Afraid to Update

  • gonzjenn

    (@gonzjenn)


    11 years ago

    I am stuck in Shortcodes Ultimate version 4.2.3. About a month ago, I was prompted to update to a new version. When I did, I lost pretty much everything I had put on my site in shortcodes. It was a disaster. I just went to my host and asked them to restore a backup version of my site. Since then, I keep seeing updates for this plugin, but I don’t want to go through the same trouble. When I look at postings here for similar problems, the advice seems to always lead to messing with the code. I don’t know how to do that. You guys really need to put up a warning that people who don’t know code/CSS should not mess with this plug-in. I can’t even use half of the shortcodes because once I go into them, they ask for stuff I don’t recognize.

    I realize I sound like an idiot, but I think people who know code forget what it’s like to know no code at all. For example, when I click on “Posts,” I’m given a tip that says “custom post query.” I don’t know what a custom post query is. Over and over inside each shortcode content box, I’m asked to provide the “Class.” I don’t know what that is. I am a content provider who doesn’t have the money to hire IT people, but am trying to do it on my own through wordpress. I know I’ve taken on a difficult task, but plugins are supposed to make this process easier, aren’t they?

    Anyway, my main question is can I update without fear of losing all my shortcodes? If your advice is to go into the code and add or change something, please explain it in VERY basic terms. Assume ZERO background knowledge. Thanks. (p.a. Sorry for the crappy attitude.)

    https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/shortcodes-ultimate/

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  • dccharron

    (@dccharron)

    In this case (Shortcodes Ultimate) I would recommend that you don’t upgrade. If the version you have now works for you, keep using it. If you upgrade, you won’t “lose” your shortcodes but you may have a lot of fiddly work to do to fix your web site. That process may well require you to know some “code” to fix these things.

    Make a backup of your site before you upgrade a plugin (there are plugins to help you – here’s some help https://codex.www.ads-software.com/WordPress_Backups) Don’t rush to upgrade a plugin every time a new one comes out. Read about the nature of the upgrade first and decide if you really need it first. If the upgrade version contains the word “beta”, be careful.

    Most plugins are free. Some work well, some not so well. There’s no guarantee. Caveat emptor. Some authors are sensitive to backward compatibility. Some are not.

    Shortcodes Ultimate covers a lot of territory but it’s not the only plugin. There are lots of really good plugins that do everything SU offers. Some do it much better. Check them out.

    A “class” is part of CSS (cascading style sheets). Almost all plugins have their own set of classes which you get when you download the plugin. But you can create your own if you want to do fancy stuff. I’d recommend https://www.w3schools.com/ as a great place to start your learning process. You never stop learning.

    Hope this helps.

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
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