Trying Out Tomorrow’s WordPress TodayDrew JaynesWordCamp Portland 2015

Beta Testing WordPress

You are ideal beta testers

Be empowered

What’s beta testing?

— The second phase of software testing in which a sampling of the intended audience tries the product out.

Beta Testing

Development Process

• Alpha (development) (6 weeks) • Beta (dev+testing) (4-6 weeks) • Release Candidate (testing) (2-3 weeks) • Release

Development Process

• Feature plugins have been merged • New enhancements frozen • Bug fixing, testing, iteration

Beta: Overview

Getting Started

• Setup • What to test • Where to report feedback

Getting Started

1. Existing site +Beta Tester

• Low barrier to entry • Use your own site • Test your theme and plugins • Nightly updates • Access to the “Beta Testing” plugins tab

Existing site: Pros

https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/

• Upgrades your database • Rollback options are limited

Existing site: Cons

2. Dev site + Beta Tester

• “Bleeding edge” • Can break things and no big deal • Access to the “Beta Testing” plugins tab • You can use DesktopServer

Dev site: Pros

https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/tutorials/installing-a-local-server/desktopserver/

• Higher barrier to entry

Dev site: Cons

3. trywpbeta.com

• Low/no barrier to entry • Access to the “Beta Testing” plugins • Updated hourly

trywpbeta.com: Pros

http://trywpbeta.com/

http://wcpdx.trywpbeta.comUsername: wcpdx Password: wcpdx15

• Can’t test with all themes or plugins • Locked-down • “Vanilla”

trywpbeta.com: Cons

Where to find out what to test

• WordPress.org News blog • make.wordpress.org/core • Feature plugins list • WP Tavern, Post Status

Where to find out what to test

Where to report feedback

• Alpha/Beta forum • Core Trac • Your own blog or social media

Where to report feedback

Test some stuff

• Twenty Sixteen • Embed a WordPress post in

a WordPress post • New oEmbed providers • Responsive Images • New default comments form

Test some stuff: 4.4 Beta 1

• REST API infrastructure • Accessibility improvements in wp-admin • New post permalink flow • Customizer widgets speed improvements • Keep your menus when you switch themes

Test some other stuff: 4.4 Beta 1

Questions?

Drew Jaynes | @DrewAPictureSlides: http://drewf.us/wcpdx15