WordPress.org

Requirements

• Wordpress >= 2.1
• some time
• Access to your webserver
• A background picture for your signature
• A Font file (ttf)
• PHP with GDlib support

Features

• As a forum signature can be called veryoften_, it is pointless generating the picture from scratch via PHP
• The gif image is updated everytime you WRITE, DELETE or MODIFY a post.
• The Plugin is Polyglot-Compatible (this is a plugin for multilingual blogs)

Configuration

The configuration takes place in the administrative backend on Options -> WP-HeadlineAnimator. The options are kept to a minimum to keep it simple and intuitive. Basic options here:

Background image: This text field requires the path to your HeadlineAnimator Background picture relative to your WordPress installation. If the picture is not accessible, the label is shown in red

Font file: This text field requires the absolute path to a font file (ttf) on your server. It is used to write text on the Background image. If the fomt file is not accessible, the label is shown in red

Target: This is the path where your image should be written to; relative to your WordPress Installation

Text on Picture: Text entered here is shown on the Animator.

Text Color: Enter a color here in Hex format (#ffffff is white). This color will be used for the text on the picture.

Show date on animator: If you want your headlines to be prefixed with a date, check this box.

Date format: This is direct access to the PHP date() function used to display the date prefix of your headlines.

If you got things right, "HTML Code for your Animator" is shown including your animator.

Todo

• internal upload for the background image - maybe gallery implementation?

Bugs

• no error handler on if output file is not writeable

Changes

Version 1.4

• Timing is now configureable
• Added FTP Upload option

Version 1.3

• Font size now customizeable
• Split off administration to seperate file
• Introduced simple and advanced configuration
• Got rid of the last hardcoded path information
• Number of headlines to be displayed is now customizeable
• Seperated display of the animator in the admin panel

Version 1.2

• Reintroduced Polyglot support as it just did some weird
• got rid of exif - caused many problems on some systems.
• added BBCode Line for copy&paste
• Textcolor is now changeable

Version 1.1

• Ripped out Polyglot detection as this is already handled by wordpress with get_posts()
• Added initialisation routine for default options
• Preview only if file exists
• Only write file if we got a font and picture

Version 1.0

• Let's assume I got my wishlist completed on that topic and the code isn't too ugly.

Version 0.6

• Got rid of tmp path; we just write out our image
• cleanup
• picture format support

Version 0.5

• Upgrade to new GifMerge Class
• eliminating of direct DB Queries
• code cleanups

Version 0.4

• make use of polyglot_filter() for better Polyglot Support -> Multilanguage!!
• minior design fixes

Version 0.3

• Use 5 Headlines, generate animated GIF
• Make use of GifMerge.class.php

Version 0.2

• Added date() to image and made it optional (thx to pcDummy)
• Administrative interface
• Code cleanup

Version 0.1

• Added basic Support for Polyglot (hack)
• Initial release