We are very excited to present WordPatch, a WordPress plugin that automatically manages and applies custom modifications during updates, eliminating the need to manually apply and override changes, saving WordPress developers valuable time and money.
With more than 75 million websites – approximately 25 percent of all sites wordwide – using WordPress, it is undoubtedly the most popular content management system (CMS). Yet, as popular as WordPress is, developers who use it are routinely required to make custom modifications to the themes and plugins they use, as well as the WordPress code itself.
Up until now, maintaining such modifications and customizations was a tedious task, either requiring manual application whenever WordPress updates itself or any of its plugins and themes, or forcing developers to develop complex deployment systems and pipelines.
WordPatch is here to change that, providing a familiar and easy to use system for developers to manage all their custom modifications, and automatically and safely apply them whenever there is an update.
What does it do?
WordPatch taps into the WordPress update process, and automatically re-applies custom modifications, providing a seamless update experience. In the event that this process fails (for example because of modifications not being applicable anymore), WordPatch provides advanced safeguards that enable a developer to roll back the process and easily recover their environment. Through a time-based rule for administrator prevention, as well as an advanced rescue panel which functions even when a WordPress installation has been severely damaged, WordPatch offers a fully end-to-end solution. In fact, WordPatch has been designed with portability and compatibility in mind, meaning that it is fully functional even on restricted shared hosting environments.
How does it do it?
WordPatch manages custom modifications in the form of patch files, files that describe the differences between two versions of a file, and that developers are very familiar with. A developer can provide a patch file, in a variety of different formats such as Unix patch files, Git patch files, and more, and WordPatch will then automatically apply it in any of the following scenarios:
- WordPress was manually or automatically updated
- WordPress updated one or more of its themes and/or plugins
- An administrator has explicitly instructed WordPatch to apply one or more modifications
When WordPatch attempts to apply those custom modifications, it automatically notifies developers via an e-mail. Through this e-mail, developers can see if there were any issues with the application of the modifications, allowing them to immediately revert or approve changes, helping them maintain a healthy WordPress installation.
In the unlikely event that the application of a modification damages the WordPress installation, WordPatch offers administrators an advanced and extensive rescue panel, through which they can very easily restore their system. WordPatch’s rescue panel has been designed to function even when a WordPress installation is completely broken.
How do I get it?
For a limited time only, we’re offering a 1 month free-trial of WordPatch to early adopters. With your support, we will continue to improve WordPatch. After the first month, WordPatch follows an annual subscription-based model. WordPatch is available on a site-license basis, at scalable pricing: $49/year for a single site; $129/year for 5 sites; and $199/year for 25 sites, with enterprise pricing available on request.
You can get WordPatch through the JointByte store at www.jointbyte.com/wordpatch.