WordPress.org

We are proud to announce wp-plugins.org, the WordPress Plugin repository. A need was felt for a set of common tools, and a common playground for developers creating plugins and themes to extend WordPress. WP-Plugins.org seeks to fill the gap by providing stable and reliable hosting, complete with version control, an issue tracker, and wiki to the developers, absolutely free.

All of the Plugin Repository is powered by Trac – an integrated SCM (Source Control Management) and project management tool. Version control is provided using Subversion. Subversion is the source management tool WordPress itself will be using after the 1.5 release.

Developers can:

• Host their development for free
• Be assured of high visibility
• Manage their code using an SVN client
• Track issues (bugs) using the tracker
• Provide documentation using the wiki with the help of end-users.

WordPress Users can:

• Browse all the plugins and themes.
• Download plugins and themes from one location.
• Provide feedback to plugin developers using the tracker.
  Help improve the plugin or theme.
• Develop documentation at the wiki page for the plugins they use.
• Stay in the the loop using the RSS feeds.

If you have developed plugins or themes for WordPress, or if you are engaged in the process, we strongly urge you to check it in to this community resource. Get hosted — a simple email is all it takes to get started. Things have been busy in the few weeks the service has been around and in testing. About 60 plugins have already been checked in by their developers. Checking in your plugin or theme is the best way to expose your plugin to a vast cross-section of WordPress users, without having to worry about bandwidth. It also makes it much easier to collaborate with other developers, should you choose to.

At this point the Plugin Repository is mainly aimed at developers and more savvy users, but if you can find your way around the interface it will prove a very powerful resource. Trac makes it simple to browse the plugins and download the latest version, and if the interest that has been shown so far by the WordPress hacker community is any indication, the repository is where the action is gonna be. So regardless of whether you are a developer or an end-user, check it out now.

That said, we plan to create a friendlier front-end to the repository aimed specifically at new users in the coming months, stay tuned.

We hope the new year brings cheer and good news to your life. For the WordPress family, the year starts on a positive note. ArsTechnica names WordPress the Web Application of the Year!

The blurb reads:

Let’s face it. Blogs are in fashion, and why not? Vanity knows no bounds, and there are some people who actually do something productive with theirs. From the influence of blogs on the coverage of the US presidential elections to every random teenager who has problems with their partner/parent/teacher/cat, blogs are out there allowing your most intimate feelings to be shared with random people at wifi hotspots. WordPress is the most prominent rising star of weblog software, completely free and with a large and active community. Styles, plugins and hacks are readily available, with problems such as comment spamming being addressed far more rapidly than competing applications.

Congratulations to the WordPress family!

2004 was defintely the year of the “switcher” for WordPress. May 2005 bring a lot of first-time bloggers to the community. With each succeeding version, WordPress is becoming more user-friendly, less complicated, and more useful.