WordPress users (and that includes us!) will be happy to know that version 3.2 had a beta release last week, bringing a slew of new features that are designed to improve the performance, usability and appearance of the blogging platform.

However, this upgrade is rather different from the others. The most touted changes are not new features or tools, but rather speed and design elements that should make WordPress cleaner, lighter and faster.

The idea is for WordPress to drop many of its old technologies and start looking forward, streamlining its code and appearance to focus on what really matters.

Sounds like a tall order eh? I think WordPress might well be able to deliver on it, although it’s tough to say at this early stage.

Speed, Speed and More Speed

The major focus of this update is streamlining code to make it faster and more efficient. According to WordCast, this is likely coming from three key sources.

1. Use of PHP lazy loading to make the admin menu load faster
2. Avoiding async requests in the dashboard area to speed up its loading
3. Improvements in the handling of FTP to speed the upgrade and installation process for plugins and core files

But while these changes solely affect the administration panel, WordPress is also dropping support for many older technologies, including all versions of PHP prior to 5.2.4, all versions of MySQL prior to 5.0 and even older browsers, including IE6.

These changes should free up WordPress to drop legacy code. For example, hacks required to enable support of earlier versions of PHP can be dropped as can admin area code that enabled it to function on IE 6.

That being said, early tests of the new beta have not been overwhelming. While some have reported that it is much faster, especially in the administration area, some tests have actually showed it to be slower than the current stable version 3.1.2.

Still, the dropping of old standards at least opens the doors to future speed increases as dead weight can be removed from the code.

Other Features in WordPress Update

As well as these exciting speed increases, there are a few other features in WordPress 3.2 that should get users excited.

1. Distraction-Free Writing: WordPress 3.2 offers a full-screen writing mode that lets you write your blog posts without distractions. Great for writers who prefer a full screen word processor to craft their content.
2. New Admin Interface: The administration area has been redesigned in WordPress 3.2. Though the overhaul is far from drastic, more of a subtle graphical shift, it’s designed to keep the admin panel looking fresh and modern. However, it isn’t so different that it could confuse current users.
3. New Default Theme: Twenty Eleven will be replacing Twenty Ten as the new default theme for WordPress. The new theme is more modular and is easier to customize., making it a better starting point for new installations.
4. Admin Bar Tweaks: Finally, the controversial admin bar, the bar that’s shown to logged in users when they visit their public site, will be able to be hidden in 3.2.

So nothing too cutting edge, but certainly more than enough to make one want to click the “Update” button.

Should You Upgrade to WordPress 3.2?

Currently, WordPress 3.2 is in beta so upgrading is a very bad idea for anything other than an isolated test site. However, the question will be come more relevant in a month or so when the final version is released.

For most, upgrading will be a fairly easy choice. The speed improvements will be well worth the move, especially considering it doesn’t appear that this new version causes any major problems with plugins or themes.

The one serious question is that servers will now need updated versions of PHP and MySQL and users who are forced into using IE 6 (for example, many workplaces force the use of IE 6), may have reason to pause. However, all of the new minimum requirements are well-established and have been out for quite some time. Very few servers don’t already ruse a PHP version newer than 5.2.4.

In short, if you have a reasonably up-to-date server and browser configuration, there isn’t much to fear from WordPress 3.2.

Bottom Line

Every time WordPress undergoes an upgrade, there’s a strange mixture of excitement, nervousness and anger in the WordPress community. Excitement for the new features, nervousness about how the new version will affect established sites and anger over features that weren’t implemented or were dropped.

WordPress 3.2, however, doesn’t appear to be soliciting any particularly strong emotions at all. The under the hood fixes are all welcome and important, but not the type of changes that sets the message boards on fire.

So while this may be a bit of a “ho hum” release for the average user, it could be an important building blog release for future updates, especially as WordPress ditches archaic standards.

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