WordPress 3.9 Features and Release Date

WordPress 3.9 Beta 1 was released just few days ago for testing though the stable version is due to be released sometime next month – April 15^th to be precise. In this article I will like to highlight the WordPress 3.9 features and other options the new version is coming with.

Updated Visual Editor

TinyMCE which is the open source software that powers the WordPress visual editor has been updated to the latest version which means a cleaner and less cluttered interface. Now you can be able to see live gallery previews in the visual editor.

Drag & Drop Images

You can also drag and drop images to the visual editor directly from any folder in your computer without having to upload the images first before adding them to the editor.

Edit & Crop Images

Other improvements made on the visual editor include the ability to edit and crop images even while writing a post. You can simply drag the image on the corners to expand or reduce their size without having to open another window to resize an image.

Paste from Word Button Removed

Now you can paste from Microsoft Word without losing the formatting. The “Paste from Word” button has been removed though many of you may never have noticed or used it.

Live Widget Previews

In WordPress 3.9 you will be able to preview widgets in the theme customizer. You don’t have to save widgets and refresh pages to see the changes in the frontend. In WordPress 3.9 you can simply test your widgets before you save and publish.

 

Audio/Video Playlists

In WordPress 3.9 you can be able to upload music and videos and create a playlist from the media uploader. This will be useful for bloggers who want to share music on their blog. Wordpress will use ID3 tags to fetch the media cover and album information.

Theme Installer

In WordPress 3.9 you can easily preview and install WordPress Themes. The interface has a clear stylish look that makes it easy to preview themes even before installing them.

Conclusion

WordPress 3.9 is still in Beta stage and there could be bugs to be fixed before the final release. What do you think of the new WordPress 3.9 and what other features would you hope can be added to it?