WordPress.com has shortcodes?
Here’s something I didn’t know (for the last year and a half): WordPress.com has shortcodes. What are shortcodes and why are they important?
First, let me quote from that page I just linked:
“A shortcode is a WordPress-specific code that lets you do nifty things with very little effort. Shortcodes can embed files or create objects that would normally require lots of complicated, ugly code in just one line. Shortcode = shortcut.”
They’re important because WordPress.com doesn’t let ordinary users install plugins to do useful things like embed contact forms, video and audio, or conduct polls. Essentially, these shortcodes let you access pre-installed plugins from your posts and pages with very simple syntax.
Thinking about it now, it seems obvious WordPress.com would support the gallery shortcode like a self-hosted WordPress install. But it didn’t occur to me there would be anything else available. They’ve got 24 of these suckers now! True, half of them are used to embed video but that handy contact form shortcode just got inserted into my Contact page today.
And don’t I feel stupid not knowing this earlier? (No need to comment on that.) I only discovered these features because of an announcement on my Dashboard when I logged in earlier. (It was about a new archives shortcode.)
That’ll teach me to blog more often.
I would sure like to know when the WordPress.com developers added all that stuff. Anyway, here’s a belated “thanks” folks.
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