Updates in version 1.2:
Compatible with WordPress 3

Why it wasn’t working with WP3

WordPress had introduced Post Types in WP2.9. The default post types are post, page, attachment, revision, and nav-menu-item. WordPress had no restriction on applying taxonomies (category and tag) on any post type but had given the option to select for “post” post type only.

In WP3, the post type needs to be registered with taxonomy to be able to attached to it. The “page” post type is not registered with Category taxonomy so the plugin wasn’t able to save categories for pages in database.

What have been changed to make it compatible with WP3

I have used register_taxonomy_for_object_type function to enable “page” post type for Categories.

I have updated Map Categories to Pages. It has auto-insertion capability now.

New Features in version 1.1:

1. Option for auto-insertion of the Pages on Category pages
2. Option for auto-insertion of Posts on the Pages which belong to the same category

To enable the features, goto the Map Categories to Pages settings page.

Choose the appropriate option to enable the features. It also provides the option to specify Header text and style to display just before the posts list on the Pages, e.g. header=Related Posts&before=<h3 class="title">&after=</h3>.

• header – heading text just before the posts list.
• before – Opening HTML tag (with CSS class or style) to insert just before the post titles
• after – closing HTML tag to insert just after the post titles

Read Assign Categories to Pages in WordPress for more information.

WordPress has different options for organizing posts. One of them is Categories. The categories can only be assigned to posts, not to pages in WordPress. But sometime you might want to categorize the pages as well. Here are a few cases.

1. To display related posts on a page.
2. To display pages and categories in navigation menu in mixed order. WordPress provides the two different functions to display a list of Pages and Categories. But it doesn’t give the option to setup a navigation menu mixed with pages and categories, like the example given below. In such a case you can map pages to categories and use them as category pages. Obviously it will need some changes in the template.
   • Page 1
   • Page 2
   • Category 1
   • Page 3
   • Category 2
3. To display pages on the category pages with the posts.

How to map Categories to pages

Add following lines of code in the function.php of your theme directory. If you don’t have a function.php in the theme directory then you can add it using any text editor. You can also download the plugin which I have made from http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/map-categories-to-pages/.

function add_category_box_on_page(){
//add meta box
add_meta_box('categorydiv', __('Categories'), 'post_categories_meta_box', 'page', 'side', 'low');
}

add_action('admin_menu', 'add_category_box_on_page');

It will show the category selection box on the right side on “Edit Page” page.

Template changes

You will also have to edit the page template to use categories. You can use standard category code on your page template. Take a look at http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/get_the_category and http://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Tags/the_category.

Here is a small piece of code to build a page of posts. This example uses the styles from WordPress default theme.

<?php
global $post;
$cats=array();
foreach(get_the_category() as $category) {
	$cats[]=$category->cat_ID;
}
$showposts = -1; // -1 shows all posts
$do_not_show_stickies = 1; // 0 to show stickies
$args=array(
   'category__in' => $cats,
   'showposts' => $showposts,
   'caller_get_posts' => $do_not_show_stickies
   );
$my_query = new WP_Query($args);

?>

	<?php if( $my_query->have_posts() ) : ?>

		<?php while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>
			<?php
			//necessary to show the tags
			global $wp_query;
			$wp_query->in_the_loop = true;
			?>
			<div <?php post_class() ?> id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
				<h2><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title_attribute(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
				<small><?php the_time('F jS, Y') ?> <!-- by <?php the_author() ?> --></small>

				<div class="entry">
					<?php the_content('Read the rest of this entry »'); ?>
				</div>

				<p class="postmetadata"><?php the_tags('Tags: ', ', ', '
'); ?> Posted in <?php the_category(', ') ?> | <?php edit_post_link('Edit', '', ' | '); ?>  <?php comments_popup_link('No Comments »', '1 Comment »', '% Comments »'); ?></p>
			</div>

		<?php endwhile; ?>

	<?php else : ?>

		<h2 class="center">Not Found</h2>
		<p class="center">Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here.</p>

	<?php endif; ?>

Displaying pages on Category pages

When WordPress fetches the posts from database, the default post type is ‘post’. So even when you have mapped a page to a category, it won’t display the page on that category page. The post type needs to be changed explicitly on the category page. To change the post type, add following code in function.php.

//call a function just before the query runs to fetch posts
add_action('pre_get_posts','change_post_type');

function change_post_type($var) {
	if(is_category()) {
    	    	$var->query_vars['post_type'] = 'any';
            	//it will change the value to 'any' from the default value of ;post';
            	//can be any, attachment,  page, post, or revision.
            	//'any' retrieves any type except revisions.
	}
}

WordPress has launch an app on LinkedIn. Using this application you can publish your wordpress blog to your professional social media network.

Wordpress app on LinkedIn

It will help you to share your thoughts and updates with your professional contacts. To add WordPress app to your LinkedIn account click here and click on Add application button in the sidebar. Now enter your WordPress.com or WordPress.org blog address.

You can opt to display wordpress app on your LinkedIn profile and home page.

If you are not moderating comments on your blog then you must start doing it because you are responsible for the words of others.

Blog owners should be aware of the cyber law. It is understood that those who write in a blog are liable for the content they have written but do you know that the blog owners are also responsible for the comments written on their blog.

You can be liable if the comments on your posts include the followings:

• Vulgar words
• Offensive comments
• If it reveals someone else’s trade secrets
• Defame other’s good reputation
• Encourage harassment

However, it totally depends upon laws of your country. There are situations also where bloggers get protection. So it is always good to be aware of the Law that is prevalent in your country.

Let’s share

If you know about cases where bloggers can be liable, list them here.

I have successfully upgraded to WordPress 2.6.1. This release has around 60 fixes and enhancements.

Check out the full list of over 60 fixes.

I have changed the design of my blog. Take a look (http://www.amit.me/blog).

Now I am using Thesis theme by DIY themes. Thesis is a search engine optimized HTML + CSS + PHP framework equipped with an innovative options panel that makes it easy for anyone to run a professional, customized blog or website. It has many features to customize the look of the theme. Some of the features are listed below. To view complete list of features visit http://diythemes.com/thesis/.

• Robust Multimedia Box Options
• Customizable, Automated Navigation Menu
• Completely New File Structure
• World’s Easiest RSS Feed Management
• Simple Stats and Scripts Management
• A New Approach to Sidebar Widgets
• Markup and Style Changes
• Separation of Comments and Trackbacks
• Author and Date Control on Posts and Pages
• Stylesheet Changes and Internet Explorer

Thesis theme option screen

I am still exploring the theme and will talk about it later.

WordPress 2.6 is released today. I have upgraded to this version. It has a few stunning features.

Check at http://www.wordpress.org.