GEO my WP 3.2 - Geocoder Enhancement

GEO my WP v3.2 is a major release that improves some of the location search queries, locations function, and the geocoder function. You can download GEO my WP v3.2 beta 1 beta 2 beta 3 from here.

Server-Side Geocoder

Back on June of this year Google introduced its new Maps Platform. One of the changes to the new platform is that a server Maps API key is now required for server-side geocoding.

Until now, GEO my WP required a single Maps API Key, which is a browser key ( client-side ). This API key is still required and is responsible for displaying maps, directions, and client-side geocoding. However, this key does no longer work for server-side geocoder. GEO my WP has a few functions ( usually being used with custom scripts ) that use the server-side geocoder, and those functions now fail to geocode a location.

In GEO my WP v3.2 there is new input box in the Settings page for a server-side API key. You need to create a new Google Maps API key and set it as a server key. In this tutorial you can learn how to create both browser and server API keys. In step 9 you can see how to set up a server key. Once you generated the server key, navigate to GEO my WP Settings page -> Maps & Geocoders tab, and enter it in the server key input box.

Server-Side Geocoder Testing Tool

You can now test the your Google Maps Server API key to make sure that it is set up and working properly.

After generating your Google Maps Server API key and adding it in GEO my WP Settings page, navigate to the API Testing tabs of GEO my WP Tools page ( dashboard-> GEO my WP -> Tools -> API Testing tab ) and click the 'Test Server Key' button. The plugin will then run the server-side geocoder and try to geocode a default address.

If geocoding successfull you will see a success message. Otherwise, you will see a detailed error message. The error message should help you understand what is wrong with the setup of your server API key.

Additional Changes

Other changes in GEO my WP 3.2 include improvements to the search queries and location functions, new functions, new hooks, various bugs, and coding standards.

Premium Extensions

A few of the premium extension, which are listed below, require an update in order to be compatible with GEO my WP 3.2:

If you have a valid license key you can downlaod the new version of the extensions from your account page.

Your feedback on GEO my WP 3.2 is greatly appreciated.

GEO my WP 3.1

Not too long since the last major update of GEO my WP ( GEO my WP v3.0 ), and the next major release, v3.1, is already here.

For the last couple of months, since the announcement of the new pricing modal and usage limit of Google Maps API, I have been busy working on adding an alternative to Google Maps. Mainly to provide a solution for users who might end up paying for Google Map services because of the new usage limit. But also to expand GEO my WP and make it possible to use any maps provider in the future.

GEO my WP 3.1 includes new geocoding and mapping classes that can be extended to work with different geocoding and maps providers. Out of the box, GEO my WP now supports Google Maps, and LeafLet as the maps engine, using OpenStreetMaps for layers and geocoding services.

Maps Providers

It is important to understand that the features differ between maps providers. Not all the features that Google Maps provides, OpenStreetMaps provides as well. So features like address autocomplete, Map Types and Map Styles, are not yet available with LeafLet and OpenStreetMaps. If you decide to use LeafLet instead of Google Maps, some features will not be available.

Geocoding Providers

Same as with maps providers, there is also a difference between Geocoding providers. Some geocoding providers are more accurate than others, have different coverage areas, and some are faster and more reliable than others. Switching between different geocoding providers in GEO my WP might affect the user experience and performance when adding or updating a location, and when searching for locations.

Choosing Maps Provider

To choose the maps provider, navigate to the dashboard -> GEO my WP -> Settings -> Maps & Geocoder tab, and select the maps provider from the "Map provider" drop-down menu. Once you choose, you will see the settings for the specific maps provider that you chose.

Note that the Google Maps API key input box moved under the new Maps & Geocoder tab.

Other changes in this release listed below:

As always, I first release a major update as a beta and I need your help testing it. You can download GEO my WP 3.1 beta 1 from here.

GEO my WP's premium extensions were also updated, and are now compatible with GEO my WP 3.1. You can download the new version of the extensions from your account page.

You can use the comments below to post any questions, feedback and bug reports related to this update.

Thank you,
Eyal

Google Maps Platform New Prices and Limits

On May 2, 2018, Google announce the launch of its new Google Maps Platform. The new platform introduces new pricing model and usage limit of the Google maps API.

The new changes will go into effect on June 11, 2018. Make sure to update your account before then, otherwise, the Maps services will stop working on your sites.

Listed below are the important things you need to know about the new changes:

New Pricing Model

With the new platform, you are required to provide a credit card in your Google API Console. However, this does not mean that you will pay for the Google Maps services that you use.

With the new pricing model you get $200 worth of usage every month. Google announced that the $200 credit will be enough for most users who have been using the maps services for free until now.

By now, you should have received an email from Google telling you the average of your past usage of the maps services, and if you are expected to go over the $200 credit.

GEO my WP and Usage Limit

Listed below are the API services that GEO my WP currently uses, and the usage limit within the $200 credit per month.

Adding Billing To an Existing Account

Google provides a transition tool that you can use to enable billing on your account.

Navigate to the tansition tool and login using Google account that has the maps API key projects. Once logged in, the transition tool will guide you through all the steps to enable billing on your account.

An Alternative to Google Maps API

Although the new prices should not effect most users. I believe it is time to integrate different alternatives to Google Maps API in GEO my WP. I have already started working on a new version of GEO my WP that will include LeafLet and OpenStreetMaps as an alternative to Google Maps. OpenStreetMaps services are free and do not required an API key.

This alternative will be included in GEO my WP core plugin. And additional mapping solutions might be available as extensions in the future.

I am working hard trying to have the new version of GEO my WP ready before Google's changes go into effect. If it is not ready by then, it should be ready not too long after.

Regardless, please make sure to update your account before June 11, 2018 to prevent any issues with Google services and with GEO my WP.

Thank you,

GEO my WP 3.0 Beta 7

GEO my WP beta 7 beta 7.0.1 7.0.2 is now ready for testing, and hopefully will be the last beta version before the official release. You can downlaod it from here.

At this point, all of GEO my WP official extensions are compatible with GEO my WP 3.0. They were all redone from scratch, with improved code, bugs fix, and new features.

Listed below are the extensions and the versions which are compatible with GEO my WP 3.0 beta 7 beta 7.0.1 7.0.2. You can download them from Your Account page:

If GEO my WP 3.0 beta 7 beta 7.0.1 7.0.2 is the first beta you test, please carefuly read the post on v3.0 beta 1 and v3.0 beta 2 to make sure the update goes as smooth as possible.

Your comments, questions and feedback regarding the updates are greatly appriciated.

Thank you.

GEO my WP 3.0 Beta 6

GEO my WP beta 6 is now ready for testing ( there were a few minor beta versions between beta 2 and beta 6 ). I have also updated most of GEO my WP extensions to be compatible with version 3.0, except for one; the Global Maps extension.

Listed below are the extensions and versions which are ready to work with v3.0. You can download them from Your Account page:

I will work on the Global Maps extension this coming week.

Before updating to v3.0, please carefuly read the post on v3.0 beta 1 and v3.0 beta 2 to make sure the update goes as smooth as possible.

You can download GEO my WP 3.0 beta 6 from here.

Your comments, questions and feedback regarding the updates are greatly appriciated.

Thank you.

GEO my WP 3.0 Beta 2

I am pleased to announce the release of GEO my WP 3.0 beta 2, which includes many bugs fix and improvements. The download link provided at the end of the post, but please make sure to read this post before upgrading from an earlier version.

It took a while ( 3 months ) from the first beta release, mainly because I was working on the update of the premium extensions at the same time. This way I was able to improve GEO my WP in the way it integrates with the extensions. This mostly concerns developers, but it now should be easier to develop extensions for GEO my WP using its many functions, classes, APIs, and hooks.

GEO my WP 3.0 Beta 2 is now more stable ( as far as I could test myself ). If you just start using GEO my WP, I do recommend to use this version, as I don't expect any major issues. If you are upgrading from an earlier version of GEO my WP, I suggest that you do it with caution. Make sure to backup everything before you upgrade, and it is recommended that you set up a staging environment where you can upgrade and test everything before you go live with version 3.0. Just to make sure everything goes smooth with the changes applied in the first beta ( see this post ) and with the changes added in beta 2 and described below.

Note, the premium extensions are still not ready for version 3.0. Except for the Premium Settings extension, which I will release the first beta that is compatible with v3.0 later today.

What’s New In Version 3.0 Beta 2?

Improve integration with GEO my WP extensions

Improving the new GMW_Register_Addon class and adding new functions to make it easier and more efficient to develop an extension for GEO my WP. Once v3.0 is officially released I will start document the new ( and old ) functions and classes that GEO my WP provides.

New Helper Classes

New helper classes added in this version. Classes that can be used to generate more custom form elements ( search form and search results elements ) when needed.
In previous versions of GEO my WP, form elements like address field, radius filter, units filter, post types, taxonomies and so on, were limited and couldn't be modified/customized much. For example, the function 

 gmw_get_search_form_radius( $gmw );

,in previous versions, was the core radius field function which directly generated a radius dropdown based on the settings form the form editor.

Now there is a new class GMW_Search_Form_Helper that provides core functions for the different search form elements. For example, using the function 

GMW_Search_Form_Helper::radius_field( $args );

, you can generate custom radius select menu by passing arguments like class, id, default_value, options and more. This probably more for developers, but also for users who have been looking to customize some of the form elements, but it was not very simply ( or possible at all ) in previous versions.

The radius field is just one example out of many functions that can be used this way. The new classes can be found in geo-my-wp/includes/template-functions.

New Template Functions

Along with the new helper classes mentioned above, many new template functions were added in this version as well. Most of the new template functions can, and should, be used directly in the search forms and search results template files.
The template functions generate the form elements, using the new helper classes, based on the settings of the form editor. For example, the radius function 

gmw_get_search_form_radius( $gmw );

, that in previous versions was directly generating the radius dropdown, is now using the radius settings from the form editor and pass it into the helper function:

GMW_Search_Form_Helper::radius_field( $args );

This way, not only integrations with GEO my WP and future updates will be much easier to manage ( for me and other developers ). Also, the search forms and search results template files, which often are being customized by the users, are cleaner and easier to manage.

In a search results template file, for example, to display the post's featured image, in a previous version the function looked like:

This function checks if the image is enabled in the form settings, if the featured image exists, and pass the width and height of the image.

Now, you can simpy use the function:

gmw_search_results_featured_image( $post, $gmw = array() );

which does everyting for you.

*If you are using custom search forms or search results template files, it is highly recommended that you update your custom templates and use the new template functions.

Renamed Core Extensions and Template Files Folders

Some of the core extensions and template files folders were renamed in this version for better workflow and to make more sense.

The folders that hold the core extensions, such as "posts" and "friends", were renamed to "posts-locator" and "members-locator". The folder names are now dynamically generated by GEO my WP based on the extension's slug/name.

*If you are using custom search forms or search results template files, which located in the theme's or child theme folder, you will need to rename the folders name as well ( same name it is in GEO my WP core plugin ), so GEO my WP will "see" your custom templates.

New Functions and Deprecated Functions

More functions were deprecated in this version of GEO my WP, which most were replaced with a new function.

*If you use custom template files and have WP_DEBUG enabled, you will most likely see warnings regarding the deprecated functions. It is highly recommended that you update your custom template files and replace the deprecated functions. You can use one of the template files provided in GEO my WP plugin as a guide.

Upgrading From an Earlier Version?

If you are upgrading from an earlier version of GEO my WP and use custom search form and search results template files, please make sure to read the above.
Pay attention to the new template functions, deprecated functions and make sure to rename the template folders in the theme's folder.

Premium Settings Extension

Along with this version of GEO my WP, I also released the first beta of Premium Settings 2.0. This is the first extension that is compatiable with GEO my WP 3.0.

This version includes many bugs fix, major improvements and a good amount of new features.

If you have an active license key for the Premium Settings extension you can download version 2.0 from Your Account page.

Ready to Give it a Try?

You can download GEO my WP 3.0 beta 2 from here.
Any feedback regarding the new beta vesions of GEO my WP 3.0 and the Premium Settings extension is greatly appriciated.

GEO my WP 2.6.1

After unexpected delays, GEO my WP version 2.6.1 is finally ready for testing. That is the first beta of version 2.6.1 ( attached at the bottom of this page ), and hopefully it won't be long before the final release is available. That is of course with your help by testing and reporting issues and feedback.

GEO my WP 2.6.1 is the next major update that includes a large number of bug fixes, core improvements, back-end improvements, new hooks and few awesome features. Below are listed some of the major changes you should be aware.

GEO my WP 2.6.1 change-log

  1. Most Important: This is a major security update. Thanks to Michael Lehmkuhl, who pointed out few XSS vulnerabilities and provided a solution to it; which followed by other security patches throughout the plugin. I strongly encourage everyone to install GEO my WP 2.6.1.
  2. Database update - the first thing you should notice after updating to GEO my WP 2.6.1 is the database upgrade message in the back-end. During the database upgrade, two columns will be added to GEO my WP location tables: street_number and street_name. Untill now GEO my WP combined and saves both street number and street name into one column called "street". "Street" column will still be there after the upgrade but also the two additional columns which will provide more flexibility when outputting an address. The new columns will begin collecting data only for locations created or update after the database upgrade. There is no way to collect data for locations entered previously the upgrade ( unless locations are updated again ).

    Database Upgrade Message

    Database Upgrade Message

  3. Back-end enhancement:
    • More of a clean and organized admin pages.
    • Improved "Form Detailed" section ( form editor page )
    • "Create new form" buttons replaced with a simple drop-down menu at the top of the page next to the page title ( Forms page ).
    • List of "helpful links" buttons were added to the top of all GEO my WP admin pages.

  4. Currenlt Location and Single location shortcodes/widgets were re-written and now provided via core add-ons ( free add-ons integrated with GEO my WP ). Both add-ons come with new features, improved styling, and a flexible way to display their components. The original functionality of gmw_current_location shortcode and widget, as well as gmw_single_location and gmw_member_location shortcodes, are still available and didn't change at all. However, once you activate the new Single Location and Current Location add-ons their functionality will "take over" and you will need to adjust the current shortcodes and widgets of your site based on the new widget settings and shortcode attributes.
    See more details about the new Single Location add-on and Current Location add-on.
  5. Sweet Date theme integration - this feature as well was re-written and wrapped up in into an add-on. After updating to GEO my WP 2.6.1, you will need to navigate to GEO my WP add-ons page and activate the add-on. The settings and functionality stayed the same except for a few tweaks in the map behavior. However, the core was drastically improved; many bugs fixed, and new hooks added.

    Sweet Date add-on

    Sweet Date add-on

  6. GEO my WP maps:
    • Map's script was completely re-written and now provided as a single map solution for all the maps created by GEO my WP and its add-ons. Instead of having a map script/file for each shortcode, widget, or add-on that display a map there is now only one map script that generates all the necessary maps. The only thing the add-on or function needs to do in order to display a map is to pass the correct argument to the new map functions. This new functionality reduces the number of JavaScript and files needed which results in better performance as well it is easier to generate a map via add-on or custom functions.
    • "resize map" triggered improved.
    • Map loader gif was replaced with a font-awesome spinner.
    • Multiple maps can be generated on the same page.
  7. Font Awesome icons replacing dashicons. Font Awesome provides a greater collection of icons and spinner.
  8. Together with the above GEO my WP 2.6.1 includes many bug fixes ( which are too many to list here ), small tweaks and improvements and errors/warninig messages were removed. Click here to see the complete list of commits/changes that took place in this update.
  9. New hooks ( actions and filters ) and functions - The large number of hooks and functions provided by GEO my WP makes it a super flexible plugin. Using Hooks and custom functions you can extend the functionality of GEO my WP and create features that it does not provide "out of the box". The docs site is still under development with only a few hooks mentioned there. However, if you are looking for a specific hook you are welcome to ask me and I will point you to the right direction. If such hook does not exist I will most certainly add it in a future update if possible.

GEO my WP 2.6.1

  1. Major improvement to the admin's add-ons page: Improved performance, show notifications for new versions, show notifications for required updates Based on the current version of GEO my WP, notifications for new add-on releases.
  2. Disable add-on when doesn't meet the minimum requirements of GEO my WP. To prevent errors and white screens.
  3. Fix: Updater system wont stay disabled.
  4. Fix: Pagination issue when in home page.
  5. New Feature: form editor checkbox to display days & hour in search results.
  6. Improved days & hour function.
  7. Fix: Shadow CSS in Firefox
  8. Tweak: address entered verification in Current Location address field
  9. Fix: GMW widget styling in admin
  10. Improved Post Types search queries and clauses setup. Make it easier for filtering
  11. New function: gmw_enqueue_form_styles() Load search form/results stylesheet earlier in the HEAD tag by passing the form ID and the pages in which they should be loaded
  12. New filter: apply_filters( 'gmw_form_url_prefix', $gmw_prefix, $atts, $element ); to modify the URL prefix of form submission parameters which is by default GMW_.
  13. Added custom array_replace_recursive function to support PHP < 5.3
  14. Sweet Date search form/results template files ( to be used with Sweet Date theme activated
  15. Many security patches

Click here for the complete list of commits that took place in GEO my WP 2.6.1

Thank you,
Eyal

GEO my WP 2.5

I am thrilled to announce the new version of GEO my WP 2.5 ( beta 1 ). This is another major update of GEO my WP which brings many new features, performance improvements and bugs fix. This is the first beta and I need your help to test it out. Testing and debugging it will assure that the final release will be as stable as possible.

Very Important:

  1. GEO my WP 2.5 and the premium add-ons went through major core modifications . Please backup your site before proceeding with the updates.
  2. If you are using any of the premium add-ons please first update the premium add-ons and only then update to GEO my WP 2.5. That is to prevent any conflict between GEO my WP 2.5 to the previous versions of the add-ons.

GEO my WP 2.5 Change-log:

  1. Add-ons Page:
    1. The add-ons page of GEO my WP was visually improved as well as its core was almost completely rewritten which results in better performance when activating/deactivating the licenses key or the add-ons as well as when checking for new updates.
    2. The add-ons page is now ( in my opinion ) more user friendly. Each add-on element displays two separate buttons: one for the license key activation/deactivation and another for the add-on activation/deactivation.
    3. Clear and easy to understand Success/error messages .
    4. Add-ons and license key activation usage instructions.
    5. Activate/Deactivate update system button ( move from GEO my WP Settings page ).
    6. add-ons which are actually plugins can be now activated/deactivated from the add-ons page. So by activating/deactivating an add-on you will actually activate/deactivate the plugin. There is no need to go to the plugins page for that.
  3. Tools Page - I am so excited about the release of GEO my WP's new tools page. It has been a long time and many users that have been asking and waiting for that.  I do believe that tools page is an important part of such plugin and I hope that many will find it useful. GEO my WP's Tools page comes with solutions for back and restore of data , export/import locations and reset/uninstall  of GEO my WP.
    1. Easily duplicate your settings and forms between different sites or backup and restore it on the same site.
    2. Export and Import Post Types locations between different sites ( same thing for Members Locator is planned for the future ).
    3. Import locations from custom fields of your choice. This can be useful when another plugin saves locations in custom fields and you want to import the locations into GEO my WP
    4. Import locations from other plugins . Right now it is possible to import locations  from WordPress Store Locator  and MapPress plugins.

    It is very important to test the tools page features on test sites. It is a brand new page with brand new functions and I don't want things to go wrong on any of your live sites.

  4. Admin pages - admin pages were generally improved:
    1. A bit of new styling and core improvement.
    2. New admin settings added to Post Types Locator add-on which allows you to set the initial lat/lng and map zoom level of the map in GEO my WP section of the "New/Edit post page".
    3. "Features" tab under "Settings" page removed. It created more confusion that actually being helpful.
    4. License and updater classes were improved for better performance.
  5. Forms editor - Forms pages visually improved and security issues were fixed.
  6. Search forms can now be disabled in case that you want to only have the search results displayed. This I believe can be useful if you want to display a map of posts on page load where you do not need the search form. A map of posts can be created using the new feature describe next. You can disable the search form by selecting "Disable search form" from the dropdown menu of the "Search Form Template" feature.
  7. Another exciting feature is the new  "Page Load Results" tab that added to Post Types locator forms. Using the tab you will be able to completely configure the form behavior on page load. It can be completely different than the configuration of the search results on form submit. You can choose the post type, set a starting address to search from, search based on user's current location when exists, set the distance, results per page, and additional filters by city name, state, country and zipcode. Another thing you can choose is if to display map, list of results or both. So basically using this tab you can set a form to automatically display all results ( or results filtered based on location ) and show them only on the map. Which will results in a mashup map for post types. How cool ah?
    This feature was sponsored by Rickeym Messick. Thank you!
  9. Members Locator Xprofile Fields - another "wanted" feature that has been requested for a while. The xprofile fields section of the Members Locator will no longer display xprofile fields as checkboxes only. Now each field will be displayed in the search form as the input field type which it was created.  And so, dropdown menu xprofile fields will be displayed as dropdown menu in the search form, Checkboxes will be checkboxes, text fields as text fields and so on. Moreover, all field types can now be displayed in the search form.
  1. Members Locator new grid style results theme.
  2. Maps javascript files improved and combined into one file. Now the content of the info window being created using PHP function and using a hook it can be easily modified. This way you can add or remove information from the info-window.
  3. gmw_single_location shortcode - new shortcode args added:
    1. Element_id to set the id of the wrapper element. if not set it will be random.
    2. info_window - can be 1 or 0. When set to 1 the info window of the marker represent the post location will be open on click.
    3. show_info - 1 or 0. When set to 1 the location information will be displayed below the map. You can set it to 0 if you want to hide the text below the map and only show it in the info-window of the map.
    4. ul_marker - 1 or 0. Set to one if you want to display maker represent the user's current location when exists.
    5. ul_message - The text that will be displayed in the info-window of the marker represent the user's current location. Default is "Your Location". leave empty for no info window.
  4. Sweet-date theme - add  Google Places address autocomplete feature and the ability to choose if to show or hide the "orderly" filter.
  5. Full screen map toggle - Small button will be displayed on the top right corner of the maps. Clicking on the button will toggle the map between full screen and normal size.
  6. GEO_my_WP class  improved and many new hooks were added.
  7. New function google_places_address_autocomplete() added. The function is now responsible for triggering the Address Autocomplete on GEO my WP and the different add-on. It also allows you to easily add address autocomplete to any fields of your choice.
  8. New set_labels() function added.  The function now responsible for the different labels of the search forms and results such as "distance", "address", "get directions", "no results" and more. And using the filter gmw_shortcode_set_lables it will be easy to modify the text of any of these labels.
  9. gmw_current_location shortcode new attribute "text_only" which can be 1 or 0. When set to one the current location will be displayed as text only without the hypertext which triggers the location form.
  10.  Fixed issue with pagination not working on a static front page. Now you can have the search forms and results on the home page of your site.
  11. Map markers that on the same exact location will now have the marker spiderier effect to prevent them from being on top of another.
  12. All the JavaScript files complied to smaller size for better performance. The plugin provides you with the compiled and uncompiled files.
  13. Many new filters and actions were added which make GEO my WP much extendable, flexible and powerful.
  14. Many other bugs fix, core improvement,and performance.

I have spent months and countless hours working on GEO my WP 2.5. My goal in each update is not only to add new and exciting features but also to improve GEO my WP's performance and its user experience.  I don't want GEO my WP to only look good; I want it to perform well and be stable. I am constantly improving GEO my WP's core and extending it so it will be as flexible and easy to use as possible. This is so features that do not exist "out of the box" will still be easy to create using hooks and functions.

I have put so many hours developing GEO my WP and the appreciation I have received makes the work all the more worth it. I am happy to see the exposure GEO my WP is getting and that  you, the users,  are enjoying it and finding it useful. As always,  your feedback, donations and purchase of the premium add-ons are greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
( Feedback on WordPress.org is always appreciated as well 😉 )

GEO my WP 2.5 Beta 2

  1. Added info-window filters for Post Types Locator 
    apply_filters( 'gmw_pt_info_window_content', $output, $post, $form );

    and Members Locator

    apply_filters( 'gmw_fl_info_window_content', $output, $member, $form );

    Using these filters you will be able to modify the info-window content.

  2. New hook to be used with Google maps styled 
    do_action( 'gmw_map_styles', $gmw );

    Using the action hook you can add custom style to the Google maps of your forms. This tutorial will show you how to add map style using the new action.

Please use the comments system below to report on bugs, feedback and suggestions.

 Updated - 11/12/2014

GEO my WP 2.5 CR-1

It has been too long since the release of the first beta of GEO my WP 2.5. It was mostly the updates of the premium add-ons that were keeping me from finishing  GEO my WP 2.5.

However, right now all the add-ons are up to date and compatible with Geo my WP 2.5.

Most of the add-ons went trough major update with many bugs fix, improved performance, improved code and new features.

Since GEO my WP 2.5 is not officially released and the new versions of the add-ons are only compatible with  it you will not see the update in the dashboard of your website. Instead, you will be able to manually download the new version of the add-ons from your Purchase History page. The add-ons which will only work with GEO my WP 2.5 and up and will need to be downloaded manually listed below:

  1. Premium Settings - gmw-premium-settings-1-5-beta
  2. Global Maps - gmw-global-maps-2-0-0-beta
  3. Groups Locator - gmw-groups-locator-1-4-beta
  4. Wp Users Geolocation -gmw-users-geolocation-1-1-beta

The rest of the add-ons are already compatible with GEO my WP 2.5.

A complete change-log of the add-ons listed above will be released with the final version of the plugins.

Below are some of  the major changes i'd like to point out:

GEO my WP 2.5:

  1. New shortcodes added: 
    1. [gmw search_form="form_id"]

      can be used to display the search form only.

    2. [gmw search_results="form_id"]

      can be used to display the search results only.

    The new shortcodes together with [gmw map="form_id"]  will allow you to display the any of the different form component anywhere on the page

  2. All of the form's labels are now being generated using the new function <pre>gmw_form_set_labels( $form )</pre> and tt is now possible to modify any of the form labels using the new filter <pre>gmw_shortcode_set_labels</pre>. You can find the function and the labels in the file geo-my-wp/includes/geo-my-wp-template-functions.php
  3. Many  redundant functions are now deprecated and combined into one. For example, a  function that shows the distance in the search results. Instead of having this function for Post Types Locator form, Members Locator form, Groups Locator and so on. Now there is only one function that serves all. All the deprecated functions can be found in geo-my-wp/includes/geo-my-wp-deprecated-functions.php. If you are using your own custom search forms or search results template files and have DEBUG set to true you will most likely see the warnings about the deprecated functions. Everything will still work fine  until I will remove the deprecated functions file most likely in one of the next updated. So please update your custom template files.
  4. There are many other improvement and bug fixes which I will list in the future.

Global Maps:

  1. The add-on is completely redone with many new features. The main feature is the new search form available for the maps. A new search form tab added to the Edit form page where you can choose the search form template files, set the radius , address field, and other filters based on the type of map you create. The search will be free floating within the map element and when being used it will update the marker on the map via AJAX ( see example the map on the home page of GEO my WP ).
  2. The info window improved a lot and new features added; Draggable window ( for pop-up info window ), new, improved look, new "get directions" system within the pop-up info window and more.

Premium Settings

  1. New info window. same as describe above.
  2. Markers Spiderfier is now fixed and working perfectly.
  3. Post featured image as map icons
  4. Compatible with the new version of the Global Maps

Groups Locator and Wp Users Geolocation add-on also working with the new version of Global Maps. Together with improved code and many bugs fix.

Click here to download GEO my WP 2.5 CR-1.

Enjoy!

 

GEO my WP 2.4.4

GEO my WP 2.4.4 change-log

  1. WordPress 3.9.1 and BuddyPress 2.0.1 ready
  2. Updated: Code generating taxonomies in the search forms and results. Please re-save your forms after update.
  3. Fix: issue with Sweed-date settings on multisite installation.
  4. improved: Styling for fronend, backend, search forms and search results template files were improved.
  5. Improved: show/hide additional information in markers info windows based on the form's settings.
  6. New: added the option for JavaScript geocoding to try overcome the OVER_QUERY_LIMIT issue.
  7. New: Admin Edit Post page media button to quick add GEO my WP shortcodes.
  8. New: Rename your forms.
  9. New: Shortcode usage description within each form in the form builder page.
  10. New: Single Location shortcode usage added to the shortcodes page.
  11. New: Hooks to manipulate form output.
  12. New: Info window added to the marker representing the user's current location saying "Your location". Can be automatically open on map load.
  13. New: Get direction links now displaying map based on the language set in GEO my WP main settings page.
  14. New: Show/hide Memebr's name above map when using the Member Location widget/shortcode.
  15. New: Use Member's Location widget/shortcode on single post page to show location of the post author.
  16. New: Single Location shortcode can now display the distance of post from the user's current location when exist. when using this feature the user's current location will as well be displayed on the map.
  17. New Single Location shortcode can now display the post title.
  18. New: First horizental search form for Post types locator.
  19. New: First grid style search results for Post Types locator.
  20. New: "gmw_update_user_location" function that can be used with custom forms in order to save WP users/BP members location.

GEO my WP 2.4.4 Main Changes/Features

Taxonomies core code

Some of the code that generates the taxonomies in the search form and results has been modified. Please update your forms update the update.

JavaScript Geocoding

New/old feature added back is JacaScript geocoding when submitting a search form. This feature added back to the plugin to try overcome the OVER_QUERY_LIMIT issue that some users experiencing. When OVER_QUERY_LIMIT retuned by Google API means that the address entered is not being geocoded and so no results showing up. Only if you are experiencing this issue you can try to fix it by checking the "JavaScript Geocoding" checkbox in GEO my WP "Settings" page.

GEO my WP short codes Media button

New GEO my WP Form button added to the Edit Post page in the admin dashboard. The button will allow you to quick add form short codes to any of your post or pages.

Rename Your Forms

You can now rename your forms when you create a new form or update an existing one. Make it easier to track your forms when you have many of them.

Single Location shortcode usage added to the short codes page

Usage instruction for Single Location short code added to the shortcodes page of GEO my WP.

User's Current Location Marker's Info-Window

This feature will now open an info-window for the marker represents the user's current location. It can be opened on marker clicked or you can set it to automatically open on map load. You can set it in the form builder under the "Map" tab.

Get Directions Link Map language

All "Get Directions" links were update to open Google map in the language set in the "Settings" Page of GEO my WP.

Member's Location shortcode/widget

Member's location shortcode/widget updated with new features. You can now Choose to Show/Hide member's name above the map when displaying member's location. Also, the shorcode/widget will now work on a single post page and will display the post author's location. All you need to do is set the new short code attribute "show_on_single_post" to 1 or check the "Display on single post page " checkbox when using the widget.

Single Location Shortcode

Horizontal Search Form for Posts Locator

Horizontal-Gray: New search form horizontal style added to Post Type locator add-on. You can now display a nice, minimal search form for your posts. Note that there is a custom function in the search form template file that hides the taxonomies label and displays it within the drop down menus as the default option. You can see a live demo here.
Horizontal search form for Members Locator is planned for the next update of the plugin.

Grid-style Search Results Template

Grid-gray: Grid-style results template added to the Post Types locator add-on. You can have it different now and display your search results in a clean responsive, grid-style. You can see a live demo here.
Grid-style results for Members Locator is planned for the next update of the plugin.

So, do you think it is enough for a feedback? if so please rate GEO my WP. Otherwise, tell me how to improve it.

GEO my WP 2.4

GEO my WP 2.4 is up and ready. This is the next major update of GEO my WP which come with some major improvements. The main focus in GEO my WP 2.4 was on the backend's visibility and performance, Better integration with add-ons and better written code.  As well as some new features, many bug fixes and the first third-party  integration with Sweet-Date theme.

Below is a list of the main changes in GEO my WP 2.4:

Changes/Improvements:

  1. The Code was completely re-built to be better organized and to improve performance.
  2. The admin pages of GEO my WP were complete redone since the initial release of the plugin. It has a completely new , shiny interface which hopefully will bring a better user experience as well.
  3. The Licensing system was fixed and improved. It has caused many performance issues for WordPress admin pages as well as with AJAX requests. It is now being loaded only when needed on the backend, Licensing and activation is more efficient and user friendly and hopefully no more add-ons activation issues.
  4. plugin's fiels and folders were reorganized.
  5. Geocode function was improved.
  6. New "Features" tab in the back-end will allow you to activate/deactivate some features such as short codes and widgets to improve performance when such features are not being used by you.
  7. Many JavaScript and PHP files were either removed or combine for less file loads which should improve performance.
  8. Improved "Curren Location" Widget/shortcode.
  9. New "Shortcodes" page added to Geo my WP admin pages. The page will explain and give an example to each shortcode that GEO my WP or its add-ons provides. Not all shortcodes are there at the moment but will be added very soon.
  11. GEO my WP will not save the data into custom fields any more. I have decided to remove the features for the two main reasons:
    1. Location information is already being saved in the custom table of GEO my WP. Saving the same information in custom fields as well just causes unnecessary duplication of data in the database which results in bigger tables and will hurt performance in the long run.
    2. When there is a need to display different components of the location ex ( city, state and so on ) on a page each of the custom fields that holds the information need to be called which results in weaker performance ( each custom field call is a call to database).

    To replace the support in custom fields I have created new functions/shortcode that will easily provide you with the ability to display any or all of the location data of post. This way is more efficient since it requires a single call to database ( that is also being cached ) in order to display single or multiple fields of a location.

  12. Member Location "Location" tab was improved.
  13. Forms and results template field were visually improved a bit.

New Features:

  1. You can now choose the search form template file when creating/editing a form just like how you choose the results page template file.
  2. You now can now display the results map anywhere on the page using the new short code 
    [GMW map="form ID"]

    When using the map shortcode you will need to make sure you set the new feature "Display map?" ( under "Search Results" tab in the form editor ) to "Using Shortcode".

  3. "Locator Auto-submit" feature will allow you to choose if to auto-submit the form after location found using the auto-locator or just fill the address field but without the form submission.
  4. New search form and search results template file "Gray" were added.

Removed Features

  1. Drop-pin animation was removed due to many errors, conflicts and performance issues.
  2. The support for Bing API Key was removed for the moment for some geocoding issues. I will look into improving it and might add it back in the future.

New Functions/Shortcodes

  1. Easily display any or all of the location fields of a post using a shortcode or template function.Use the function

    in a template file or the shortcode

    [gmw_post_info]

    in a post/page content.

    The accepted attributes are:

    1. info – can be any of the location information comma separated:  street, city, apt, state, state_long, zipcode, country, country_long, address, formatted_address, lat, long, phone, fax, email, website. The default value is formatted_address.
    2. post_id - the ID of a post when you want to display the information of a certain post. Otherwise, when using in a single post page or within a posts loop there is no need for post_id. The post ID will be used from either the post being displayed or each post within the posts loop.
    3. divider – any character you want to display between each field when displaying multiple fields. default is space.

    Example of function usage:

    args = array(    'info'    = 'city,state,zipcode,phone,email',    'post_id' = 34,    'divider' = ',' ); gmw_post_info( $args );

    the code above will produce the location information of post 34 as below:
    Hollywood, FL, 33021, 123-456-7890, info@geomywp.com

    Example of shortcode usage:

    [gmw_post_info info="city,state_long,website" post_id="34" divider="-"]

    The short code will produce the below line:
    Hollywood-Florida-www.geomywp.com

  2. Similar way you can display location of  Buddypress member when the "Members Locator" add-on is activated. You can use the template function 
    gmw_fl_member_info( $args );

    or the shortcode

    [gmw_member_info]

    The accepted attributes are:

    1. user_id - the ID of a user when you want to display the information of a certain BuddyPress member. Otherwise, when using in a member Profile page  or within a members loop there is no need for user_id. The user ID will be used from either the member that is being displayed or each member within the members loop.
    2. info – can be any of the location information comma separated:  street, city, apt, state, state_long, zip code, country, country_long, address, formatted_address, lat, long. The default value is formatted_address.
    3. divider – any character you want to display between the location fields. Default will be space.
    4. message - if you want to display a message when user does not have a location assigned to him/her.

    Example of function usage:

    args = array(      'post_id' = 3,      'info'    = 'city,state,country_long',      'divider' = ',' ); gmw_fl_member_info( $args );

    the code above will produce the location information of member with ID 3 as below:
    Hollywood, FL, United States

    Example of shortcode usage:

    [gmw_member_info info="city,state_long,Zipcode" post_id="3" divider="-"]

    The short code will produce the below line:
    Hollywood-Florida-33021

Sweet-Date Integration

sweetdate.__large_preview
GEO my WP 2.4 comes with the first theme integration which is Sweet-Date theme by Seventh Queen. The Integration will enhance the "Members" page of the theme and will add GeoLocation features to it. It will add the ability to search and find members based on address entered and radius chosen and will display result based on that. It will allow as well to display map above the results showing the found members. If you are using Sweet-Date and you have GEO my WP installed and activated you will see the new settings in the "Settings" page of GEO my WP under "Sweet Date" tab.

Other features that GEO my WP adds to Sweet-Date theme:

  1. Choose the radius values to be display as a drop-down menu.
  2. Choose units between Miles or kilometers.
  3. Adds "order by" drop-down select box that will allow to order results by distance, last active, Newest registered or alphabetical.
  4. Choose if to show map, choose its map type and set its height and width.
  5. Display the distance to each member.
  6. Display the location of members in results.
  7. Display "Get Directions" link that will open a new window with Google map showing the directions from the address entered to the member.

 

Very Important before Updating:

  1. Because of the major changes in the code and database you will lose all your settings and forms that you might have created. After the update completed you will need to setup the plugin and forms again. Apologies for any inconvenience it might cause. However, You WILL NOT lose any of your locations for posts or Buddypress members.
  2. Some functions where modified. If you have created custom search forms or results template files you will need to compare them to the default template files of the new version of GEO my WP and modify the functions of your template files based on the new version.
  3. Some of the existing hooks have modified as well as new hooks added.

Premium Add-ons:

For those of you who are using the premium add-on. Because of the major changes in GEO my WP 2.4 your current version of the premium add-ons will not work with the new version of GEO my WP ( You do not need to purchase a new license just to update to the latest version of the add-on). all the premium add-ons were drastically improved as well. The code was redone in each of the add-ons, Many features were added and many bugs were fixed. To prevent any issue with your license keys and to prevent errors after the updated please make sure to follow the steps below:

  1. Deactivate any license keys you might have
  2. Deactivate the premium add-ons
  3. Deactivate GEO my WP
  4. Update and activate GEO my WP 2.4
  5. Update and activate the premium add-on

If you are having issues with the license key or for some reason you cannot automatically update you premium add-ons from the dashboard you will need to manually download and install them. To do so just login to your <a href="https://geomywp.com/your-account/" target="_blank">Account</a> go to "Purchases" tab and download the latest version of the add-on.

Bugs, Errors, Conflict?

GEO my WP 2.4 and the add-ons all went through major updates. They have been tested and fixed many times before their final release. However, if you are getting into any issues just let me know and I will fix it ASAP.

That is all I can remember. There are other code improvements, bug fixes and features I might forgotten. But the major points were mentioned above.

Last thing

I have put many hours, blood and sweat into GEO my WP 2.4 and GEO my WP in general. please take a moment to appreciate my hard work. Your support is much appreciated and motivating me to keep kicking.

Rate GEO my WP
Donate
Add-ons

Thank you!

Eyal