WordPress Version 4.9 came available for download and update on November 15, 2017. Then after two weeks, the maintenance/security update to WordPress core—WordPress 4.9.1, was released to the public
The release brings some important enhancement on WordPress customization functions and also online code editing experience within WordPress dashboard, smoothing your design workflow and keeping you safe from coding errors. There are also many smaller but helpful changes.
In this post, I’m glad to introduce some main improvements coming along with the latest WordPress 4.9 release and guide you through the update to WordPress 4.9 version using Plesk Onyx.
What’s New in WordPress 4.9?
Improved Customizer Workflow
It is usually frustrated when you have no choice but to publish every single change you’ve made in the WordPress. Adn now with WordPress 4.9, you can have more options, including Publish, Save Draft and Schedule.
You might have also noticed the other new addition in the screenshot—the Share Preview Link. If you want to ask for opinions on the new changes, you can share the link with other people before publish and collect the feedback.
Another impressive improvement to the WordPress is the ability to change your theme directly from WordPress Customizer. Just click on the Change button, you can choose from either the installed themes or the WordPress.org themes in the next page.
Extended Gallery Widgets
WordPress 4.9 introduces some more widget updates on the basis of media changes in WordPress 4.8. You can now create a WordPress gallery and add it to any widget as you like. The ordering, sizing, as well as columns are all customizable.
Additionally, WordPress goes further and allows you to Add Media (images, video and audio) directly to your text widget.
Enhanced Coding Environments
WordPress 4.9 offer you a much better online code editor. The introduction of the CodeMirror editor features syntax highlighting, live error checking, autocomplete. In other words, the editor will automatically fix some common coding errors quickly when you you’re editing your plugin or theme. WordPress 4.9 also makes it possible for you to turn the syntax highlighting function off from your user profile page if you’re not a fan of it.
Additional Improvements & Bugfixes
WordPress 4.9.1 dropped as a security and maintenance release for WordPress 4.9 and earlier versions. As part of the core team’s ongoing commitment to security hardening, four fixes are shipped with the WordPress 4.9.1.
Besides, the release ensures your WordPress website is safe from eleven bugs, including a MediaElement JavaScript error that stopped certain groups of users from uploading media files, the lack of ability to edit plugin and theme files on a Windows based server, etc.
Update to WordPress 4.9 Using Plesk Onyx
If you’ve already subscribed to any WordPress hosting plan of Bisend, you can easily find that we have made the latest WordPress 4.9.1 available in the Plesk Onyx. Just in one simple click, you can have the WordPress core updated.
Given that the upgrade process may affect all your files and folders in the main WordPress installation, we strongly encourage you to back up your website before you get started. As is written in the previous article—How to Back Up Your Website via Plesk Onyx?, Plesk Onyx offers you two options to have a full working copy of your WordPress website, manually or automatically. If you’ve created scheduled backups, then the thing would be much easier because you can directly dive into the upgrade process. Don’t worry, if you don’t. The Back Manager in the Plesk Onyx lets you complete backing up all your content in seconds.
After WordPress backups, you can start updating to WordPress 4.9.1 now. Go to Websites & Domains, click on the hyperlink Update to 4.9.1 Now, then you will be displayed a small pop-on window that notices you again creating a restore point before updating. All you need is select the checkbox on the window and click on Start button to start as well as the whole upgrade process.
Can’t stop having a glimpse of how it feels like to run with WordPress 4.9? Log in your WordPress dashboard right away via the Plesk Onyx.
