I’ve updated a couple of the WordPress plugins I’ve released in the past and I needed new software to do so. After a quick search I’ve found Versions, a little application for Mac OSX that has a nice user interface which is easy to use.
I’ll be showing the method to publish your new WordPress plugin in the WordPress Plugin Directory. Read more about the folder structure and the basics of the subversion repository.
For this tutorial I’ll be using Versions 2 that is available on their website.
Write your plugin
First of all: write, complete and debug your plugin. There is a lot of documentation in the WordPress Codex where you can find you to do so and there are also dozens of great tutorials on the web available.
Add your plugin to the Plugin Directory
After your plugin is ready you add your plugin to the Plugin Directory by sending the form on WordPress.org. You’ll receive an email when your new plugin is accepted.
Actions explained
Just a few basic actions that are necessary for your to release your plugin in the plugin directory.
Checkout
Get all the files from your subversion account. You’ll download all the files and the file structure of your repository.
Commit
Upload all the new and modified files.
Update
Get only the updated files and folders
Set the server settings
After downloading Versions 2 just open the application and press the upper Repository button.
Enter all the fields that are requierd. Note, these are only the WordPress server settings.
The location is the url to the WordPress subversion server. You’ll find this url in the email that you’ve received when your plugin has been accepted. The username is automatically been placed after the http:// when you enter your username in the specified field. Enter your password en hit the Create button.
Your repository will be verified and if everything is alright the repository is added to the toolbar on the left of the interface.
Set up local settings
Just select the bookmak and the main folder in the right column of the interface and press Checkout (The third icon on the left upper corner).
Browse to a local folder that you’d like to store your plugin. You do not need to create a subfolder, Versions will do this automatically. Press Checkout and Versions will copy the file structure from the WordPress server to your local machine.
In my case I’ll use the folder:
Desktop/10002 WordPress plugins/
In this case it’s a existing plugin so there are some folders in the directories but that isn’t interfering this tutorial.
Update or release your plugin
Before we go any further, please be aware of the subverion folder structure. I’ve published an article about this. Read this and you’ll understand what I’m going to do now.
Copy the files to the local folders
Just copy overwrite the plugin files to the local branche folder you’ve selected before you’ve pushed the checkout button so in my example it’s
Desktop/10002 WordPress plugins/wordpress-easy-todo/branche/
Create a new folder in the tags for the version you would like to share.
Desktop/10002 WordPress plugins/wordpress-easy-todo/tags/1.1.5/
Do the versions magic
Go to the Versions application and you’ll see the folder wordpress-easy-todo whith several files with questionmarks or edit icons in the left column.
- Select the files with a questionmark and press the Add button on the upper right.
- Check if all the files are correct and if you do not have any overload in the folders. If so, mark them as deleted with the Delete button on the upper right.
do not remove these files with finder, you’ll be ruin your repository bookmark and have to create a new one.
I’m going to update my plugin so I’ll have to add the folder 1.1.5.
The question mark for folder 1.1.5 is now changed into a plus icon.
Now move the folder of the previous version to the branches folder. Do not change the name so it stays a good version identifier in the future.
After you hit the OK button the folder will be moved to the branches folder after we’ve commited all the changes we’ve made.
Commit changes
Select all the changed files and folders. The question mark identifier for the trunk folder is only mentioning that there are files in it with changes.
Hit the Commit button on the left upper corner. Describe what the changes are and press the commit button.
The files are commited to the server and after that everything has to look like this
The WordPress server updates every 15 minutes so grab a cup of coffee or a beer and try to install your new plugin via your WordPress admin panel.
Notes
Be sure you only add files and folders via the Finder interface. Please do not delete or move files and folders because this will ruin your plugin structure. You’ll get an error and in that case you have to remove the subversion bookmark from the Versions interface.
If your plugin isn’t updated you’ll have to check the status of all the files. When there are no icon’s shown in the left column of Version everything will be alright but be sure the tags folder only contains the folder of your latest version!
Comments (11)
Nico says:
Hi,
Thanks for this article, I’m really totally new about SVN and it’s really hard to find some informations.
I use Versions and try to release my first plugin. I don’t know why but I can’t commit the changes I made. Here’s the error message :
Commit failed (details follow):
MKACTIVITY of ‘/!svn/act/[sort of Serial Number]‘: authorization failed: Could not authenticate to server: rejected Basic challenge (http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org)
Any idea ?
Nico says:
Sorry for the stupid question, I had entered the wring password ^^
Crispijn says:
I thought so… Good to hear that everything is fine now. What kind of plugin have you made?
Greets!
Nico says:
A pretty simple one that converts all plain text emails sent with WordPress to HTML with the ability to add a wrapper template.
http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/wp-better-emails/
This is first release and I’m not very skilled in PHP so if you have any comment, just let me know
By the way and if I may, I have a few questions about publishing plugins :
- What’s the delay between comitting to SVN and appearing in the plugins directory ?
- I’m trying to access the “Admin page” mentionned in the codex (http://codex.wordpress.org/I18n_for_WordPress_Developers#Generating_a_POT_file) to generate my POT file but can’t find it, do you know the url ? Any other (simple) way to achieve this ?
Thanks !
Nico says:
Ok, my plugin is online, I now have all the answers
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-better-emails/
incount says:
wow, питомцы, gold быстро
prozar says:
Gepard 5.0-3.0
bazline says:
Ukash Vip-File.Com
machtyrf says:
#a#мачты производство#/a#, где мачты дешевле.
machtyrf says:
#a#мачты освещения с мобильной короной#/a#.
all4xs says:
Goeie handleiding! Blij dat onze plugin nu in de repository staat!
Moet alleen nog even uitvinden hoe je dan screenshots, beschrijvingen etc. toevoegt.