• Summary
• Plugin Detail Chart
• When Things Go Wrong

Summary

Plugins frequently need to be upgraded. Some plugins are currently being developed and thus have lots of updates that need to be applied, whereas other plugins are no longer being developed and thus require infrequent to no upgrades. (when there is a major update to Wordpress, there is usually also a flurry of plugin updates as plugin authors scurry to make their plugins compatible with the specifications of the new version of Wordpress) To see the list of plugins, simply go to the Plugin page.

Some plugins are easy to upgrade and simply require overwriting the files in the plugin directory, others plugins have been customized and require modifications to be made before the files are overwritten.

• As a general rule, any plugin that stores entries in the database is a high priority and can cause more problems than non-database plugins.
• When upgrading, it is best practice to deactivate the plugin before the upgrade and to only reactivate the plugin once the upgrade has been complete (files have been completely overwritten, or files have been completely removed and added).
• Individual plugin page documentation lists details about each plugin and directions for how to upgrade it.

When there is an update to a plugin it will show a number in a colored circle on the Plugins tab in the backend sidebar. The number in the circle indicates how many plugins have updates.

On the plugin page itself, a bar appears below plugins that have updates.

In the file structure, all plugins are located in the /itnews/wp-content/plugins directory. Within it, most plugins have their own directory, but some are just .php files within the plugins directory.

Plugin Detail Chart

The following is a list of plugins currently in use on IT Tuesday separated by their frequency and difficulty of upgrade:

When Things Go Wrong

After activating a newly upgraded plugin, there are three primary symptoms that can occur that will alert you that something has gone wrong. Below are these three symptoms and what should be done to remedy them. Above all, common sense should be used to determine what has gone wrong and how to proceed.

1. All of Wordpress goes blank and all attempts to reach all parts of the site are unsuccessful

Fix: There has been a critical error with the plugin which has infected Wordpress. The plugin must be entirely removed from the server by deleting all files. If Wordpress remains unresponsive, the plugin must have modified critical Wordpress settings and a backup may be needed to restore the site.

2. Wordpress is fine, but when trying to access the plugin admin page or any other aspect that the plugin modifies, the pages are blank and unresponsive.

Fix: The plugin has either not been upgraded properly or there is an error with the plugin (which could be a compatability error with the current Wordpress version or another plugin installed in Wordpress). Deactivate and remove the entire plugin. Re-download the plugin and try to install once more with a fresh download. Make sure all the previous files are replaced with the new files. If the plugin still has a problem, it is most likely a compatibility issue. Check the plugin to see if it is compatible with your current version of Wordpress. Research the problem by searching the Wordpress forums and around the web. If the same issue along with a fix cannot be found, the plugin will not work and must be removed from Wordpress.

3. All pages in the admin and frontend load properly, but the design or functionality that the plugin modifies does not look right or does not function properly.

Fix: Either the plugin has changed since its previous version or a customization has not properly migrated to the new version of the plugin. Check the TellTuesday documentation to see if there is a customization that needs to be transfered. Compare the old and new plugin versions by examining the files, the php and css. Determine the extent of the problem and the work required to fix it. Make a decision to fix the plugin, abandon the functionality altogether by deleting the plugin, or find a similar plugin that will preform the same functionality.