BuddyPress Products, Releases and Related Software

BuddyPress 1.0.2 was a non-critical maintenance release for the 1.0 line, distributed through the plugin browser in a WordPress installation or by downloading and overwriting the existing plugin files. Users were advised to deactivate BuddyPress before auto-upgrading and to deactivate any third party BuddyPress plugins first. Installations using a language file needed to re-download it after upgrading, a step the project said would be eased from version 1.1 onwards by bundling as many language files as possible. A full list of fixes was published in the release history.

• Maintenance release for the 1.0 branch
• Available via the WordPress plugin browser
• Language files required re-downloading after upgrade
• Deactivate third party plugins before updating

BuddyPress 1.1 combined core code improvements with new features, including one click internal bbPress forum integration for group forums and a global forum directory for browsing public forum posts. Theme handling was completely re-written so that a single theme controls an entire installation, with themes able to update automatically when BuddyPress is updated. Site administrators gained control over all content in an installation, including editing profiles, updating avatars, marking users as spammers, managing groups and deleting activity entries. The release also added filterable activity streams, status updates with actions and filters for plugin developers, and a group extension API. A release candidate preceded the final version, with more than 70 bugs reported and fixed since the beta.

• One click internal bbPress forum integration
• Global forum directory
• Single theme controls the whole installation
• Filterable activity streams across features
• Status updates with developer actions and filters
• Group extension API

Version 1.0 required two themes: a WordPress home theme for the blog and front page, and a separate BuddyPress member theme for BuddyPress-generated pages. From 1.1 a single theme handles everything, with BuddyPress shipping a social network framework theme that acts as a parent theme and a default child theme containing only images and CSS. Building a new BuddyPress theme becomes a matter of creating a child theme on that framework, overriding only the template files that need changing and inheriting new functionality when the framework theme is updated. Themes built on the old system were stated to continue working for at least the next couple of versions, and developers remained free to create their own frameworks.

• Parent framework theme plus default child theme
• Override only selected template files
• Automatic inheritance of framework updates
• Older two-theme setups still supported for several versions

BuddyPress 1.2 removed the requirement for WordPress MU, working with both WordPress and WordPress MU 2.9.1 and higher; the only difference between the two is the tracking of blogs under WordPress MU. Installation was simplified to three steps, replacing the manual steps required by earlier versions. The release ships with a new default theme supporting all the new 1.2 features, built to be straightforward to extend. Activity streams were transformed, with permalinks on each activity item, threaded commenting on activity across a site, direct update posting globally or within a group, favouriting, and @username mentions. A third release candidate was issued for testing before the final version, with known issues and bug reports handled through the BuddyPress Trac installation.

• Works with WordPress and WordPress MU 2.9.1 and higher
• Three-step installation
• New default theme
• Activity permalinks and threaded activity comments
• Direct status posting, favourites and @username mentions

BuddyPress 1.2.2.1 delivered important bug fixes to the 1.2 branch and was described as a highly recommended upgrade, with the full list of fixes since 1.2 published on the release history page. Version 1.2.5 addressed WordPress 3.0 compatibility issues introduced in 1.2.4 and fixed a total of 49 reported issues; it also introduced new actions that plugin authors should use to load their code in the right place, making BuddyPress more friendly to dependent plugins. Version 1.2.6 improved WordPress 3.0 compatibility further, made minor tweaks to the included theme and fixed 91 reported issues. Each release advises backing up installations and deactivating dependent plugins before upgrading.

• 1.2.2.1 — bug fixes to the 1.2 branch
• 1.2.5 — 49 issues fixed, WordPress 3.0 compatibility
• 1.2.5 — new actions for plugin authors
• 1.2.6 — 91 issues fixed and theme tweaks

Since BuddyPress 1.1, bbPress has been bundled in the BuddyPress package and integrated into a dedicated forum component for group discussion, together with a central discussion directory. As part of the WordPress community's "3.org" initiative, bbPress is being converted from a standalone platform into a WordPress plugin. The stated plan is that bbPress will no longer be packaged with BuddyPress in a future version, with both plugins aware of each other when activated and additional features available when they are used together. The intended result is forums that can be created for other objects, components or plugins, and that BuddyPress developers can extend internally for their own components.

• bbPress bundled with BuddyPress since 1.1
• Group forums and a central discussion directory
• bbPress being rebuilt as a standalone WordPress plugin
• Future BuddyPress versions to drop the bundled copy

The BuddyPress Skeleton Component is offered as a starting point for developing a BuddyPress plugin, providing the basic structure needed to build new BuddyPress features, and was updated for 1.1. Bug reports and known issues are tracked on the BuddyPress Trac installation, which accepts BuddyPress.org usernames and passwords. By the 1.2.2.1 release there were more than 125 BuddyPress plugins available. BuddyPress Links, which adds rich media sharing and embedding, was written by Marshall (MrMaz), who joined the project as a core developer to focus on the BuddyPress API and plugin integration.

• BuddyPress Skeleton Component for plugin development
• BuddyPress Trac for bugs and known issues
• More than 125 plugins available as of 1.2.2.1
• BuddyPress Tweetstream, Like, Links and Album+
• BuddyPress Group Documents, Group Blog and Group Wiki
• BuddyPress Profile Privacy and Welcome Pack

BuddyPress For Dummies is the first book published about BuddyPress, written by Lisa Sabin-Wilson, a contributor within the BuddyPress community. It introduces what BuddyPress is, what can be built with it, and how to customise it. A sample chapter is available as a PDF, and the book can be previewed through Amazon.com.

• Author: Lisa Sabin-Wilson
• First published book about BuddyPress
• Free sample chapter available as a PDF