Justin Tadlock » Justin Tadlock

Custom Classes: WordPress Plugin

Justin Tadlock — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:39:33 +0000

For a recent project, I needed a way to add custom post and body classes on a per-post basis. Sure, I could have used a category or tag to style each post, but I hate creating custom categories and tags for the purposes of styling a post. So, I created a small plugin to let me add custom classes for individual posts.

How the plugin works

The plugin adds a custom meta box on the edit post screen for any public post type called “Classes” as shown in the following screenshot.

The meta box allows you to enter a custom class for a post (used by the post_class() function) or a custom body class (used by the body_class() function).

The following screenshot shows what your class will look like in the source code on a single post.

All you have to do is style your posts via CSS using the custom classes you’ve addded.

Download the plugin

You can download the latest version from the WordPress plugin repository: Custom Classes Plugin. I hope you enjoy it and find some use for it in your projects.

Please do not ask support questions in the comments below. If you’re in need of plugin support, head over to the Theme Hybrid support forums, which is where I handle support for all my plugins and themes.

One multi-task plugin vs. several single-task plugins?

Justin Tadlock — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:57:47 +0000

Recently, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the debate over whether it’s better to develop larger plugins that handle many related tasks or smaller, mini-plugins that handle extremely specific tasks. There’s merit to both arguments, but I wanted to give my readers a chance to discuss this and help me come to a decision about how I developer some of my future plugins.

The biggest reason for this article is that I’ve been trying to make a final decision on how one (or multiple as the case may be) of my plugins will be developed. Other plugin developers might also find this discussion useful in helping them make decisions.

The example plugin

I want you to have an example of what I’m asking you to discuss, so I’ll give you a few details on the plugin(s) I’m developing. It is a set of extensions to how comments are handled in WordPress. Some of these extensions include:

Moderate all non-Enlish comments.
Automatically delete spam on a schedule.
Turn on/off comments for specific post types by default (like with posts).
Moderate all trackbacks and pingbacks.
And more.

The plugin currently has several options like the above. Basically, it’s just an extension to the “Discussion Settings” page in the WordPress admin. It’s easy to see how some users might only want to use one or two of those settings rather than all of them.

Advantages of a single, multi-task plugin

The following is a list of some of the advantages to running a single plugin:

You only have to run one plugin. Many people live in fear of running “too many plugins” because it might somehow break their site. Realistically, running too many large or poorly-coded plugins would be more of a problem. While you can’t really have too many plugins, this fear from users is something to consider.
Fewer things to manage. No one likes to update plugins every day. The more plugins you have, the more likely you’ll have to update them frequently. Having to only update a single plugin instead of several is easier.
Fewer translation files. Translators would only have to update and maintain a single translation file for one plugin as opposed to multiple translations for multiple plugins.

Advantages of multiple, single-task plugins

The list below is some of the advantages of using several plugins.

You don’t have to load code you don’t need. Using mini plugins means that you only have to load and run code that you absolutely want. With a single plugin, there may be several parts of the plugin that you don’t want to use.
There’s generally fewer bugs. Less code in a plugin means there’s less chance of bugs arising. It also makes it easier to find and fix bugs more quickly. Thus, allowing plugin developers to quickly get out new releases when they’re needed.
Fewer database options. With multiple plugins, sometimes you don’t need an option at all. The plugin simply works. With a single, large plugin, each setting might need to be enabled/disabled.

What are your thoughts?

Think about the example plugin I mentioned early in the post. If I allowed you to make the final decision on whether you’d like to see this developed as a single plugin or multiple plugins, which would you choose?

Now, think about the plugins you currently have installed on your site. Are there some that you’d like to see broken down into smaller plugins that only handled specific tasks?

Are there any other advantages or disadvantages you’d like to share?

Prevent Password Reset WordPress Plugin

Justin Tadlock — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:36:15 +0000

Recently, I needed to build some functionality into a site that disabled the ability to reset the passwords of certain site administrators via the “lost password” form. However, I wanted to leave this option open for other users in case they needed to reset their password after forgetting it.

Thus, the Prevent Password Reset plugin was born.

How the plugin works

Prevent Password Reset is an extremely simple plugin. It adds a checkbox to the “Personal Options” section of each user’s profile page in the WordPress admin as shown in the following screenshot. Anyone who can edit the user’s profile can select this option for the user.

Once this option is selected for a user, their password cannot be reset via the “lost password” form. The following screenshot shows what happens when someone attempts to reset the password for a user with password preventing enabled.

Download the plugin

You can download the latest version from the WordPress plugin repository: Prevent Password Reset Plugin. I hope you enjoy it and can get some type of use out of it.

WordCamp Birmingham 2012

Justin Tadlock — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:47:12 +0000

I’ll be attending WordCamp Birmingham this upcoming weekend (Jan. 14–15, 2012). I’d love to meet some of you fine folks from the WordPress community, so I hope y’all are coming! So, if you want to get together for a beer or something let me know.

Almond and walnut butter

Justin Tadlock — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:03:58 +0000

I got a food processor for Christmas. This is my first attempt at a nut butter. I used walnuts, almonds, a little stevia extract, and coconut oil. Of course, I then spread it on a banana!

Pre-order WPCandy Quarterly #1

Justin Tadlock — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:21:08 +0000

If you’re a WordPress enthusiast, I highly recommend pre-ordering issue #1 of the WPCandy Quarterly, a print magazine for us WordPress folks. There will be quite a few interesting articles. Plus, I’m one of the authors in the first issue.

What’s going on with DevPress?

Justin Tadlock — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:31:08 +0000

For those of you who don’t know about DevPress, have you been living under a rock? Seriously, it is a WordPress business I began with Tung Do, Patrick Daly, and Ptah Dunbar. All of these guys are awesome at what they do and are great folks to work with.

The main goal of DevPress was to build an awesome WordPress plugin and theme community where everyone was welcome (and a lot more!). Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned in these past six months or so. Therefore, we had to make some tough decisions. In the end, Tung became the sole owner of DevPress.

Tung described our problem best in his official update on the DevPress blog:

DevPress managed to release high quality products and tease the community of buzz-worthy ideas, but what we needed most was consistency. If success is 80% just simply showing up well then we failed.

DevPress team members were all over the place. We never had everyone on the same page at the same time. We had too many ideas and projects that started but never got finished. This is a problem when you’re trying to kick-start a business venture.

The other issue that we ran into is the too-many-chiefs-not-enough-Indians scenario. Since we were all four the owners of the site (equal ownership), each decision had to be agreed upon. For those of you starting up your own business, take my advice: Elect a single shot-caller, one person to make most of the decisions and manage day-to-day operations. Bigger decisions can be made as a team, but smaller things need to be decided upon in a timely fashion so you can move on to the next thing you need to work on.

Tung will be moving forward with some great ideas he’s had for a long time. I’m happy he’s getting a chance to see them through.

Just so you don’t get any tabloid-like ideas about “what really happened,” just know that we’re all parting as friends. DevPress is changing directions because it was the best move for the business and the WordPress community.

I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything. I feel like I’ve made three great friends who I can rely on. Don’t be surprised if you find two or more of us working together in the future.

What does this mean for me?

For starters, JustinTadlock.com is once again the home of my WordPress tutorials. You can now find all of the tutorials I wrote for DevPress in the WordPress section of this blog.

Theme Hybrid members are getting a few plugins (DevPress plugins and unreleased plugins) as well as the News theme. I’ll be keeping members updated as I continue moving stuff over to the site.

Outside of that, it’ll be the same ol’, same ol’. I’ll just continue breaking WordPress while trying to do cool things with it.

WordPress 3.3: Sonny

Justin Tadlock — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:02:08 +0000

All the awesomeness that is WordPress 3.3 is finally here. Go ahead a grab a copy of the new version and have fun! I’m just thankful that we’ve got plenty of time to play around with it before Christmas.

Smolov base mesocycle

Justin Tadlock — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:51:10 +0000

After completing the first two weeks of the Smolov squat routine (the intro microcycle), I decided to go ahead with the weight lifting program. Plus, I wanted to continue documenting this squat routine for you serious powerlifters out there.

The intro microcycle was no walk in the park. I made it through the first week (three days in a row of squatting) without too many aches and pains. The second week was tough on me though. I was a bit too low on carbs, so my body nearly crashed by the last workout of the week. I had to do some serious eating over the weekend to recuperate.

If you haven’t already done so, read through the Smolov introduction post. This article will outline the second of four cycles in the program: the base mesocycle.

What is the base mesocycle?

Assuming you had the guts to complete the intro microcycle, this is the next step in the program. It doesn’t get any easier. The goal here is to get you stronger and test your will. Intestinal fortitude is a must for this step.

The base mesocycle is a four-week cycle. For the first three weeks, you’ll be squatting with both high volume and high intensity four days a week. The fourth week is a max-out week.

In the following sections, I’ll outline each week’s workout plan.

Week #1

The first week of this cycle will be easier than the following three weeks, but you’ll probably still be adjusting to the volume and intensity. It’ll be a little tougher than what you went through in the intro microcycle. You definitely don’t need to miss any sets or reps this week. You’ll pay for it later.

Day	Sets	Reps	Percentage (1RM)
Day	Sets	Reps	Percentage (1RM)
Monday	4	9	70%
Wednesday	5	7	75%
Friday	7	5	80%
Saturday	10	3	85%

Week #2

Most people who’ve done this program say this is the hardest week of the entire 13-week routine. It’s the same number of sets and reps as the first week. However, each lift has an additional 20 lbs. (10 kg) added to it, which is an insane leap in weight in just a week. You must reach down and find that inner beast within you.

Day	Sets	Reps	Percentage (1RM)
Day	Sets	Reps	Percentage (1RM)
Monday	4	9	70% + 20 lbs. (10 kg)
Wednesday	5	7	75% + 20 lbs. (10 kg)
Friday	7	5	80% + 20 lbs. (10 kg)
Saturday	10	3	85% + 20 lbs. (10 kg)

Week #3

For the third week, you just add 10 lbs. (5 kg) more weight to the bar based on your weights from week #2. This is a 30-pound (15 kg) jump from week #1. The reps and sets are the same as the preceding weeks. Just find a way to get it done. You’ll get to rest a bit in the following week.

Day	Sets	Reps	Percentage (1RM)
Day	Sets	Reps	Percentage (1RM)
Monday	4	9	70% + 30 lbs. (15 kg)
Wednesday	5	7	75% + 30 lbs. (15 kg)
Friday	7	5	80% + 30 lbs. (15 kg)
Saturday	10	3	85% + 30 lbs. (15 kg)

Week #4

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You are officially a beast. Take a few days rest. Your legs will probably need it at this point. You shouldn’t do any leg work whatsoever outside of stretching or walking. You’ll need fresh legs for maxing out.

On Friday of the fourth week, you can get a new 1-rep max. If you’re not really “feeling it” on Friday, come back on Saturday and go for it. Or, you can skip Friday altogether and get your max on Saturday. You want to set a new PR. You’ll be using this new 1RM throughout the remainder of the Smolov program.

Day	Sets	Reps	Percentage (1RM)
Day	Sets	Reps	Percentage (1RM)
Friday	1	1	100%+ (new max)
Saturday	1	1	100%+ (new max)

Don’t use lifting equipment for this max. This should be a raw max. Otherwise, you won’t be able to appropriately calculate your lifts in the coming weeks.

What’s next?

Once you’ve completed the base mesocycle, you’ll be going a bit lighter and doing some speed/explosion work. I’ll cover this in the next installment of this series.

Remember the most important rules: Eat. Sleep. Squat.

My first bacon explosion

Justin Tadlock — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:01:50 +0000

Yeah, I cooked it in the oven and didn’t use barbecue. Maybe next time.