows the admin to preview what their site will look with a new user interface without pushing it live. These are all welcome additions, and they build on top of any already mature, feature-rich foundation.

The minor enhancements are the icing on the cake for 2.6. What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editing is generally improved with better image support, integrated word counts; and revamped TinyMCE. A number of security improvements also have made it in, including improved SSL support as well as some improvements to cookies and database interactions.

Anytime a significant upgrade to any software package comes along, backward compatibility is a concern. With almost 2 million downloads of WordPress 2.5, there's a significant established user base to consider. Fortunately, WordPress 2.6 is fully backward compatible, including plug-ins, so the upgrade path should be straightforward. Fresh installs also are a breeze, as WordPress continues its tradition of a simple five-minute install.

For additional details on the new features, big and small, check out the WordPress 2.6 announcement page on WordPress.org. You also can check out a quick video overview of the changes and enhancements.