That’s right WordPress fans! WP Clips has been revived! The popular WP code customization plugin has been redesigned and relaunched with some major developments in WP Clips Version 3.
Here is a list of important developments which now make WP Clips Version 3 the best custom code repository for WordPress developers:
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Clips have moved out of home — The most common complaint with former versions of the plugin has been the inclusion of custom and precoded Clips within the plugin folder itself. This meant plugin updates needed to be conducted manually and custom code was at risk of accidental deletion by a novice developer.
This has all changed with Version 3.
The new release builds a new Clips directory in the wp-content root folder, securely protecting all Clips and custom code from plugin updates. Even if the plugin is removed, the Clip directory will remain until it is manually deleted, and will reactive once plugin is reinstalled.
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Plugin non-essentials are now squatting with Precoded Clips — Previous versions of the plugin included file/folder version upgraders and functions for the custom Clip editor. This simply added bulk to the plugin. So, we’ve separated these functions to precoded Clips which can be installed via the plugin’s WP Clips Manager. For example, below are two precoded Clips which may be helpful with your version 3 upgrade:
WP Clips v3 File Upgrader — version 3 upgrades to files and folders.
WP Clips v3 Clips Editor — enables Clip editing via WP Plugins Editor. -
Improved architecture and Clip naming conventions — The new Clips directory brings about adjustments to filenames, directory structure and hierarchy. In single site installations, the core, custom and precoded Clip folders reside in the root Clips directory as they did in the plugins folder, however the unclipped folder has now been moved from the precoded directory to the root. In multisite installations, new network and site (blog) directories have been introduced to the Clips directory root, each with their precoded and unclipped folders. The new structures are shown below:
Single Site
/wp-content/clips/clip-core/ {core functions file}
/wp-content/clips/clip-custom/ {custom functions, script, style files}
/wp-content/clips/precoded/ {precoded Clip folders}
/wp-content/clips/unclipped/ {disabled Clip folders}Multisite
/wp-content/clips/network/clip-core/ {core functions file}
/wp-content/clips/site-{blog id}/clip-custom/ {custom functions, script, style files}
/wp-content/clips/site-{blog id}/precoded/ {precoded Clip folders}
/wp-content/clips/site-{blog id}/unclipped/ {disabled Clip folders}In addition to architecture, some minor filename changes have been made for better logic and readability. The custom-jquery.js file and references have been renamed custom-script.js, and filename underscores have been replaced by dashes for more reliable web accessibility.
- Vitals file replaced by Clip headers — Previous plugin versions supported an independent vitals.php file for declaring theme and plugin dependencies for custom and precoded Clips. Support for this file is now deprecated and replaced by file headers added to the main functions file. Note that if updating to the new version, custom Clip vitals declarations (if any) must be transferred to the custom-functions.php file. Click here to read more.
- Headers add display data and links for precoded Clips — Custom and precoded Clips can now include a variety of readable headers for greater functionality and user support. The custom Clip can be renamed and include theme and plugin dependencies, while precoded Clips can further include version numbers, information links, author details, and network requirements. Click here to read more.
Upgrading to V3
If you’re an existing user of WP Clips or WP Clips Multisite, updating is easy! Visit the Updating or Upgrading page on the WP Clips website, download the new plugin version and follow the instructions provided.
