I’m just testing version 5 of my YouTube Embed WordPress plugin. There are a couple of major changes, which are particularly noteworthy…

The re-introduction of the API

Yes, I ripped it out not too long ago and now it’s back. Without the API I was not able to create the metadata correctly. It was removed in the first place as I was using an older version of the API which no longer worked.

It’s now back and, well, it will add lots of useful features, some of which will be introduced in later releases. The only thing to be aware of for the time being is that an API key will be needed!

The re-introduction of caching

Yes, caching is back. Why remove it? Simply put, because I’d become too reliant on it.

A while ago I switched it off and found that my plugin was really quite slow without it. Caching only lasts for so long before it expires – once that happens it has to run without caching so that it can re-built again. That means, every-so-often, users will have been hit with those poor, non-cache times. So I ripped it out and concentrated on getting the core code REALLY quick. Which I did.

But now it’s time to add the caching back in because, if I’m honest, caching is quicker and it’s just the right thing to be doing (especially now I’m using the API again, which does need to be cached). It’s back, it’s better and I’ve now used code extracted from my Transient Cleaner plugin to ensure it’s correctly cleaned up afterwards (not the fault of my plugin but of the way WordPress housekeeps transients. Or doesn’t, as the case may be).

And for the future…

As alluded to above, adding the API back in will add lots of other opportunities to make use of video information which is, otherwise, not available.  But as well as this I have the following planned updates…

• Launching a video in a nodal window
• Expanding the templating feature
• Using oEmbed
• Integration of Shortcake

Biggest yet, a later update (version 6?) will see the current profile and list screens being ripped out in favour of a more WordPress standard layout, in particular the way lists and profiles will be listed and can be created, amended, etc.