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Gutenberg 11.8 Adds Dozens of Features, Including Featured Patterns and Automatically-Generated Heading Anchors

Gutenberg 11.8 was released at about 12 pm (CDT) today. However, it hit a bump in the road toward its destination, the WordPress plugin directory. A mix-up with getting the release tagged was the culprit, so it sat in limbo for around eight hours. Technically, it was available via its GitHub and SVN repositories. However, the version shown on WordPress.org was stuck on 11.7.1 for much of the day.

The latest release includes dozens of enhancements across the block library, theming, global styles, and more. As we inch closer to the December release of WordPress 5.9, some features are just making it under the wire of the looming feature-freeze deadline, which is set for November 9.

Spacing-related controls are still working their way through the block library. The Heading, Post Title, Query Title, and Social Icons blocks support custom margins. Post Featured Image gets both margin and padding controls, and buttons now have a block gap (spacing) option alongside a margin setting.

Block child themes can now overrule parent theme values via theme.json. I covered this feature in more detail earlier this week.

Block themes now automatically opt into several theme-supported features, including featured images, feed links, and more. Developers should check the pull request for things they may no longer need to register.

Cover Block Background Opacity

Since the initial Cover block launched, users have always been able to change the opacity of the background image. However, when using a background color or gradient, the option to do so would disappear.

With the release of Gutenberg 11.8, users can change the transparency regardless of the background.

This was a feature that was particularly important to me. I opened a ticket to address this in May of this year. My primary use case was to create the effect shown in the following screenshot:

Demo news article with a city in the background and a transparent purple section above it.
Layered transparent Cover blocks.

Essentially, I am using two Cover blocks here. The outer instance uses a background image. However, the inner one uses a transparent gradient so that the image bleeds through. There are some workarounds I could have employed to make this happen as a developer. However, I wanted end-users to have the ability to build cool things too.

Because this was one of my wish list items, I want to thank Glen Davies for putting in the bulk of the work. However, many others provided feedback and performed code reviews.

There is a bug with the feature. When a user selects a theme-defined gradient background, it is added to both the outer and inner HTML elements. The transparency is correctly applied to the inner container. However, it appears to not work because the outside wrapper background is opaque.

Automatically-Generated Heading Anchors

Block editor with the list view open. It shows the generated anchor tags for Heading blocks.
List view of Heading block anchors.

Gutenberg 11.8 now automatically generates and adds anchors for all Heading blocks inserted into the editor. These anchors appear in the block options sidebar under the “Advanced” tab and the list view.

While this feature is welcome as it is, it may serve as merely a stepping stone toward something many have been waiting on: a Table of Contents block.

Technically, the ToC block was merged in February this year, and it is still bundled within the Gutenberg plugin. However, it is hidden from usage at the moment. It needed time to mature and a way to add anchors to headings without manual input.

With this piece of the puzzle in place, a ToC block is much closer to reality. Maybe even by the time WordPress 6.0 lands next year.

Featured Patterns

Block editor with the pattern inserter open and a product pricing pattern in the content canvas.
Inserting a featured pattern.

The first block patterns to appear in the inserter now come from a curated featured list. It is currently limited to 15 patterns and is pulled from the featured category on WordPress.org.

These are currently picked by team members working on the pattern directory. It is unclear if there will be a more formal and detailed process for this list in the future. Because pattern submissions are still not open to the public, there are a limited number of options to choose from.

“Plain” Blockquote Style

Block editor open with a blockquote in view. In the sidebar, the "Plain" block style is selected.
Plain blockquote style.

One of my biggest pet peeves is core adding custom block styles, and this extra one for the Quote block is no different. It is simply called “Plain.” This is in addition to Default and Large.

The new style removes any borders for the quote, assuming the user’s active theme displayed any. Because my theme’s default blockquote output did not, the block style does nothing. I suppose I can always unregister it.

If anything, I want us to backtrack this new Plain style and remove the existing Large one (relegating it to typography controls). Leave the custom stuff to theme authors. In the future, we should think long and hard before registering custom styles from Gutenberg or core WordPress. Otherwise, we are creating legacy baggage that will land on the backs of theme authors to carry.

Pinterest oEmbed Support

Block editor showcasing an embedded pin from the Pinterest service.
Embedding a Pinterest pin.

Honestly, I can hardly believe that WordPress did not already support Pinterest embeds. The well-established service is over a decade old and highly popular.

Gutenberg contributors quickly added a Pinterest variation for the embed block following a recent core patch that approved support. Users should be able to embed pins, boards, or user profiles.

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Using qsort() for a Struct Array with multiple data types

Hello all,

I've searched a lot and found a bunch of answers and edited my comparison many many times, but just cannot get a sorted output.

Here is my struct

typedef struct sortedDistance {
    int storeID;
    int zipCode;
    double latitude;
    double longitude;
    double distance;
    char address[50];
    char city[50];
    char state[20];
} sortedDistance;

I want to sort by "double distance"

Here is my qsort() function call

qsort( sortedArray, sizeSortedDistanceArray, sizeof( sortedDistance ), compare );

And finally, here is my compare function

int compare( const void* a, const void* b ) {
    const sortedDistance *ia = (const sortedDistance *) a;
    const sortedDistance *ib = (const sortedDistance *) b;

    if( ia->distance < ib->distance ) return -1;
    if( ia->distance > ib->distance ) return 1;
    else return 0;
}

I've tried many different things, and I just cannot get it to sort by distance element of the struct array. Any assistance would be helpful!

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339: Apollo at CodePen

Rachel and Chris chat all things Apollo GraphQL. Apollo is in this weird category of software where like by far most websites do not need it or anything like it. But for CodePen, we consider it nearly essential. The typical sales pitch for GraphQL applies to us for sure (e.g. only ask for the data you need!) but you can add to that the fact that it is empowering for front-end developers, which we have plenty of here on the CodePen Staff. But beyond GraphQL, we need ergonomic ways to write those queries and trust technology to do the right things. For example, 15 components on any given page might need to know the PRO status of a user, and thus be part of that components query, but the network very much does not need to do 15 requests. Apollo does stuff like figuring out what the page needs in aggregate and requesting is and dissemeninating that information as efficiently as possible and caching it. Plus we leverage Apollo for client-only state too, meaning we have a unified system for state management that plays very nicely in our React-based world.

Time Jumps

  • 00:34 Working on Apollo stuff at CodePen
  • 02:48 How do you think of GraphQL and Apollo?
  • 06:52 Dealing with pagination
  • 09:04 Building out the server for GraphQL
  • 13:48 Sponsor: Jetpack Backup
  • 15:28 Apollo pricing
  • 17:41 Apollo Studio and schema
  • 21:18 Why we did this work now
  • 26:34 Manipulating the cache

Sponsor: Jetpack Backup Stand-Alone Plugin

If the only feature of Jetpack you need is the backups, now you can install that as a stand-alone plugin and have a paid plan for that feature alone. Built and hosted on WordPress.com’s secure infrastructure, Jetpack Backup provides peace of mind — you can rest easy knowing that what you’ve built will always be there and can be easily recovered in an emergency.

The post 339: Apollo at CodePen appeared first on CodePen Blog.

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A New Era of Software Processes Is on the Horizon

The report late last year from FireEye of a state-sponsored attack targeting SolarWinds’ Orion software sent a shockwave through the industry and the reverberations from the discovery are continuing to ripple. As many as 18,000 SolarWinds customers — including at least nine U.S. government agencies — were infected via the SunBurst breach of the network monitoring and management solution. Moreover, according to a recent study from IronNet, the average financial impact of that attack was 11% of annual revenue or about $12 million per company.

U.S. intelligence has put the blame for the attack on Russian-sponsored hackers, who compromised multiple Orion software updates that were released between March and June 2020, giving bad actors a backdoor into exploited systems. Our research found that the Orion software build and code-signing infrastructure was compromised, with the source code of the affected library directly modified to include malicious backdoor code that was compiled, signed, and delivered via the existing patch release management system.

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Connect to a Database Instance Running Inside a Java Testcontainer Using IntelliJ IDEA

JUnit is one of the most popular unit testing frameworks used with Java to create repeatable tests. With JUnit, each test is written as a separate method inside a Java class. IntelliJ IDEA provides an option to run these test cases from within the IDE.

In case you have a module that communicates with a MySQL database, you can unit test the module by providing it access to a MySQL server running inside a Testcontainer. You can also configure this MySQL database instance with your desired username, password, and database name (in MySQL server) using the API provided by the Testcontainers framework.

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Node.js V17 Adds New Promises API

The Node.js Project recently released version 17 of its open-source JavaScript framework. Odd-numbered versions serve as short-term advancement versions that feed experimental features into long-term even-numbered versions. One experimental feature included in this version is Promise APIs.

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Deploy a Java application using Helm, Part 2

In the previous article in this series, you learned how to deploy Java applications to Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (JBoss EAP) using Helm on Red Hat OpenShift. Developers can use the procedures in Part 1 to easily stand up traditional Java application servers on Kubernetes with predefined Kubernetes manifestos.

What if you could have the same benefits when you develop microservices using JBoss EAP and Helm charts? JBoss EAP provides the Extension Pack (XP) to implement content trimming, packaging to a bootable JAR, and a MicroProfile specification including fault tolerance, monitoring and tracing in support of microservices in the cloud. This article explains how to make a bootable JAR using JBoss EAP XP and Helm and deploy the application to OpenShift.

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8 Best WooCommerce Order Status Manager Plugins

Best WooCommerce Order Status Manager PluginsThe WooCommerce eCommerce plugin for WordPress offers many must-have features you’ll need for your online store. This includes a basic but powerful enough status manager for you to easily manage your orders. It will constantly update the status of the orders, so that sellers and buyers can quickly confirm the stage an order is at, […]

The post 8 Best WooCommerce Order Status Manager Plugins appeared first on WPExplorer.

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How To Pass a Technical Interview: Recommendations and Win Strategy

Candidates

What This Is Article About

Maybe you were or you will be a candidate for a technical interview. Here, I'll share my personal experience as an interviewer. I'll share the best strategies to pass technical interviews considering the interviewer (company) side.  I'm sure both juniors and seniors could learn something from this article.

Earlier I published an article with recommendations on how to conduct technical interviews for interviewers. In that article, I recommended asking high difficulty questions first and then moving to simpler questions. In such a way, the interviewer can identify the candidate's knowledge quite quickly. However, this approach has one disadvantage: interviewed developers might experience a lot of stress. For this reason, companies may follow a different approach.

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Practical IoT Hacking: The Definitive Guide to Attacking the Internet of Th

#to buy book Discount 75%% with code (hacking50)

link

https://snip.ly/r068iy

Practical IoT Hacking: The Definitive Guide to Attacking the Internet of Th

The definitive guide to hacking the world of the Internet of Things (IoT) -- Internet connected devices such as medical devices, home assistants, smart home appliances and more.

Drawing from the real-life exploits of five highly regarded IoT security researchers, Practical IoT Hacking teaches you how to test IoT systems, devices, and protocols to mitigate risk.

The book begins by walking you through common threats and a threat modeling framework. Youll develop a security testing methodology, discover the art of passive reconnaissance, and assess security on all layers of an IoT system. Next, youll perform VLAN hopping, crack MQTT authentication, abuse UPnP, develop an mDNS poisoner, and craft WS-Discovery attacks.

Youll tackle both hardware hacking and radio hacking, with in-depth coverage of attacks against embedded IoT devices and RFID systems.

Youll also learn how to:

Write a DICOM service scanner as an NSE module

Hack a microcontroller through the UART and SWD interfaces

Reverse engineer firmware and analyze mobile companion apps

Develop an NFC fuzzer using Proxmark3

Hack a smart home by jamming wireless alarms, playing back IP camera feeds, and controlling a smart treadmill

The tools and devices youll use are affordable and readily available, so you can easily practice what you learn. Whether youre a security researcher, IT team member, or hacking hobbyist, youll find Practical IoT Hacking indispensable in your efforts to hack all the things

REQUIREMENTS: Basic knowledge of Linux command line, TCP/IP, and programming

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Pricing Tables: Best Designs and WordPress Plugins

If you’re a regular online shopper, you’ve definitely come across pricing tables before. Pricing tables are an important feature of websites that sell online. These tables help customers compare product features and prices.

Pricing tables need to be simple and easy to understand because they help users make an informed buying decision. A lot of information is likely to overwhelm the customer while too little or unclear information can be ineffective.

Other benefits of pricing tables include:

  • Tables help remove unnecessary clutter.
  • They save on space.
  • Provide a clear call to action.
  • Can attract more clients and generate more sales.

Now, it is important to note that not all WordPress themes have pre-built pricing tables, so you might need to download a plugin to integrate this feature.

UNLIMITED DOWNLOADS: 1,500,000+ Icons & Design Assets


 

What To Look For In A WordPress Table Plugin

Before we get to the list, let’s first pause to discuss what features are a must-have for any pricing table plugin you decide to use.

1. Pricing Table Templates

Look for plugins that offer several pricing table templates. This will help you in customizing your designs according to exactly what you’re looking for.

2. Price

If your website is small and you’re just looking for something simple, be sure to check the available free plugins before purchasing one. There are so many free plugins, many with a bunch of cool features.

3. Customization

You should look for a plugin that will allow you to customize your table according to your branding. That means custom colors, fonts, etc.

4. Integrations

Look for a plugin that can easily integrate with your WordPress theme so it works seamlessly.

WordPress Pricing Table Plugins

Below, we have identified some of the best pricing table plugins available and we hope you’ll find one that best suits your needs.

1. Go Pricing

Go Pricing - WordPress Pricing Table Plugins

Go Pricing is a table plugin that offers you almost 200 table designs. Its modern and stylish features will help you create the perfect pricing table for your website.

The plugin will help you customize your table without having to code. This is perfect for someone who isn’t familiar with web design.

It also offers you 200 templates, 2,000+ font icons, over 600 fonts, an unlimited color selection, modern media options, and more.

Some of its pros and cons include:

Pros

  • Has extensive customization options and is feature-rich.
  • Has a live preview option that allows you to see how your table will look at the end.
  • Popular with page builders like Elementor, WP Bakery, and Beaver Builder.
  • Has a column animation feature.

Cons

  • You have to be on a paid subscription to download table templates.

2. Responsive Pricing Table

Responsive Pricing Table

Responsive Pricing Table is a free WordPress plugin that has a shortcode that allows you to show your table anywhere on the website. It adds a pricing table tab in the admin section which makes adding a pricing table easy.

With the many features it offers, you’re able to: add different colors to your table, choose unique fonts, and more.

Some of its pros and cons include:

Pros

  • Easy to create and customize.
  • Can be used to compare products.
  • You can change the currency sign.
  • You can highlight any plan.

Cons

  • Poor customer support.

3. CSS3 Responsive WordPress Compare Tables

CSS3 Responsive WordPress Compare Tables

The CSS3 Responsive pricing table is a premium plugin with several customization features. It comes with two table styles and 20 predefined color options.

It also offers a number of features that will help you create the best tables for your site such as hover animations, pop-ups, and ribbons. This plugin is perfect for creating beautiful pricing tables.

Some of its pros and cons include:

Pros

  • Allows you to see your changes in real-time.
  • Can highlight columns and customize fonts.

Cons

  • You need CSS if you wish to access more customization features.
  • Comes with only two table styles and 20 color themes.
  • Can be time-consuming to set up.

4. ArPrice Pricing Tables

ArPrice Pricing Tables

This is a free and premium WordPress plugin that allows you to make responsive pricing tables that can be used on multiple devices. Some of its features include the ability to create an animated pricing table.

With ArPrice you have a selection of over 170 already made templates to choose from. You can also use the drag and drop editor to adjust and resize columns as needed.

ArPrice has a real time editor feature that will make the customization of your site easier.

Some of its pros and cons include:

Pros

  • Allows language translation.
  • It’s lightweight.
  • Easy to use.
  • Offers a variety of colors.

Cons

  • Can be slow at times.

5. Easy Pricing Tables

Easy Pricing Tables WordPress Plugin

Easy Pricing Tables is a WordPress plugin that lets you create your tables with ease. The plugin is easy to use and gets the job done quickly. It includes predefined colors and themes. With this plugin you get 120+ ribbons, a live preview, 100+ content elements, and more.

Some of its pros and cons include:

Pros

  • Easy to use.
  • Has the drag and drop feature.
  • Gutenberg compatible.
  • Compatible with all WordPress themes.

Cons

  • No cons found.

Best Pricing Table Designs

So, you now know about a few pricing table plugins that can help you display pricing information in a straightforward way. But if you’re stumped on design inspiration, we’ve compiled a shortlist of some top designs to add some fuel to your design fire.

1. Shopify

Shopify pricing table

The Shopify pricing table is one of the best around because its layout makes it easy to compare different plans. And the prominent Free Trial buttons encourage conversions.

2. Dropbox

Dropbox pricing table

The Dropbox table layout makes it easy for buyers to compare pricing and features. This helps users get to know what exactly they are purchasing and decide on what works better for them.

3. Slack

Slack pricing table

Slack’s pricing table uses different colors to highlight different available plans. This makes the table more eye-catching and is likely to grab the customer’s attention. Each plan comes with a description of how they are billed and also includes a call-to-action.

4. Airtable

Airtable pricing table

Airtable is another great example of a pricing table that uses colors to grab attention. It has a simple design that draws focus to the features available on each plan.

There’s also a monthly or yearly option at the top of the table that helps you select your preferred plan.

5. LightCMS

LightCMS pricing table

LightCMS is another great example of a well designed pricing table. They have incorporated different colors to grab attention and to highlight the different available plans. They’ve also used different font sizes for comparison.

Conclusion

A well designed pricing table is likely to grab the consumer’s attention. If you’re looking for a good pricing table for your website, we hope this list of plugins and designs has helped you figure out what will work best for your site. Best of luck! Be sure to check out our other articles about WordPress plugins while you’re at it.

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Container Creates Instant Database API

In this tutorial, we’ll show how to use ApiLogicServer to create, customize and run a Database based API. API Logic Server is an open-source Docker container. With the commands shown below, you get:

  • Working Software, Now:
    • A database API server, to unblock UI development.
    • A multi-page web app, to engage Business Users — early in the project.
    • Declarative logic using unique spreadsheet-like rules — 40X more concise than code, extensible with Python — for remarkable business agility.
  • Customizable projects, using a standard language and tools. Operate in a cleanly isolated, containerized environment that matches your deployment architecture.

TL;DR — Create Database API and Basic Web App

Create the sample project in a minute or two, as follows. With Docker started, enter these Terminal commands (Windows, use Powershell):

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How CSS Subgrids Make Vertical Alignment Easy

Do you know that both the grids and alignment CSS properties are always talked about together? Why? Because of the nature of their existence and the mess that alignment creates on different screen devices. How easy and convenient would web developers’ lives become if all the devices in this world existed with the same screen size. That would be a dream! But coming back to reality, we have to deal with hundreds of devices with varying screen sizes, and the problems they create for the developers with alignment is an add-on. CSS grids and CSS subgrids were introduced to tackle the alignment problem with multiple elements existing side by side.

Grids were responsive, and instead of the “hit and try” of pixel and margin values, setting display: grid worked like a charm. As time stands witness to the issues tackled by web developers, if they do not have one, they invent one themselves. Now the developers have started to create complex web designs with one grid nested with other grids. That was a makeshift arrangement, and making it work was an endeavor in itself.