The main focus of a website is often on its optimization, loading speed, and measures in this direction. Before you start with these measures, it is of course good that your site loads itself.
The developers of WordPress have focused on this in version 5.1, which was named "Betty" after the popular jazz singer Betty Carter. Let us see what significant changes and new features it brings.
Using an Old PHP Version
If you are using a PHP version lower than 5.6, you will see this field in the WordPress administration area. It tells you that the PHP version you are using is not secure. The main reason for this is that PHP 5.5, for example, has not been developed for 3 years and its use is not recommended. You can find more information about the supported PHP versions here.
For all hosting plans, we use secure versions of PHP 5.x, which are regularly updated with security patches. However, we do not recommend that you continue to use this version, as version 7 offers many advantages.
2. Minimum PHP Version for Plugins
Note: The image plugin used only serves to visualize the innovation.
This is the other major change, namely the fact that some plugins can no longer be installed if they do not fulfill the minimum PHP version requirements. Here we admire the developers for the fact that there is not only a message about this, but that the plugin in question is not allowed to be installed.
Remember that using old, outdated, or out-of-date plugins can have fatal consequences for a particular website. In more than one case, this leads to a fatal error or the so-called "white page". We hope that this change will drastically reduce these cases.
3. Improvements to the Gutenberg Editor
The editor has been constantly evolving since its integration into WordPress 5.0. The new version of Gutenberg includes important improvements in terms of speed and functionality as well as JavaScript tutorials for beginners.
Of course, there are many more changes in version 5.1, and the full list can be found at the address below.
One of the generally accepted “conclusions” about WordPress is its easy use. After these and the changes planned for version 5.2, we can turn our attention to "seamless" operation.
If you are experiencing difficulties with WordPress and prefer to focus on the business side of your project, take a look at our service - WordPress Support. Our team of experts with extensive experience will take care of the optimal functioning of your website.
