The following example shows that even if you have permalinks activated, that the URL for the two searchterms wordpress and consulting looks like this: bueltge.de/?s=wordpress+consulting&submit=Search. With a little function, which communicates with the redirect, you can adjust the URL. In my case the URL with the two searchterms look like this with the following function: bueltge.de/search/wordpress+consulting.

Within WP-function wp_redirect I set the output, that the term search will be added to the home-url of your installation and added by the searchterms. There are many possibilities to adjust the URL.

function fb_change_search_url_rewrite() {
	if ( is_search() && ! empty( $_GET['s'] ) ) {
		wp_redirect( home_url( "/search/" ) . urlencode( get_query_var( 's' ) ) );
		exit();
	}
}
add_action( 'template_redirect', 'fb_change_search_url_rewrite' );

I would recommend to put the function in a Plugin or in the functions.php of your theme. Any other or better ideas to accomplish this? Please let us know in the comment area.

// onyl css, when post has a gallery
function gallery_stylesheet( $posts ) {
	if ( empty( $posts ) )
		return $posts;

	$found = false;

	foreach ($posts as $post) {
		if ( stripos( $post->post_content, '[gallery' ) )
			$found = TRUE;
			break;
		}

	if ( $found )
		wp_enqueue_style( 'gallery-stylesheet', get_bloginfo('stylesheet_directory') . '/gallery.css', FALSE, FALSE, 'screen' );

	return $posts;
}
add_action( 'the_posts', 'gallery_stylesheet' );

You can also use this to load scripts,

// onyl js, when post has a gallery
function my_script( $posts ) {
	if ( empty( $posts ) )
		return $posts;

	$found = false;

	foreach ($posts as $post) {
		if ( stripos( $post->post_content, '[my-script' ) )
			$found = TRUE;
			break;
		}

	if ( $found )
		wp_enqueue_script( 'my-script', get_bloginfo('template_directory') . '/js/my_script.js', FALSE, FALSE, TRUE );

	return $posts;
}
add_action('the_posts', 'my_script');

For more information, to include JavaScript and CSS files, there is another post about this topic.

Hey WP Engineer folks!

I have a little issue I'm trying to resolve on CSS-Tricks, regarding comments. In my discussion settings, I have it set to automatically turn off comments on everything after one-month. However, on certain things, specifically the snippets pages which all share a common page template, I want the comments to be left on forever.
This seems like the job for some fancy functions.php work that you guys are the masters at

Ok Chris, here is our solution (copy the code in your functions.php and change the $cat values):

/**
 * Close comments on an old post.  Hooked to comments_open and pings_open.
 * small modifications on the default functions of WordPress
 *
 * @param bool $open Comments open or closed
 * @param int $post_id Post ID
 * @param int $cat Category ID (cat_ID), set '' or empty for all categories
 * @param int $days_old Days to close comments, set '' for use value from settings
 * @return bool $open
 */
function wpe_close_comments_for_old_post( $open, $post_id, $cat = array(1, 4), $days_old = '' ) {
	if ( !$open )
		return $open;

	if ( in_category($cat) )
		return $open;

	if ( '' === $days_old )
		$days_old = (int) get_option('close_comments_days_old');

	if ( !$days_old )
		return $open;

	$post = get_post($post_id);

	if ( time() - strtotime( $post->post_date_gmt ) > ( $days_old * 24 * 60 * 60 ) )
		return false;

	return $open;
}
add_filter( 'comments_open', 'wpe_close_comments_for_old_post', 10, 2 );
add_filter( 'pings_open',    'wpe_close_comments_for_old_post', 10, 2 );

Thanks Chris for your idea and please send us an email if you also have a nice idea how we could make WordPress even better.

The problem of the gallery is the style sheet, which is simply written in the Post. So that the page no longer validates. Additional problems arise when you want to change the look of the pictures in your theme for example. The style sheet in the post overwrites the values from the theme style sheet. How do the developers know if I like a 2px border #cfcfcf around my images? Something like this definitely does not belong in the code!

Cause of the problem is the ability to choose when you insert the gallery into the post, the number of columns (2-9). WordPress then calculates the width of the list elements by the number of selected columns and writes the values in the style sheet.

An own gallery function

The function gallery_shortcode, which generates the gallery, can be found in wp-includes/media.php. For simplicity, we copy the complete function gallery_shortcode in to functions.php of the active theme. Then we rename the function, disable the function of WordPress and activate our own function:

//deactivate WordPress function
remove_shortcode('gallery', 'gallery_shortcode');

//activate own function
add_shortcode('gallery', 'wpe_gallery_shortcode');

//the own renamed function
function wpe_gallery_shortcode($attr) {
    ...
}

We are now going to call up a post with an inserted gallery. It should all work exactly as before, except that our own gallery function is now active. Now let us take any necessary changes to improve the output of the gallery.

First, we delete the following line. Which calculates the column. We do not need it anymore.

$itemwidth = $columns > 0 ? floor(100/$columns) : 100;

Then we modify the variable $output. The style sheet will be completely erased. The inline style of the clearing br will be also removed. It's more elegant in its own theme style sheet. Finally, the last br-tag gets removed. The revised code $output should now look like this:

$output = apply_filters('gallery_style', "
    <div id='$selector' class='gallery galleryid-{$id}'>");

$i = 0;
foreach ( $attachments as $id => $attachment ) {
    $link = isset($attr['link']) && 'file' == $attr['link'] ? wp_get_attachment_link($id, $size, false, false) : wp_get_attachment_link($id, $size, true, false);

    $output .= "<{$itemtag} class='gallery-item'>";
    $output .= "
        <{$icontag} class='gallery-icon'>
            $link
        </{$icontag}>";
    if ( $captiontag && trim($attachment->post_excerpt) ) {
        $output .= "
            <{$captiontag} class='gallery-caption'>
            " . wptexturize($attachment->post_excerpt) . "
            </{$captiontag}>";
    }
    $output .= "</{$itemtag}>";
    if ( $columns > 0 && ++$i % $columns == 0 )
        $output .= '<br />';
}

$output .= "</div>\n";

return $output;

After we have updated the post in our browser, we see all the pictures one below the other. But the document is valid. Now we need to create the column functionality again, that we have erased before. We simply add one additional class with the number of columns in $itemtag:

$output .= "<{$itemtag} class='gallery-item col-{$columns}'>";

In your source code, depending on the number of columns you see

<dl class="gallery-item col-5">

Now, implement a few lines in the theme style sheet and the gallery is finished.

.gallery {
    margin: auto;
    /* gallery clearing*/
    overflow: hidden;
    width: 100%;
}
.gallery .gallery-item {
    float: left;
    margin-top: 10px;
    text-align: center;
}
.gallery img {
    border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
.gallery .gallery-caption {
    margin-left: 0;
}
.gallery br { clear: both }

/* available Columns */
.col-2 { width: 50% }
.col-3 { width: 33.333% }
.col-4 { width: 25% }
.col-5 { width: 20% }
.col-6 { width: 16.666% }
.col-7 { width: 14.285% }
.col-8 { width: 12.5% }
.col-9 { width: 11.111% }

If you want to use the activation of the theme in order to set various settings, then the following snippet can be very useful, which came up in the discussion on the WP-Hacker-List. This works like a charm and should be useful for theme developers who want to enable the options upon activation.

Here's a small example in which the default setting posts_per_page of WordPress in the table options is reset to the value 1.

// with activate istall option
if ( is_admin() && isset($_GET['activated'] ) && $pagenow == 'themes.php' ) {
	update_option( 'posts_per_page', 1 );
}

Since 2.9 you can use this function: register_theme_directory

If we develop a theme for the general public, you have 2 options. You use automatic_feed_links() and the theme does not work with WordPress prior to version 2.8, or you do not use this function and write the links as before, in your header.php.

I also have a 3rd alternative .

if (function_exists('automatic_feed_links')) {
    automatic_feed_links();
} else {
    add_action('wp_head', 'wpe_feed_links', 2);
}

function wpe_feed_links() {
    echo '<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="'. get_bloginfo('name').' RSS Feed" href="'. get_bloginfo('rss2_url').'" />';
    echo '<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="'. get_bloginfo('name').' Atom Feed" href="'. get_bloginfo('atom_url').'" />';
    echo '<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="'. get_bloginfo('name').' '. __('The latest comments to all posts in RSS').'" href="'. get_bloginfo('comments_rss2_url').'" />';
}

First we look if the function automatic_feed_links() exists. If not (prior to WP 2.8), we use the hook wp_head and write the links in the header of the page. Thus we don't need to adjust the header.php anymore.

Nevertheless, there is a possibility and with the help of two hooks, the sender can be changed. I created a small Plugin, where you can easy and simple adjust the sender name and sender email.
-
The Plugin is available in the following source code and has no options for the backend and doesn't leave any data in the database. Anyone who wants can simply extend the Plugin.

<?php
/**
 * @package WP Mail From
 * @author Frank Bültge
 * @version 0.1
 */

/*
Plugin Name: WP Mail From
Plugin URI: http://bueltge.de/
Description: Change the default address that WordPress sends it’s email from.
Version: 0.1
Author: Frank Bültge
Author URI: http://bueltge.de/
Last Change: 11.08.2009 08:41:06
*/

if ( !function_exists('add_action') ) {
	header('Status: 403 Forbidden');
	header('HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden');
	exit();
}

if ( !class_exists('wp_mail_from') ) {
	class wp_mail_from {

		function wp_mail_from() {
			add_filter( 'wp_mail_from', array(&$this, 'fb_mail_from') );
			add_filter( 'wp_mail_from_name', array(&$this, 'fb_mail_from_name') );
		}

		// new name
		function fb_mail_from_name() {
			$name = 'My Blog is my Blog';
			// alternative the name of the blog
			// $name = get_option('blogname');
			$name = esc_attr($name);
			return $name;
		}

		// new email-adress
		function fb_mail_from() {
			$email = 'info@example.com';
			$email = is_email($email);
			return $email;
		}

	}

	$wp_mail_from = new wp_mail_from();
}
?>

The values for name and email have to be maintain in each of the associated function. After that, the two values are getting examined, but is not necessarily needed.

As a note: the function esc_attr() is only since version 2.8 available and replaces the function attribute_escape(). Should the solution be used in an earlier version, then you have to change the function.

For suggestions and improvements, I am grateful, as always. You can use this Plugin to improve WordPress a bit and the user is not surprised about the sender "WordPress".

My solution works with the WordPress pagination and looks like this:

//detect the set number of posts per page
$ppp = get_option('posts_per_page');

// first page 14 posts
if (!is_paged()) {
    $posts = get_posts('numberposts=14');
// second page with offset
} elseif($paged == 2) {
    $posts = get_posts('offset=14');
// all other pages with settings from backend
} else {
    $offset = $ppp*($paged-2)+14;
    $posts = get_posts('offset='.$offset);
}

if($posts) :
    foreach ($posts as $post) :
        //your code
    endforeach;
endif;

This might be not the most intelligent solution, but it works. If anybody has a better idea, please let us know in the comments.

A little hack in your functions.php of your theme can help you with this problem:

/* Different Favicon for Backend */
function favicon4admin() {
 echo '<link rel="Shortcut Icon" type="image/x-icon" href="' . get_bloginfo('wpurl') . '/wp-content/favicon.ico" />';
}
add_action( 'admin_head', 'favicon4admin' );

In this case we put the admin favicon in our wp-content folder. Done!

It can be a little helpful hack for your daily work. Of course, the text in the tabs are different most of the time, but not always, and a different looking favicon is more visible.

An easy tool to create a favicon is available at dynamicdrive

You cannot use this function in a post or page unless you installed the EXEC-PHP Pluging. Kai had the cool idea to use shortcodes for this. This function belongs in the function.php of your theme folder:

<?php
function wpe_secure_mail($atts) {
	extract(shortcode_atts(array(
		"mailto" => '',
		"txt" => ''
	), $atts));
	$mailto = antispambot($mailto);
	$txt = antispambot($txt);
	return '<a href="mailto:' . $mailto . '">' . $txt . '</a>';
}

if ( function_exists('add_shortcode') )
	add_shortcode('sm', 'wpe_secure_mail');
?>

This shortcode will be used to write in your post/page:

[sm mailto="foo@bar.com" txt="here is my mail"]
//or
[sm mailto="foo@bar.com" txt="foo@bar.com"]

Here an example, look at the source code of this page:
[sm mailto="info@wpengineer.com" txt="info@wpengineer.com"]