Impact of WordPress updates on archived Themes

[LeStatisticien]

Hello! Am I right in thinking that if there is a WordPress update that affects a functionality in AcademyPro (now moved to the StudioPress archive), and it is *not* a security update then users of AcademyPro will be faced with either (a) digging into the code to try and figure out what needs to be changed (to restore the lost functionality), or (b) abandoning AcademyPro, or (c)??? . Thanks in advance.

[Victor Font]

I run Academy Pro on one of my sites without issue. The site is fully updated.

Genesis child themes derive their functionality from the Genesis Framework. A change to WordPress shouldn't impact a child theme unless there is custom coding that bypasses the Genesis Framework and directly uses WordPress functions. Other than that, Genesis is kept up to date to work with the latest versions of WordPress.

The latest version of Genesis disables the new Gutenberg based widget editor because some of its widgets are incompatible with the new editor. You can enable the new editor on if you're not using Genesis widgets on your site.

I think the greatest impact to child themes is yet to come and won't be apparent until WordPress enables the front end editing feature. From my limited understanding, front end editing will require a block based theme to work correctly.

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Regards,

Victor
https://victorfont.com/
Call us toll free: 844-VIC-FONT (842-3668)
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[LeStatisticien]

Thanks Victor. I have a deep problem even when I add a new page (Academy Pro). I get about 8 lines of text following the page title, and the remaining text is "covered" by a set of "page parameters" (Theme SEO Settings, Scripts, Page Restriction, etc.) in the sense that the remaining text lines slide 'under' the screen space used by these parameters. It is as it this screen space is layered on top my my text.

At the end of the list of parameters (and the space they occupy) you can see a piece of my text peeking out underneath. The set of page parameters are not pushed down as you add text to your block.

I went to Add New Page for testing; because this problem has cropped up with every other page I had prior to the upgrade to WP 5.8. Indeed as soon as I try to see an 'old' page the screen is 100% covered by the parameters and their empty rows. You have to click on a tiny triangle in the top right-hand corner of your screen and then you see your page title and a few lines of your text 'peek out' at the top of the screen. The remainder of my text is completely buried under the rows belonging to the page parameters..

Perhaps the WP upgrade process has been corrupted at my machine. I did make a backup using "WP All in One Migration" before I started the upgrade; but I am thinking that I should immediately regard Academy Pro as unreliable legacy software (unreliable in the sense that as we go forward with more changes in WP and revised plug-ins I risk having this sort of issue blowing up multiple hours of work effort! I've already put in more than 12 hours since the upgrade to 5.8 and am reluctant to deepen my time investment in this software product.

Your note suggests that there are several variables that could cause my issues; but it is quickly looking as if a time investment into something assuredly designed to work with WP 5.8 looks more sensible that juggling these variables to try and find out why I am having this problem.

I write thais note in the hope that I am just "missing something" that you will bring to my attention. I have ensured that the Genesis Framework is up to date.

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

[LeStatisticien]

Hello! I wish to report that the problem reported above exists in the parallel version of Academy Pro at my host (where the upgrade of WP to 5.8 was totally independent of my actions).

When you Add a new page, the screen that opens is 100% filled with titles and rows dealing page parameters (starting with Theme SEO Settings, and ending with Robots Meta Settings).

The first thing you should see is “Page Title” followed by an invitation to start a block. Then was you extend the text in your block the page-parameter items should just push down smoothly to make room for the new text. That is not happening.

Instead they stay stuck after 9 lines of text go in, and the new text starts ti slid under the page-parameter stuff.

I did upgrade to Genesis 3.3.4.

This looks like a very tricky programming problem, however, since the boundaries of the lower edge of an ever-growing block of text may be hard to ‘see’.

[LeStatisticien]

I repeat below a portion of a post just made at another page; because I feel the general points being made should be shown here as well.

Essentially, we should assume a non-ending evolution of development environment that comprises the combination of WordPress and Genesis Framework. That evolution will forever threaten the viability of Genesis-based web sites built on features that are deprecated as the evolution unfolds. (This means threatening some peoples' businesses, as happens for many who are affected by WP upgrades.)

So the holders of websites with those deprecated features need to plan an early migration into environments where the features are no longer needed. An inexpensive way of developing such a plan is to keep track of and use the free Sample theme updated by StudioPress after each upgrade. This may not be the elegant solution; but some people need it.

Here is my story.

Essentially, I installed the Genesis Sample Theme (GST) as a replacement of my existing theme (the one that crashed), and then build into the newly installed theme those features of the old one that have not been captured properly by this ‘migration’ from one theme to another.

I am running a consultancy with one website whose primary purpose is to support my professional efforts. Paying $360 per year just to maintain one web site that is not available to the general public is not good expenditure management.

The Genesis Pro package for $360 per year is great for people selling themes and those whose businesses is to provide site development assistance to various clients.

Finally, we do have the advice that old Genesis-based websites should continue to run and that the StudioPress programmers will continue to make security-related updates; but what that advice does not address is a situation where you have modified your acquired StudioPress theme in such a way that your product inevitably crashes when you upgrade to WordPress 5.8.

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