Custom Fields Shortcode popup

Custom Fields Shortcodes lets you insert shortcodes for any custom field, regardless of how it was created. With this, you can easily add custom fields to post content without any coding.

But the real power is revealed when you use it in conjunction with Views. Then, you can design entire sites, create complex layouts and display any content, without writing a single line of code.

To top this off, Custom Fields Shortcodes uses the field output API that other custom field plugins create. When this API exists (like for the Advanced Custom Fields plugin), fields output will go through it. Instead of just dumping the custom field value to the output, you’ll get the complex output that the plugin developer intended.

Custom Fields Shortcodes is free. You can get it, rate it and vote for it in the WP plugins repository:

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/custom-fields-shortcodes/

Enjoy!

It adds a language switcher to BuddyPress bar, allowing visitors to select their languages. Then, it hooks to different elements that BuddyPress generates and makes sure they are all language sensitive.

The main blog and guest blogs can run multilingual. WPML allows different authors to select their admin language, so that different users can manage their guest blogs in their native languages.

Here is how the famous BuddyPress bar looks like with the plugin running:

BuddyPress bar with language switcher

It’s running fine on BuddyPress 1.0, and we’re working hard to complete support for BuddyPress 1.1 (should be available next week).

To get started, have a look at the (very basic) users guide.

I’d like to announce that WPML will include this import functionality, but it’s not the case. Instead, we’re looking for savvy developers would would work with us on such a project. What we’d like to see is another plugin that will do these migrations.

The plugin will convert the language information from the other plugin and add the language attributes to WPML’s language table. This will not be done using SQL hacks but via calls that we’ll add.

If you’d like to participate, visit the migration plugin forum topic. When this migration plugin is up and runnig, we’ll feature it on wpml.org and credit everyone who contributed.

Update: We recommend using WordPress SEO by Yoast as your SEO plugin.

It does everything that AIOSEOP does (and much more) and is fully compatible with WPML. You can read more about it and other essential multilingual plugins.

WPML 1.1 is just around the corner with support for translation of texts created by other plugins.

What this means is that when you’re using WPML and other plugins, WPML will let you enter translation for texts that the other plugins create. For example, if you’re using a contact form plugin, you’ll be able to enter translation for the field names and buttons in your contact form.

Contact Form 7 and WP polls are already adding support for this and will include the WPML translation interface in their next releases.

We’ve started talking with the author of the All-in-One SEO Pack about adding multilingual support for that excellent plugin too. If you don’t know that plugin (yet), what it does is allow setting the title, description and keywords meta tags for each page in your site. This means that the page title can be independent from the post/page name. It’s a great asset for improving your site’s position in search engines (and getting more traffic and retiring to a tropical island, etc.).

Right now, it’s very difficult to use AIOSEOP in multilingual sites because it doesn’t support translation. You can enter a title, but that title would be the same for all languages. Making it WPML compatible would allow using that great plugin for any multilingual WordPress site.

If you want to help and convince the authors of All-in-One SEO Pack to include multilingual support, please visit the thread I started in their forum and speak your mind.

First, there are a few plugins I recommend for every WordPress installation. Here is a little about each.

• Askimet, Kills comment spam. Askiment requires an API key from wordpress.com (the free wordpress site place). I use it on all my sites and very little comment and linkback spam gets through.
• WordPress.com Stats, Not as powerful as some other stat packages, WordPress.com stats gives you a quick access to usuable stats from your Dashboard. Requires the same API key that Askimet does.
• Google XML Site Maps. This plugin builds and automatically updates a site map that is search engine friendly.
• All In One SEO Pack. The most popular plugin to make your website search engine friendly.

Now a few plugins that a blogger may not need but are very useful to a WordPress based website:

• cforms II – Contact Form. You will need a contact form on your website. cforms is popular for its power and flexibility. I have been using the WP Contact Form-Askimet Edition on all of my sites even though the home site says it does not work on WP 2.5. I like it because it filters the email through Askimet. Try it at your own risk.
• CMS Navigation. Allows top and sidebar navigation menus with children (drop down). Also provides breadcrumb trail .
• Absolute Links. Avoid those busted links when you changes names and urls.
• WP E-Commerce. If you are selling stuff from your website you need the E-commerce plugin.
• FAQ-tastic Lite. When did you last see a website without a FAQ. Free version of FAQ-tastic comes with a lot of support.

This list of plugins should get you started. Of course, as your site develops you will find you need specialized features. A google search with wordpress in the phrase or using the wordpress.org plugins page should help you find what you are looking for. I have several sites in completely different niches and each has its own set of plugins that make the site work the way I want.

If you are using a plugin in you CMS WordPress site and find it invaluable please share in the comments.