Used to be Good But Why Pro ? Just for a snippets !!

You don’t need to be Pro to use small snippets. The free version of Code Snippets includes the same features it always has, plus additional features such as Content snippets since the 3.0 release.

We’re committed to ensure that the functionality of the free version of Code Snippets only improves over time, and never decreases.

Sad that users leave reviews when they have no idea what they’re talking about. They have removed nothing in the free version. Keep up the great work Shea!

So I’ve just uninstalled code snippets on a site after using for several years.

It now no longer has CSS snippets, and suggests upgradng to pro in order to use them. I’ve switched to another snippet plugin, which is used by more users now.

I’m not sure why people here are saying the free one hasn’t changed when it so clearly has.

The thread above is referencing PHP snippets. CSS snippets were never in the free version of this plugin. They were added to the pro version in 3.0.0.

—

New in Pro

• Added: CSS style snippets for the site front-end and admin area.

—

You can download and install an old version and see that this was only PHP snippets before that. Perhaps you are confusing this with another plugin?

The free version of this plugin has never had CSS snippets.

So Brian, I’m afraid that is completely incorrect. In fact I have a site running code snippets 2.14.0. CSS is completely included and fully functional. And that’s the very reason I am here, because it no longer is. Sure it might have been added to pro after being removed from the free version. But it absolutely existed not that long ago. IF you look at the stats you’ll see plenty of people still using 2.14!! ??

What’s very strange is the attack at people stating this. The attack itself is odd. Calling people rude etc etc, and the developer too. Hmmm something is not right here at all.

Just downloaded an old version (2.14.6), and CSS snippets are not in there. So not sure what plugin you are using.

Shea is a great developer, and I still use the free version on many sites. It’s not an attack. Just pointing out facts.

I also downloaded and installed Code Snippets 2.14.0, which is very old, and it doesn’t have CSS snippets. Perhaps you have a modified version of the plugin?

Here is a screenshot of 2.14.0.

You can’t remove something from older versions that already exist on the repository. That’s not how www.ads-software.com works.

Feel free to download an old version and verify for yourself.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Brian Jackson. Reason: spelling mistake
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Brian Jackson.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Brian Jackson.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Brian Jackson.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Brian Jackson. Reason: Added follow up image with the version user was running

I don’t need to download 2.14.0 I’m already running it! and another site running 2.14.3, and another running 2.14.1 (All three of which come with fully functional CSS snippets). I wouldn’t have been using if it didn’t run CSS snippets out of the box.

And that’s clearly what others are seeing. And why are you going to this much trouble to try and prove the opposite of what we are experiencing and what is obviously true? and not be in any way more inquiring and intrigued about this?. Why would we all want to make up such a thing about something so specific and demonstrable! As soon as I instaled on a new site it was “Oh, Well that doesn’t work like it used to!” Immediately uninstalled and won’t be using for future projects anymore.

Anyway, here’s my screenshot of my 2.14.0 in actual use on a live site, plugin was installed November 2020:

Functions perfectly for CSS and comes with CSS examples, tagged and everything, ready for cloning (these come with the fresh install). The site runs multiple CSS snippets perfectly. I won’t be upgrading though!! And wont be using this plugin for future sites. Extinction by monetization is the new plugin business model for this one I think. Sad, I often donate to plugins like this after I realize I’ve been using them for a while, but obviously not in this case.

Perhaps you have a modified version of the plugin. You can download 2.14.0 off of the repository right now and there are no CSS snippets.

Only reason I chimed in was the original poster was factually wrong. The developer of the plugin already stated this: https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/used-to-be-good-but-why-pro-just-for-a-snippets/#post-16049499

I agree, not a fan of the freemium model either.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Brian Jackson. Reason: Add link to developer statement
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Brian Jackson.

No, none of the versions I have installed are in anyway modified or customized. As I said, they are all out of the box, and installed directly through the worpress installations “add new plugin” method that automatically links to the wordpress plugin repositories from keywords. every time.

I think you should be far less trusting of the developer here, in the link you supplied he says:

“We’re committed to ensure that the functionality of the free version of Code Snippets only improves over time, and never decreases.”

This is simply not true.

I don’t mind freemium as long as your original free plugin isn’t later demoted to force paid for pro options. Especially if this is part of an upgrade path, and without informing current users. The plugin author here is not being honest about these changes. I can longer trust or use this plugin due to that. If you’re going to try to ramp up your sales of pro, at least be honest with it.

I would agree with you if they were removing CSS snippets (and forcing people to upgrade for an existing feature), but the developer has already given the correct response: https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/used-to-be-good-but-why-pro-just-for-a-snippets/#post-16049499

You can check for yourself that the older repository versions don’t have CSS snippets. You can download them here: https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/code-snippets/advanced/

However, you can still use CSS in the current free version of the plugin. Maybe that is why you are confused. You just have to wrap it in PHP, as the free plugin has only ever had PHP snippets. Example: https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/css-examples/#post-15088250

So if your CSS was already wrapped in PHP, it should continue to work just fine. The CSS snippet example in the screenshot that you provided is most likely still a PHP snippet.

The pro version just adds a new framework for more easily adding CSS snippets without having to wrap it in PHP first.

Hopefully that clears everything up.

@conradish I apologise for the confusion over this matter.

The truth of it is that version 2 of Code Snippets did never have a ‘Style (CSS) snippet’ type, like v3 Pro does. The Style snippet type allows for easier adding of CSS, where the process of combining into an external stylesheet is handled behind-the-scenes for you.

What I believe you are thinking of is the ability to add CSS to your site through a Functions (PHP) snippet. This is the only snippet type that existed in version 2 of the plugin. The difference here is that you cannot add pure CSS code through the snippet interface, and instead need to wrap it in an add_action hook and <style> to tell WordPress where to display it.

As an example, here is the sort of CSS snippet that works with all versions of Code Snippets, including v2, v3 free and v3 Pro:

add_action( 'wp_head', function () { ?>
<style>

a {
    color: red;
}

</style>
<?php } );

If you have a copy of Code Snippets Pro, you could instead choose to add just the CSS code itself as a Style (CSS) snippet:

a {
    color: red;
}

This means that the CSS code is able to be handed and enqueued more efficiently behind-the-scenes. Because this is a special feature that is not fully essential for using Code Snippets, we decided to make it Pro-only, but as I have said, we are committed to ensuring that the free version of Code Snippets never removes any features, but only grows better over time.

Hopefully this clears up the confusion, and as I said, my apologies for failing to make this clear enough in our UI and documentation. If you have any suggestions for how to improve the user experience in this area, we would love to hear them and incorporate them into the plugin.

So it seems like this is a game of smoke and mirrors

@shea. The example css php snippet you show were exactly the ones that came as examples with the original free code snippets plugin, that have now been removed. Here is the snippet that used to come with a Code snippet until around a year ago, to instruct the user:

add_action( 'wp_head', function () { ?>
<style>

	/* write your CSS code here */

</style>
<?php } );

this snippet had the description:

This is an example snippet for demonstrating how to add custom CSS code to your website.

You can remove it, or edit it to add your own content.

This snippet is now gone. The plugin actively made it easy to add CSS, and the snippet came with the clone option below. All you had to do was clone and add PURE CSS only. That’s all that was needed Clone and Add CSS. No quicker that your pro version I’m sure! These snippets were tagged as CSS but have been REMOVED from the free version.

All the new version is doing is doing this behind the scenes, it requires no fewer clicks, and makes it seem to the user that they need to upgrade to pro in order to add CSS.

The fact that the new version no longer includes these pre-tagged CSS snippets, makes it worse for the user. Even your suggestion here that you cannot add “PURE CSS” is disingenuous. Any CSS code added was pure! Likely your new CSS inclusion in pro, is just similar code, but hidden from the user by one layer, and an unnecessary UI, that is all.

As someone who has used code snippets for several years, this change, couple with the prompt to upgrade to pro for CSS snippets. is not appreciated. and it has caused me to stop using code snippets. I now use an alternative snippet plugin, which actually seems nicer in some areas, although I was very happy with your old free plugin for several years.

@brian

You just seem to be repeating Shea’s line which is odd, are you commented with this plugin somehow?? I guess you haven’t been using very long if you haven’t noticed the missing CSS snippets

I’m not confused, the example CSS snippets which used to be included in Code snippets no longer are. You’re not going to convince me and other users that that we were dreaming it all up!, especially as so many users are still running code snippets 2.14.x and using CSS snippets using the clone feature straight out of the box.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by conradish.

I have no relation to this plugin. Just a happy user for many years. And I’m still using CSS snippets in the free version because they are still in there.

The example snippet is gone. But you can still add CSS snippets (wrapped in PHP) in the free version. Nothing has changed regarding functionality.

So I’m still a happy user as I’m still using it exactly the same way as I always have.

If you want that snippet present on your sites, simply add it. The clone action still works. That example CSS snippet will work just as well on v3 as it did on version 2.14.x.

The example snippets installed by default were never anything more than afterthought – I didn’t realise they provided foundational functionality for certain users. My understanding is that any long-term user of Code Snippets likely has their own selection of starter snippets stored in an export file they can load onto sites.

While I do wish you’d provided this feedback in a more constructive form, it’s very helpful to discover the sorts of sample snippets that users would like to see. I might take another look at what we currently provide by default and see if I can add the CSS/JS ones back in a way that wouldn’t increase confusion between the different features.

@shea

While I do wish you’d provided this feedback in a more constructive form, it’s very helpful to discover the sorts of sample snippets that users would like to see. I might take another look at what we currently provide by default and see if I can add the CSS/JS ones back in a way that wouldn’t increase confusion between the different features.

So I don’t think the feedback here is unconstructive at all. It’s helped point out something that is missing from the free version that users like myself and the OP used to use. It is also confusing that the only reference to using CSS while using the plugin is to upgrade to Pro. Leaving the original example css files would have kept me as a user, but I’m not already enjoying a different snippets plugin that comes with much more in the free version (including comprehensive CSS snippets that allow you to choose where the CSS is located).

The way you have changed your free plugin definitely makes it seem like Pro is required for CSS snippets, but I think that is likely your intention, and only you will know whether that pays off in the long run.