We’ve finally come to the end of Summer of Code, so it’s time for the final GSoC release in this slightly late update (hey, would it be a post by me if not?). This release is mainly a stability release, so there are only minor changes:
Huge documentation update – Guides on getting started and extending the API are now available for your perusal
Add generic CPT class – Plugins are now encouraged to extend
WP_JSON_CustomPostType and get free hooking for common actions. This
removes most of the boilerplate that you needed to write for new CPT-based
routes and endpoints (#380)
Use defined filter priorities for endpoint registration – It’s now easier to
inject your own endpoints at a defined point
Update the schema – Now includes documentation on the Media entity, plus more
(#264)
Add better taxonomy support – You can now query for taxonomies and terms directly. The routes here might seem strange (/posts/types/post/taxonomies/category for example), but the intention is to future-proof them as much as possible (#275)
Ensure the JSON URL is relative to the home URL (#375)
Check all date formats for If-Unmodified-Since (#378)
Register the correct URL for the JS library (#376)
Correct the usage of meta links (#379)
Add filters for post type and post status data (#380)
Separate parent post and parent comment relation (#330)
The big feature for this final week is a bunch of documentation changes. I’ve created guides and documents on how to use the API, intended for both beginners and experts. I’d especially like to highlight the Getting Started guide, as well as the Extending the API guide for plugin developers. The documentation in the past has been less than fantastic, so I’ve made a concerted effort towards it this week. In addition, I’ve also fixed up all the remaining bugs reported via Trac.
Now that GSoC’s over, what’s next? The aim with the project is to now move it from a solo project to a team one, and to that end, I’ve been working on assembling a fantastic team to work on the project with, with aim to integrate the API into core in the future. 3.8 time is fast approaching, so we’ve elected to aim for 3.9 as a more realistic target, although the advantage of the Feature as a Plugin method of development is that we’re not locked down here.
We’re held two meetings so far as a team, and I’ll announce a proper office hours time next week, but I’m also looking to try something new with the organisation of the team. More to come on that in the next team update, but in the meantime, you can check out the internal team discussion site. Anyone looking to get involved in the team is welcome to join as always, but I’d ask that only those serious about working on the project join, as there are a fair few people committed already.
Thanks to everyone, especially my mentors and Jen, for making this project a joy to work on so far. Here’s hoping we can keep the momentum as we push forward with the project.