Manga+Press

Manga+Press 2.6.1 Bug-fix release

# March 9, 2010 @ 12:46 am by admin _\Filed under: Updates    # Add Comment »

Manga+Press 2.6.1 has just been released. This is a bug-fix release and corrects the Static Page issue mentioned in my last post. This version also adds the comic post title to the Latest Comic Page. If the comic post title being displayed is a problem, a simple CSS fix can correct that. Just put h2.comic-title { display:none; } in your Theme’s style.css file.

Otherwise, that’s it! Enjoy ;)

Manga+Press 2.7 ideas

# March 8, 2010 @ 5:25 pm by admin _\Filed under: Updates Tags: , ,
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My first two ideas for Manga+Press 2.7:

  1. Support Multiple Comics Series.
    I need to decide which term makes more sense. A series should refer to a group of comics related to each other by storyline, so if you have comics with two different storylines, that would be two different series. If I do this, that would mean I would have to rethink how Manga+Press handles its categories.
  2. International language support.
    This is a must and one I’ve considered since v1.0 but I haven’t received any requests for multiple languages and honestly, which ones do I support? Where do I get translators? Would there be any volunteers?
  3. Custom Post Type: “Comic.”
    If I do this, that practically means that 2.7 will not be supported by WordPress 2.9. The next version of WordPress is supposed to feature custom post types and if that happens, that might eliminate the need for a database table to keep track of the comics, or at the very least, it would eliminate the need for a custom meta field.
  4. WordPress μ support.
    With the merger of WPMU and WordPress in version 3.0, this is something that I’m going to have to look at. Last fall, I ran a test with Manga+Press 2.5 and WPMU and for the most part, it worked just fine except for one problem: the comic banner cache. The only thing I can think of is integrating TimThumb further into Manga+Press

Other possibilities:

  • Eliminating the Post New Comic page.
    With being able to add your comics through the Add New Post page, the Post New Comic page is probably unnecessary. On the other hand, if I add multiple series support.
  • Developing CharacterWiki.
    CharacterWiki would have to work with Manga+Press: different series=different characters. Once again, this would be a WordPress 3.0-only feature because I can see how custom Post Types can be used for this feature.

So these are my current ideas for the next version of Manga+Press. Feel free to comment if you have any other ideas for features that can be included in the next version.

Manga+Press 2.6 Static Page Issues and updates

# @ 1:54 am by admin _\Filed under: Updates Tags: , ,
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First off, I just found out that Manga+Press does not play well with WordPress’s Static Page settings. If you’re using your latest comic page as a static front page, you will have to create a custom page template and apply it to your latest comic page. If you need more info on custom page templates in WordPress, check out this page in the WordPress Codex for more information on how to create a custom page template. Also, check out my page on Manga+Press’s template tags, and there is a code sample available for download as well. Unfortunately, I’ve been doing some tests to see if I can integrate Static Page support but it seems like the “fix” causes more problems than it actually fixes.

Also, if you’re having issues with the “Powered by Manga+Press…” text in your footer ruining your layout, you can use this line of code in your theme’s functions.php file to remove it:

<?php remove_action('wp_footer', 'mpp_add_footer_info'); ?>

I had a great idea for a companion plugin to Manga+Press: CharacterWiki! Which is exactly what it says it is. Basically, it would be a plugin that would allow you to create a Cast of Characters listing and/or a series guide. I have no idea when I can start development on this project but I hope it’s sometime soon!

And finally, I should have a Manga+Press API reference up in the next few weeks. I’m working on it as part of my senior portfolio since the development of Manga+Press is playing a major part in my portfolio.

Manga+Press 2.6 Officially Released!

# March 7, 2010 @ 1:02 am by admin _\Filed under: Updates Tags:
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Yep, that’s right. Manga+Press 2.6 is now available for download in the WordPress plugin repository. The reason behind this is 2.6 is as ready as it’s going to be. I can’t find anything wrong with 2.6 under WordPress 2.9.1, the problem is I haven’t updated to 2.9.2 so I have no idea how it handles.

The next version of Manga+Press is going to be 2.7 and I think multiple comic support should be a priority in 2.7. The other feature will probably include multiple language support. At the moment, those two features are the only ideas I have for 2.7 so I’m open to suggestions on other features to include.  Another thing is I’m going to work on 2.7 in conjunction with the beta version of WordPress 3.0; this way, I’m up-to-date on any changes in the WordPress code that might effect the development of 2.7. I have no idea when WordPress 3.0 is supposed to be out though my guess would probably be this summer and I may not be able to start development of M+P 2.7 until the end of this month, at the earliest.

Manga+Press Bugfix and update

# February 27, 2010 @ 9:48 am by admin _\Filed under: Updates Tags: ,
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Well, Manga+Press 2.9 2.6 beta has been updated with the bugfix and the version number update. I’m thinking that I might be able to have the final release out a little earlier than expected. The quarter is beginning to wind down and I should have less work to do after this week. Now, my main problem is going to become whether or not M+P 2.6 will work with WordPress 3.0, since WP and WPMU are supposed to be merged in WP 3.0. I did a test-run with WPMU a few weeks back and discovered some potential issues with Manga+Press.

Final release date, I’m thinking now maybe the third week of March — around the 22nd or thereabouts any time now!

Download: Manga+Press 2.6 beta

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