When migrating from version 4 (v4) to version 5 (v5) of the Aggregator plugin, you may notice that the structure and management of displays, previously called templates, has changed. In v5, these have been incorporated into a new feature called Displays. This guide will help you understand how to manage your migrated shortcodes and convert them into the new Displays, ensuring you can take full control of how your sources are presented.
What Happens to Your Migrated Shortcodes?
When upgrading from v4 to v5, any existing shortcodes that were created using v4 will continue to function as expected. You do not need to worry about your shortcodes breaking or disappearing after the upgrade. However, the way you manage and customize the parameters applied to each shortcode has changed.
In v4, you could set multiple parameters for a shortcode to determine things such as source selection, template selection, and so on., In v5, these are now managed through Displays. A Display is a centralized place where you can control all aspects of how your sources appear on the front end, including design, layout, and layout options.
Two Options for Managing Migrated Shortcodes
After upgrading to v5, you have two primary options for handling your existing shortcodes:
1. Keep Existing Shortcodes Working as They Are
If you are happy with how your shortcodes are currently functioning and do not need to make any immediate changes, you can simply leave them as they are. The shortcodes will continue to work without any issues, even though they use the legacy v4 settings. However, keep in mind that any further customizations or updates should be done through the new Displays feature to take full advantage of the enhancements in v5.
2. Convert Shortcodes into Displays
To gain full control over the design and behavior of your shortcodes using the new Display settings, you can convert your existing shortcodes to use Displays. This will allow you to manage and customize all settings for your sources from one central location, ensuring consistency and flexibility for future updates.
How to Convert Migrated Shortcodes into Displays
- Review the Existing Shortcode Configuration
- Navigate to the page or post where the shortcode is currently located. Make a note of the sources and any other parameters applied to the shortcode.
- Customize the Migrated Display
- Go to the Aggregator section in your WordPress dashboard and select
Displaysfrom the menu. Click `Add New Display` to create a new display that will manage the design, layout, and source selection for the content previously handled by the shortcode.
- Customize the Display settings, applying the same sources and templates used in the previous shortcode.
- Go to the Aggregator section in your WordPress dashboard and select
- Copy the Display’s Shortcode
- When clicking on the
Embedbutton on the top right of the display editor, copy the shortcode. Then, go back to the Page or Post that had the original shortcode and replace it with the new one.
- When clicking on the
- Test and Review the Embedded Display
- Preview or publish the page to ensure the new Display is functioning as expected.
- If necessary, return to the Display settings to fine-tune the layout or adjust the sources.
