WordPress Release: 4.0.0

TL;DR

WordPress 4.0 "Benny" introduces a completely redesigned media library with grid view, improved content editing experience with an editor that expands to fit your content, and better plugin discovery with new visual plugin cards. This release also brings improved internationalization with language selection during installation and automatic language pack updates.

Highlight of the Release

• Redesigned media library with grid view for easier browsing and management
• Content editor that expands to fit your content as you write
• Improved plugin discovery with visual plugin cards showing icons and ratings
• Language selection during installation and automatic language pack updates
• Enhanced media management with bulk selection mode and improved attachment details
• Better keyboard navigation and accessibility throughout the admin

Migration Guide

Upgrading to WordPress 4.0

WordPress 4.0 is a major update with significant UI changes but maintains backward compatibility with previous versions. Most users should experience a smooth upgrade process.

Before Upgrading

1. Backup your website: Always create a complete backup of your files and database before upgrading.
2. Update plugins and themes: Ensure all plugins and themes are updated to their latest versions.
3. Test in a staging environment: If possible, test the upgrade in a staging environment first.

After Upgrading

1. Media Library: The new grid view is now the default. You can switch back to list view using the view switcher in the media library.
2. Editor Experience: The editor now expands as you write. If you prefer the old fixed-height editor, you can disable this feature using the wp_editor_expand filter.
3. Language Settings: If you were using the WPLANG constant in wp-config.php, you may want to review your language settings as WordPress now primarily uses the WPLANG option in the database.

For Developers

1. Customizer API: The Customizer API has been refactored with separate WP_Customize_Panel and WP_Customize_Section classes. If you've built custom controls, review your code for compatibility.
2. Media Views: If you've extended the media views, review your code as there have been significant changes to the media library JavaScript.
3. Session Tokens API: Public methods in the session tokens API have been renamed for clarity.

Upgrade Recommendations

Recommendation: Upgrade at your earliest convenience.

WordPress 4.0 is a major update that brings significant improvements to the user interface and experience, particularly for content creators and site administrators. The changes are primarily focused on the admin interface and do not introduce breaking changes to the front-end of websites.

Priority: Medium

This is not a security-focused release, so there's no urgent security reason to update immediately. However, the improvements to the media library, content editor, and plugin discovery make this a worthwhile update for most users.

Compatibility Notes:

• Most themes and plugins should continue to work without issues
• Developers who have extensively customized the media library or editor may need to review their code
• Sites using custom language handling might need to review their configuration after updating

Preparation:

1. Backup your website files and database
2. Update all plugins and themes before upgrading WordPress
3. Test the upgrade in a staging environment if possible
4. Allow extra time to become familiar with the new media library interface

Bug Fixes

Media and Editor Fixes

• Fixed issues with the TinyMCE wpView plugin for better handling of embedded content
• Resolved problems with image editing in the media modal
• Fixed keyboard navigation issues in media grid and attachment details
• Corrected issues with media thumbnail resizing to avoid repeated resizing
• Fixed upload error display in the media grid

Plugin and Theme Management

• Fixed compatibility warnings display in plugin installer
• Corrected plugin details modal styling and accessibility issues
• Fixed issues with plugin icons display and layout
• Resolved RTL layout issues in plugin screens

Internationalization and Localization

• Fixed language pack upgrader to properly handle updates
• Resolved issues with language selection during installation
• Fixed handling of WPLANG constant and option

General UI and Accessibility

• Improved focus styling for form elements and buttons
• Fixed responsive layout issues in various admin screens
• Corrected CSS issues with modals and customizer
• Fixed issues with editor scrolling and content jumping

New Features

Media Library Grid View

The media library has been completely redesigned with a new grid view that makes browsing and managing your media files more intuitive. The grid displays visual thumbnails of your media items, making it easier to find the content you're looking for. You can still switch to the traditional list view if preferred.

Expanding Content Editor

The content editor now expands to fit your content as you write, providing a more seamless writing experience. The editor toolbar remains fixed at the top while you scroll, and the sidebar metaboxes stay in view for easy access to settings.

Visual Plugin Cards

The plugin installer now features visual plugin cards that display plugin icons, ratings, and compatibility information at a glance. This makes discovering and evaluating plugins much easier before installation.

Language Selection During Installation

WordPress now offers language selection during the installation process, allowing you to set up your site in your preferred language from the start. This is part of a broader effort to improve WordPress internationalization.

Automatic Language Pack Updates

Language packs now update automatically in the background, ensuring your translated WordPress installation stays current without manual intervention.

Media Grid Bulk Selection Mode

A new bulk selection mode in the media library grid view allows for easier management of multiple media items at once. You can select multiple items and perform actions like deletion or editing in bulk.

Improved Attachment Details

The attachment details modal has been redesigned to provide a better experience when viewing and editing media information. It includes improved keyboard navigation and focus styling.

Security Updates

Authentication and Authorization

• Improved nonce verification in wp_verify_nonce() by requiring a non-empty nonce value
• Added new capabilities for plugin and theme uploads (upload_plugins and upload_themes) for better security control

Database Security

• Reverted a change that allowed empty WHERE clauses in wpdb::update() to prevent potential security issues

Performance Improvements

Media Library Performance

• Improved handling of media thumbnails to avoid repeated resizing
• Better performance when browsing large media libraries with the new grid view

Editor Performance

• Optimized editor scrolling and resizing for smoother performance
• Reduced unnecessary DOM operations when switching between Visual and Text modes

Menu Management

• Improved performance for title live updating in the menu management screen

Query Performance

• Better handling of database queries in various core functions
• Improved performance when updating post counts

Impact Summary

WordPress 4.0 "Benny" represents a significant evolution in WordPress's user interface and experience, particularly focusing on content creation and media management workflows. The redesigned media library with grid view transforms how users interact with their media files, making visual browsing and management much more intuitive. The expanding content editor creates a more immersive writing experience by adapting to content length.

For administrators, the improved plugin discovery with visual plugin cards makes finding and evaluating plugins much easier, while the new language selection during installation and automatic language pack updates greatly enhance the experience for international users.

The release also brings important improvements for developers with enhancements to the Customizer API, better documentation throughout core, and improved media views API with better keyboard navigation support.

While this is a major version number change, WordPress 4.0 maintains backward compatibility and focuses on enhancing the user experience rather than introducing breaking changes. The improvements to content creation workflows, media management, and internationalization make this a significant update that benefits nearly all WordPress users.