We are very happy to release WPML 3.1.7 today. This releases includes several exciting improvements, some bug fixes and complete compatibility with WordPress 4.0.
Auto-Upgrade Inside WPML
A while back, WPML had its own auto-upgrade code. Then, we removed it and started using our Installer plugin. We heard your voice and we realized you’re not happy with that decision. Today, we retire Installer and WPML gets its own auto-upgrade code again. This time, auto-upgrade is much more powerful, convenient and secure for you.
One of the highlights of this change is the introduction of unique site-keys. Now, when you install WPML on a new site (for yourself or for your client), you will need to generate and insert a site-key, created especially for that site. This way, you no longer enter your login for wpml.org into client sites. Your clients will receive automatic upgrade for WPML, from your account, but without using your login. If you ever need to, you can also cancel site-keys that you have created.
You can see the new registration workflow in WPML’s installation instructions.
Automatic Download and Install for wpml-config.xml Files
WPML can read configuration files for themes and plugins, telling it what needs translation (CPTs, fields, option entries).
From now on, WPML will be able to automatically download these config files. This means that when we work on compatibility with other themes and plugins, you don’t need to wait for their update, to get compatibility with WPML. We are going to use that very soon to improve compatibility with all WooThemes themes and their ‘addon’ plugins.
WordPress 4.0 Compatibility
To achieve full compatibility with WordPress 4.0, we had to make some changes to how WPML uses the Visual Editor and also stop using a few API functions which got deprecated in WordPress 4.0. Overall, the changes were not huge, but they are important. Before you upgrade WordPress to 4.0, be sure to upgrade WPML and all its components.
Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements
WPML core
- Compatibility with WordPress 4.0
- Added “Remote WPML config files” functionality
- Added shortcodes for language switchers
- WP SEO plugin compatibility enhancements
- New version of installer
- Fixed broken relationship consistency when translating posts
- Fixed url filters for different languages in different domains configured
- Added various descriptions of WPML settings, displayed on configuration screens
- Gained better compatibility with non-ASCII languages
- Several additional bug fixes
- Several cosmetic changes
WPML Media Translation
- Fixed compatibility with Types plugin
- Fixed issue with hundreds of duplicated images
- Language_filter_upload_page() supports now multiple mime types and mime types with wildcards
WPML String Translation
- New way to translate strings from plugins and themes: being on plugin/theme configuration screen, switch language using switcher in admin bar and provide translation
- Several additional bug fixes
WPML CMS NAV
- Changes to improve stability of the WPML core plugin
WPML Sticky Links
- Changed priority for the ‘save_posts’ hook
WPML Translation Management
- Changes to improve stability of the WPML core plugin
- Cosmetic changes to improve usability
Download and Upgrade
Now that we are retiring the Installer plugin, please deactivate it from your sites. Then, manually download WPML 3.1.7 from your WPML.org account, install and activate.
After activation, go to Plugins and you will see a prompt to register WPML. Have a look at the updated installation instructions to see how you should generate a site key. It’s easy, more secure and takes less than a minute.
Next times, updates will be available automatically for your sites.
Next for WPML
Like you probably know, we have been hard at work on WPML 3.2. This major update will come with significant enhancements to the translation management and offer exciting new possibilities for professional translation.
We are also getting ready with a new API for translating ‘complex’ plugins. This will allow you to easily translate sites created with page-builders. The first working example will be our very own Layouts plugin, which will be multilingual-ready using this interface.
Questions? Ideas? Suggestions? Leave your comments and we’ll reply.
Great work guys, we really appreciate the improvements you are making to WPML.
Also please keep optimising for improved performance, as WPML is still a significant factor in slowing down wordpress sites. It’s a lot better since you made the last speed optimisations, but things can still be improved.
Also would be great to see improved compatibility with W3 Total cache, as we still can’t use the object caching which would speed things up quite a bit.
Other than that keep up the great work!
Agree with every word you said, Chris.
Wanted to write the same 🙂
Yes, we also want to fix the compatibility with W3TC. We know that you need it and we also need it for our own sites (lots of traffic). We just need to complete a couple of other things before we get to this. I’m really sorry it’s taking long, but we have to pick some things and complete them and then we take other projects and finish them too. When we try to handle everything together, you can imagine how it comes out.
Since WP 4.0 was released, we found several issues that came up (fortunately, not huge). They are being addressed in WPML 3.1.8, which is going into QA today. Next, we are completing a big project that we’ve been quietly working on for weeks. This will allow to translate complex constructs, such as Visual Composer layouts (and many others).
Does this help?
This sounds like an superduper awesome update!
Great news on the installer retirement, phew 🙂
Glad to read that the bugs with the media addon are fixed too!
And already everything ready for WP 4.0, great job!
Off to install now on a few sites to see and enjoy the improvements!
Thanks so much!
Piet
Thank you for all the improvements.
And thank you for loosing the installer 🙂
The now reactivated installation instructions are from August 28th, 2012.
It is a little cumbersome copying URL’s back and forth.
I suggest generating an API key that we (the customers) can use to activate WPML on our sites.
I have now installed it with no trouble on one of our sites (an ongoing testbed site). Now I have loaded it onto a live site and run into a problem. Installed the core CMS, registered it (at least I thought I did), then it listed the plugin components that needed update. I selected them and it went off to update them and ‘failed’
I have subsequently tried to do them individually and consistently get an error:
Downloading update from http://wpml.org/?download=7474&version=2.1.6&site_key=eR7jDA7Xrx &site_url=http??intofarms.org..
An error occurred while updating WPML Media: The package could not be installed: PCLZIP_ERR_BAD_FORMAT(-10):Unable to find End of Central Dir Record signature.
I suspect that I entered the key with a space at the end of it, but don’t know how to change the key once assigned.
I have tried deleting the plugin and reinstalling it, but that does not provide access to the key.
Help?
You can delete the site-key and enter it again.
Go to Plugins->Add new->Commercial. Then click on the button ‘Unregister WPML from this site’. Then, enter your key again without the space.
I’m not sure it the space is what’s causing this. Can you try and let me know?
Thank you so much Amir. That was the problem and it is now fixed. Thank you for the quick response.
Hi – I uninstalled INSTALLER, downloaded WPML 3.1.7 and tried to use WP Plugins to upload it but it says the destination folder already exists…../plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/. I am afraid to delete 3.1.6 before starting this process because I don’t want to lose all my hard work translating my site. Can you give more detailed step-by-step instructions on how to update to your new version?
If you delete WPML manually, your translations will not be changed. This is what you should do:
1. Backup your database (just in case)
2. Deactivate WPML – your site will look like a mess (temporarily). Don’t worry.
3. Delete WPML’s directory.
4. Install again and activate.
I’m not sure why the current directory is not writeable. It’s probably related to the FTP user that you used to upload, which blocks access from the web server. Anyway, the process outlined above should work fine. Let us know if you need any help.
Hello,
will the new automatic procedure work on Multisite?
Now the WPML update process was quite frustrating (we had to manally disable all the wpml plugins in all the sites, upload the new one via ftp, and manually reactivate them).
Hi Enrico,
We’ll add an update shortly with the support for the multisite.
In the mean time I can email you a dev version that includes this and that you can test before the official release.
Hi Mihai,
thank you!
I’ve received the dev version, and I’m going to try it out 🙂
best
Yay! Really excited about these changes to auto-updates – thanks guys!
best,
-jennyb
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Hi,
I still can use the installer to install version 3.1.7.2
Should I or should I not use the installer (for the last time) to update?
It tells me to install, not to upgrade…