This is part 1 of a series of posts providing details of some of the new functionality being added to my WordPress plugin YouTube Embed.

During this article any reference to YE is indicating YouTube Embed (and, more specifically, the currently unleased version 2).

Embedding Options (may change!)

Part 1 : Embedding Options

YE has the same embedding methods as before – PHP function call, widgets or the shortcode [youtube]. However, there are now a number of extra methods that can be used, many of which are to allow easy migration from other plugins.

In a later article I’ll talk about the multiple profiles that you can set up. In the meantime, it’s worth noting that for each of the following methods, a default profile can be specified allowing each to display differently.

Embedding with a URL

WordPress, by default, allows you to embed YouTube URLs simply by specifying them on their own line in a post. This uses some built-in oAuth functionality but there is no ability to tailor the output.

With YE, you will be given an option (switched off by default) to override this functionality and allow YE to take over. Any YouTube URLs then added to posts will then be shown using YE and any defaults you’ve assigned.

Embed in Comments

If you’d like your users to be able to embed videos within comments, activating an option in YE (again, defaults to off) will allow specification of a URL (as per the previous method) to create a YouTube video. With its own default profile, you can assign a video size that fits neatly with your comment output.

Further Migration Options

This is the big one. The bad boy. It allows you to migrate to YE from other plugins – the aim is to be compatible with 25 of the most popular alternatives. For further details on which plugins are supported and how to go about it, I’ve set up a dedicated page.

There are 2 ways to allow this…

1. Alternative Shortcodes

Many plugins simply work by using a different shortcode than YE. Some have multiple shortcodes – often one for defining HD quality video. Therefore YE offers you the ability specify 1 or 2 additional shortcodes.

So, as an example, if you’re migrating from WP YouTube Player, you simply set up an alternative shortcode of tube and you’ll find that any posts that worked under your previous plugin will now work with YE.

Some plugins have alternatives names for parameters that YE uses – e.g. the ID may be specified as url or youtubeurl. YE will automatically use these alternatives.

2. Non-shortcode Embedding

I couldn’t think of a better name for this but, essentially, some plugins use embedding methods which isn’t a straight URL and it’s not a shortcode. An example is Smart Youtube which uses a modified URL format – essentially, adding an extra letter to the protocol name at the beginning of the URL.

Turning on this option will activate detection of these embedding methods.

As it adds a slight performance hit – searching each post for all these different embedding types – this is switched off by default and should only be used if you’re migrating from one of the plugins that this works with.

So, I nearly had the plugin done. It has so many new features you wouldn’t believe and it works like a dream. All I had to do was bring the widget code up to date and all would be fine.

But then I had an idea about some performance improvements.

Then I thought it would be a good idea to compare the features of my plugin with the competition – in this case the top 10 most downloaded plugins that allow YouTube embedding. As well as looking up the instructions, I’m also installing each to get a good feel of them – however, I’m not going to take this as an opportunity to “diss” alternatives. Instead, I will present a straight forward comparison of features between the plugins.

First I had to identify them, so I started looking around WordPress.org. Not easy – it’s all based on tags and different authors use different tags to identify them. However, as I looked around, it became apparent that there were many out there with USP’s – one’s that I’d missed. So the spreadsheet is continuing, but I’m also looking at around 41 other plugins available to see what features they have that mine doesn’t. My intention is to launch a product that doesn’t have any features that the others don’t – unless I don’t think they’re worth it

So, more work to do. The words “back” and “rod” spring to mind.

None-the-less work continues and I hope YouTube Embed version 2 will be released soon.

Update: Further progress is now being tracked on the forum – read more here.

Up until now I haven’t retried any of my plugins. However, there are a few I wish to – mainly wrapping their functionality into other plugins.

In the case of Organ Donor Register, however, it’s gone completely.

This plugin would add an image to your sidebar promoting the Organ Donor Register in the UK. You could click on the chosen image (there were a number to choose from) to visit the registration on their site.

I created this plugin as I am a big believer in their cause and wanted to make it easier for UK WordPress users to help in the promotion. Sadly, though, the NHS Organ Donation people thought otherwise. When creating the plugin I had some initial contact with them and they assisted me with the images – the intention was that they’d give their approval to my work and this would help in promoting it. After all my work however, they didn’t. Indeed, they stopped communicating.

13 months after releasing it the plugin has had just 253 downloads.

My wife used to work for a chemicals company who supplied many of the larger charities who were doing medical research. She found that they had so much money they stopped caring about ensuring that every penny of donations were spent wisely – if they were accidentally charged twice they wouldn’t even notice and rarely even seemed bothered. My wife stopped donating to them after this and, instead, gave to local charities, for example hospices. I wonder if this is the same for NHS Blood & Transplant (as they are now called – again, spending money on regularly changing their name seems to be a clue as to how wise they are being with our money). Of course, in this case, NHSBT are not a charity but part of the NHS, paid for by the UK tax-payer. Still, the same applies as they are asking for people’s assistance to help with promotion.

In fact, when they publish newsletters and refer to them as “stakeholder newsletters” then you know they’ve been over-come with business babble and general nonsense.

Anyway, I decided to stop supporting it and, the easiest way to ensure this, was to remove the plugin from WordPress.org.

The first thing I did was remove all the code from the SVN archive. Next, I sent an email to plugins@wordpress.org requesting the plugin be removed from the repository – although the code no longer exists, the plugin will still appear on the site until this is done. Now it’s gone. Totally.