1. Upgrade flat out didn’t work, I had to import my exported blog entries (I tried to use a db backup and just had the same problems over again).
2. Lost all category assignments (and haven’t found any bulk category assigning mechanism)
3. Lost over a year of UTW tags (2.3.1 doesn’t support ultimate tag warrior, it’s got its own internal engine that didn’t accept the old ones)
4. URLs didn’t “stick”
5. Lost all my blogroll link categorization

First and foremost, I did not write this plugin. Credit for that goes to Dan Peverill. He long ago stopped supporting/developing it, and graciously allowed me to re-release it for public consumption after I contacted him looking for the old config instructions I knew used to be out there.

Why do I want to regurgitate an old, unsupported plugin? Because I use it…a lot, because it still works beautifully in WP 2.3.1, and because as far as I can tell it’s the most graceful solution out there for WP breadcrumbs.

I’m not a programmer by a long shot, but I will attempt to support any issues you have to the best of my ability. My hope is the people who used this plugin previously will seep out of the woodwork with valuable insights and make themselves useful.

Most of the instructions here are taken verbatim from the archived version of the original support site. I will edit as necessary as time permits.

Installation

Start by downloading the latest version. Then to install, simply unzip breadcrumb.php to your plugins directory, and enable the plugin in your admin panel. For information on how to use the breadcrumb, scroll down to basic usage.

What’s a Breadcrumb?

A breadcrumb is a navigation trail that leads from the user’s current location in your web site, back to the home page. This is useful for larger web sites that have deeply nested pages or sections in their site. For a live demo of the breadcrumb, simply look around on this site. You’ll see the breadcrumb located just under the header. What you see on my site is only the basic usage of the breadcrumb.I’ll add breadcrumbs to this site and produce several more real-world examples shortly. Feel free to email me with examples of your work and I may include them here. Screenshot(s) detailing more customization:

From Nazgul’s blog:

(example no longer in use on target site, but example is still valid)

Basic Usage

This plugin will allow you to display a breadcrumb navigation anywhere on your site. It’s usage is simple. Wherever you want the breadcrumb navigation to display, simply call the breadcrumb() function:

<?php breadcrumb(); ?>

If you’d like to use the breadcrumb in your titlebar, no problem, there’s a function for that as well:

<title><?php breadcrumb_title(); ?></title>

If you want more control over how the breadcrumb is displayed, there are a few options. You can specify a different separator, text to put before a crumb, and text to put after a crumb. So displaying the breadcrumb as a unordered list, for example, would loook something like this:

<?phpif (has_breadcrumb()){
echo ‘<ul class=”breadcrumb”>’;
// Note that any and all of these parameters are optional.
breadcrumb(“”, “<li>”, “</li>”, ‘<li class=”selected”>’);
echo “</ul>”;
}
?>

Using a different separator between your crumbs would look like this:

<?php breadcrumb(“:”); ?>

Advanced Usage

Sometimes, more options are required. A lot of users love to customize every inch of their web site, and I’ve provided a way to do that with the breadcrumb. Through advanced options, you can control just about any part of the breadcrumb in combination with its filtering system (scroll down for filtering information).

Advanced options include:

• sep (breadcrumb() only) : Separator between crumbs.
• before (breadcrumb() only) : Text before a crumb.
• after (breadcrumb() only) : Text after a crumb.
• last (breadcrumb() only) : Text before the last crumb.
• echo (breadcrumb() only) : Set to false to return the breadcrumb rather than printing it.
• home_always (breadcrumb() and get_breadcrumb()) : Set to true to always display the Home crumb.
• home_never (breadcrumb() and get_breadcrumb()) : Set to true to never show the Home crumb (this is the same as removing the get_breadcrumb_home filter).
• home_title (breadcrumb() and get_breadcrumb()) : Change the text displayed for the Home crumb.
• link_all (breadcrumb() and get_breadcrumb()) : Set to true to link all crumbs.
• link_none (breadcrumb() and get_breadcrumb()) : Set to true to link no crumbs.

You can use advanced options by specifying their key/value pairs within the breadcrumb() function:

<?php breadcrumb(“home_always=true&link_all=true”); ?>

The Breadcrumb Itself

The breadcrumb is built as an array of strings. The breadcrumb() function may or may not offer what you’re looking for in terms of customization. If that’s the case, you can use the breadcrumb array itself by calling the get_breadcrumb() function and applying any customization you want to each individual crumb:

<?php$breadcrumb = get_breadcrumb();foreach($breadcrumb as $crumb)
{
// $crumb is a string.
echo “- “.$crumb.“<br />”;
}
?>

Filtering the Breadcrumb

The breadcrumb plugin, much like any other part of WordPress, is filter based. Each part of the breadcrumb, whether it be the home page, the categories, and so on, are attached by filters. This allows you to do whatever you like to the breadcrumb, such as removing and adding new filters. You can add or remove any filter either specifically for a template by using your functions.php template file, or by creating a custom plugin yourself. In fact, other plugins are able to extend the breadcrumb if they so desire. Here are the default filters:

add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_home”, 1, 2);add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_category”, 5, 2);
add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_page”, 5, 2);
add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_single”, 5, 2);
add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_date”, 5, 2);
add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_author”, 5, 2);
add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_search”, 5, 2);
add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_404″, 5, 2);
add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_paged”, 5, 2);

To remove a filter:

remove_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “get_breadcrumb_home”);

To add a filter:

add_filter(“get_breadcrumb”, “breadcrumb_search_ext”, 10, 2);/*** @param array  The breadcrumb itself.
* @param array  Advanced parameters passed by the user.
*/
function breadcrumb_search_ext($breadcrumb, $params)
{
if (is_search())
{
// Do whatever you like to the breadcrumb. The user is viewing the search page.
// Be sure to check the $params for user specified options, such as $params[”link_all”] if crumbs should always be linked.
}
return $breadcrumb;
}

Release History

• 0.5.2 [11/26/2007] : Re-release plugin under new management.
• 0.5.1 [06/14/2006] : Fixed a few pagination bugs.
• 0.5 [06/13/2006] : Added advanced formatting options for breadcrumb() and get_breadcrumb, such as sep, before, after, last, echo, home_always, home_never, home_title, link_all, and link_none. Added breadcrumb_title() function for displaying the breadcrumb in a web site’s title (browser’s titlebar).
• 0.4.1 [06/12/2006] : Multiple calls to breadcrumb(); now working properly.
• 0.4 [06/11/2006] : Added pagination crumb, added option text before current crumb (users location), fixed home page crumb while paging, fixed 404 crumb, fixed month link, fixed day link.
• 0.3 [06/10/2006] : Fixed reverse order bug for page and category crumbs.
• 0.2 [06/10/2006] : Changed the breadcrumb to filter based, allowing easy extension and customization.
• 0.1 [06/09/2006] : Initial beta release.

To setup your page, click “Businesses” in the Facebook footer.

At the Business Services page, choose “Facebook Pages”.

Then you create your page:

You’ll be asked to establish what type of page (Education) and the name of the page (Your School). It’s important to note here that at this point, you can create a page for ANY organization…there’s no validation of any kind. This is a scary scary thing.

Your initial view will look like this. Most of the interface is classic Facebook.

When you click “Edit my page” you’re presented with this:

You’ll notice a new Applications Menu option, “Page Manager”. It wasn’t initially in the top 5, I had to drag it up from the lower hidden menu.

There are 3 applications pre-installed on your page: Events, Photos, and Video. You get the same photo album capabilities that individual profiles enjoy, and the ability to create semi-robust events. My only beef, I want to be able to put a URL in the event creation screen somewhere to link to more information (like our University calendar or news).

I did add the Feedheads app so I could pull our news and calendar feeds into the Facebook page, but a glitch in it has caused the results to show up on my personal profile instead of the University page. Mario Romero, the developer of Feedheads, has responded that they’re hoping to get the bugs out by the weekend.

I created additional admins by simply inviting my friends (i.e. coworkers and student employees in my office) to accept admin status. The process was pretty easy on my end, but they all had issues either accepting the invite or finding their way back to the page if they hadn’t chosen to “Add to my organizations”. These additional admins are not getting the “Page Manager” menu item at this point, it’s only if you actually created a page. This is a usability issue they’re going to have to work out. The UWebD list reports similar problems. Also, the page doesn’t show up in searches. Someone indicated they’re read something about 3 days before search would work, but I couldn’t find that info anywhere. I’ve put up an announcement as a “Share” within my friends and anticipate a little traffic from the curious.

I did experience an issue where the University hours were “forgotten” once, and I’m pretty sure this was caused by simply clicking on the “Basic Info” edit box and then navigating away without saving. Stephanie Leary of A&M reports the same problem.

The photo album app is going to be great for us as it’ll allow users to comment, hopefully generating some activity we’ve been missing out with our lack of a robust photo album. The problem(s) with the albums: (1) users can’t tag, (2) the photo purchase option is only available for those with admin rights (as far as I’ve been able to determine). For higher ed especially, the ability to tag and use photos the same way as individual profiles would be key. It might be important to note that unless a user chooses to become a fan of your school, they won’t even be able to comment on the pictures, and there’s no instructions indicating this at the photo level.

All in all I’m very excited, but it’s still a little green. They’re going to have to offer us some clarification, and beef up some of the places they left out (tagging…seriously). I think most of it is simple oversight, you can’t think of everything. I’m looking forward to seeing how they overcome and/or compensate for these issues. Until then, take a look at what we built in a day.

The Facebook Blog entry really only focused on use of this new feature for bands, brands, business and celebrities, but I’ll be really interested to see if there are any restrictions that prevent higher ed orgs from taking advantage of this. It could be just the solution we’ve been looking for to actually create a full fledged institutional Facebook presence while still playing by the rules.

I’m off to investigate further.

There’s something weird about my newfound Facebook obsession…I was never that into it until this week.

The initial leg-work is in process to establish a statewide higher-ed web organization. I’m gathering information from similar groups throughout the country in hopes of making minor modifications to, rather than reinventing, the wheel. I’m planning to delve into that quite a bit tomorrow since I’ve built a decent list of resources over the last week.

If you’re surprised that being gone and/or sick for a week has put me seriously behind at work, raise your hand. I’ve got people coming at me from all angles. Such is life when you’re the only one that does what you do on an entire campus. Thank god the library has a competent content manager over there or I’d just curl up in a corner and cry.

Smurf out.

It’s all over. We’ve packed up the boxes and tabulated the results and eaten our final meal together. I’ve posted ‘Post Mortem’ photos on Flickr, but only a few.

Quote of the day: “Come on baby, gimme some network! ” - Kirk Anne

I did manage to go purchase luggage. Go me. Now hopefully I will make it to Shreveport with all the items I put into said luggage. It would be nice.

I sat in on a post-conference session on usability methods for higher education. I’ll try to remember enough of it tomorrow to post something coherent and intelligent, which would admittedly be a first.

I did find out something slighly surreal today. Karine Joly (of CollegeWebEditor fame) reads my blog and knew who I was (i.e. Eironae) as soon as she saw my name tag. So, since she’s effectively my only readership…hiya Karine

Sessions were good. We got blown away by a couple today. I have to say that all of our AUD track presenters have been absolutely amazing. Steph and I totally lucked out. You guys rocked the house.

I learned something today. 3″ heels are ok for work, only the truly disturbed wear them at conferences. I’m an idiot. Luckily, this is not my big take-away.

Chris Nixon and I have connected a bit over the last couple of days. Funny that it took a trip to NY to let me finally meet another Arkansas higher ed web geek. I think we’re going to at least attempt a couple of interesting projects, including setting up some type of higher ed web organization for our counterparts statewide.

The announcement was made today that we’re moving the conference to Missouri next year. I’m told they put forth an extraordinary proposal and are apparently uniquely equipped to handle a group of this type/size. I look forward to working on that further.

Club 23 has been a blast…we even got a guy with a lampshade on his head. I say that makes a successful party.

Breakfast is at 7:30 am, and it’s already 2. Flickr shots are up. There has been revenge photo backlash for my shutterbugedness…but hopefully a few pics of me WITHOUT a drink in my hand