cpt-onomies

Stopped working with wp 5.2.2. Cannot loop custom post types by term. Very poor documentation.

This plugin has been the best way to do what it does for several years, and I rely on it for the structure of a couple of sites. It does not deserve a one-star review for it’s functionality. The problem is that the current version does not function. When freshly installed, the current plugin version cannot be activated due to a fatal error. But when updating an active copy of the plugin, it white screens the front and back end of the site. To get it back, the plugin folder must be renamed or removed from the server. That’s unfortunate, but it happens. Everyone makes mistakes. What matters it how they’re handled. The new maintainers of this plugin broke the last update by leaving out a required file. As someone in the support forums pointed out, it can be easily fixed by simply adding this small file back in. But the maintainers themselves have not responded. And have not updated the plugin with this very minor fix. As of the time I write this, it’s been nearly a week since the put a site-killing update in the repository, and they’ve just… left it there. The thing that’s kind of a last straw is that the new code that broke everything is for monetization. Which is fine. People gotta get paid. But I’d expect a developer to be especially careful about updating parts of the code that get them paid, since they require literal buy-in from users. Maybe run a few tests? Keep an eye on the support forums? Make sure the thing that asks the greatest degree of trust isn’t the thing blowing everything up? No? If this is how they handle the monetization code, it makes me think this the actual functional parts of this plugin don’t have much of a future. So while I still like this plugin (when it works), I have to give it 1 star as a warning.

It’s a shame I have to write this review. This plugin was, once upon a time, fantastic. When Rachel Cherry had the time to maintain it, it was solid as a rock and worked like a dream. But she went on to find she had dwindling availability, and then the cracks started to show. Eventually she passed it on to its new owners and nothing has really improved. Now every site I have this plugin installed on is broken because the developers FORGOT TO BUNDLE A REQUIRED FILE, and we’ve been waiting for over 5 days for them to package it. This is entry level stuff. And keeping us waiting for 5 days is just plain lazy. It’s now time to say goodbye to this plugin, I will no longer be using it in any future projects, I will not be supporting it in any existing projects, I will not be recommending it to anyone — in fact I will be strongly recommending they avoid it — and I will be looking to replace it in any internal projects we might have used it in. I now have the fun job of going back through every project to see whether they are negatively affected. I only awarded that second star because only a few years ago this plugin was so good.

NOT WORKING ON NEW WORDPRESS VERSION

It wasn’t useful in my case because my CPTs are already assigned to their parent CPT, but I understood it is very functional and well supported. I had some layout issues and crashes in my backend, but I guess it’s my theme’s fault.

Incredibly useful plugin for more advanced sites. Thank you!!