WordPress Plugin and Front-End Component Updates
We’ve accomplished a lot lately, so I have some updates to share with you. The AtD/WordPress plugin, jQuery plugin, and TinyMCE plugin have all seen updates. Here is a list of what you get to look forward to:
jQuery API Updates
The AtD/jQuery API is the big winner in terms of fixes. This updated library builds on the AtD Core UI Module. The Core UI Module allows the jQuery API and TinyMCE plugin to share a lot of code. This means a bug fix in one is a fix in another.
The jQuery API includes a new jQuery-like syntax for attaching to a textarea. This is the technique powering the AtD Bookmarklet released last week. Do you want to add AtD to a webpage? Here is the code that does it:
<script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script src="http://static.afterthedeadline.com/atd-jquery/scripts/jquery.atd.textarea.js?ver=011210"></script>
<script src="http://static.afterthedeadline.com/atd-jquery/scripts/csshttprequest.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://static.afterthedeadline.com/atd-jquery/css/atd.css" />
<script>
jQuery(function() {
$('textarea').addProofreader();
});
</script>
That’s not all. The jQuery Textarea API takes advantage of the new contentEditable HTML 5 feature in non-IE browsers. If you’re using a new browser you can change your content from the proofreading view.
TinyMCE API Updates
The AtD/TinyMCE module now takes advantage of the Core UI Module.
WordPress Plugin Updates
The WordPress plugin user interface is now ready for localization. If you’d like to contribute, please read the call for volunteers. The Visual Editor and HTML Editor now share a lot of code (and fixes) thanks to the Core UI Module. If you’re using AtD on your WordPress blog, I highly recommend this update.
After the Deadline 
I’ve been a bit jealous of the WordPress.com users, who have been able to use the grammar, style and spelling checker for a little while. You can imagine how last Friday I was overjoyed to see its availability for self-hosted WP sites! Thanks so much for making this work, especially as an API-based plugin. (In case you’re curious, it’s running now on the little non-profit place under the link of my name; we’ll see about the longer term results of running spell Czechs…)
🙂 Glad to help. How did you find out that AtD is available for self-hosted WP sites? I’m curious because I’d like to make sure we improve that message and reach people.
Don’t laugh: I just searched for “spell check” in the WP.org plugin repository… It was a bit of a happenstance find for me. And then, when I read the pedigree of your plugin (it helps to read the documentation beyond the number of downloads and stars… Insert multiple rolling eye smilies here) I picked yours over the alternatives. Which I think sums up your USP.
I suppose you’d want to get highlighted on WTC (Mark Ghosh’s place) and Lorelle’s and so on to increase visibility not only functionally, as a plugin, but especially for what it does on a strategic plane: it can dramatically improve the quality of content in a few mere clicks. Also, I guess a mention by Mr Automattic himself on his place couldn’t hurt, arguably with some proposition to fire up the Big Debate: should consistent grammar infractions and habitual spelling offenses aggravated by a wanton disregard of style be prosecuted as a felony or just a misdemeanor? And should those be shut down automatically by Lingotron – the stealth release of your plugin, which automatically reports flagrant and repeat offenses to a central repository; API is worked out as we speak – or is merely public mocking acceptable punishment?
I’m a linguist myself, so anything that helps beautify the blogscape is an imperative, making yours a must-have of course. 😉
Seriously, great to see emphasis also on the linguistic quality of reading material, aside from the usual considerations of taxonomy, data modeling and so on. That’s why so many CMS (pardon my subsequent technical linguistic term here) suck – they overlook too often that content has to look good, emphatically also including tools for readability improvement. And I think it fits to have a combo spelling, style and grammar checking plugin sponsored by Automattic, focused as it is on providing a solid and efficient publishing platform – that already implies more eye for text rather than abstract “content.” Oh, I’m ranting again.
Thanks again for the plugin!
Great service! I learned about it by fiddling with the jquery plugin. It would be nice if it could incorporate a thesaurus, which is actually what I need right now.
The grammar checking is impressive! Good work.
Thanks. There are no plans at this time to do a thesaurus with AtD. I believe in doing one thing, doing it well, and then letting others jump in with their one thing done well. I think a thesaurus would be a good separate plugin.