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WordPress Options Pages

The shortest (and therefore sweetest) code I have seen is here:

http://www.wphub.com/tutorials/creating-simple-options-page/

Scheduling Events in WordPress Plugins Every Minute using the WP-Cron Once Per Minute Server Mod

There are side benefits to doing this, too.

Each time someone views your blog, WordPress fetches wp-cron.php. This file contains deep, dark calls in it like a $wpdb query and including wp-load.php. It also contains perhaps 30 lines of code related to process locking to avoid race conditions — and eight lines of code, of which (containing five function calls) is inside a triple nested loop (not quite O3 complexity, but close). There are quite a few questions and comments from users who see slow performance from their WordPress blog and are shocked to discover it’s from hundreds of processes created by wp-cron each minute.

This will fix all that.

1. Add the minute event in your main plugin file execution path as follows:

function my_add_minute( $schedules ) {
    // add a 'once per minute' type
    $schedules['minute'] = array(
        'interval' => 60,
        'display' => __('Once per minute')
    );
    return $schedules;
}
add_filter( 'cron_schedules', 'my_add_weekly' );

 

2. Add one of the following lines to your user crontab (type man crontab) or /etc/crontab:

# for your user crontab, try ONE of these:
* * * * * \
  wget http://www.tsumego.ca/wp-cron.php \
  ?doing_wp_cron=1 > /dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * \
  wget -q -O - "http://mydomain.com/wp-cron.php \
  ?doing_wp_cron=`date +\%s`" > /dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * \
  php /home/$USER/public_html/wp-cron.php

# or alternately, for your system crontab
# in /etc/crontab, try one of these:
* * * * * username \
  wget http://www.tsumego.ca/wp-cron.php \
  ?doing_wp_cron=1 > /dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * username \
  wget -q -O - "http://mydomain.com/wp-cron.php \
  ?doing_wp_cron=`date +\%s`" > /dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * username \
  php /home/$USER/public_html/wp-cron.php

A note about usernames in system crontabs; username is the user to work as. If you’re using MPM-ITK with apache2, for example, then these would be the username of the site owner.

If you really want to get fancy, you can define a cron.minute space, then put the wget or php command in a suid script. You could also write the script in PHP, according to Lucas Rolff:

<?php
require('./wp-load.php');
global $wpdb;
$sql = $wpdb->prepare(
    "SELECT domain, path FROM $wpdb->blogs",
    '');
 
$blogs = $wpdb->get_results($sql);
 
foreach($blogs as $blog) {
    $command = "http://"
        . $blog->domain
        . ($blog->path ? $blog->path : '/')
        . 'wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron';
    $ch = curl_init($command);
    $rc = curl_setopt(
        $ch,
        CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER,
        FALSE
    );
    $rc = curl_exec($ch);
    curl_close($ch);
}
?>

then put it in your user cron like this:

* * * * * \
    wget -q -O - \
    "http://mydomain.com/wp-cron-multisite.php\
    ?doing_wp_cron=`date +\%s`" > /dev/null 2>&1

 

3. Disable WP-CRON in wp-config.php:

Add the follwing to your wp-config.php file:

// Disable the WP-Cron function 
define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);

 

4. Schedule your minute event:

//  ('prefix' is your plugin's prefix, of course)
// first clear the event if it's already been set
if (wp_next_scheduled('prefix_event_name'))
    wp_clear_scheduled_hook('prefix_event_name');

// set (or re-set) the event.
wp_schedule_event(
        time(),    // do not activate until time()
        'minute',  // the new event type we created
        'prefix_event_name'
);

add_action(
    'prefix_event_name',
    'prefix_event_handler'
);

function prefix_event_handler() {
    // do something once per minute.
    // for example...
    $command = 'date > '
        . $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']
        . '/datetime'
    ;
    exec($command);
    // now you have an test to see if it's working;
    // just browse to 'http://sitename/datetime'.
}

 

5. Remove the hook when the plugin is deactivated:

register_deactivation_hook(
    __FILE__,
    'prefix_deactivation'
);
/**
 * On deactivation, remove all functions
 * from the scheduled action hook.
 */
function prefix_deactivation() {
    wp_clear_scheduled_hook(
        'prefix_event_name'
    );
}

If I had this post when I started writing this plugin, it would have saved me 5 hours of time.

Things I had to do after I backed up my wordpress site with updraft plus

I recently did a backup and fresh install of Ubuntu 13.10 on the server (from 12.04 LTS). After some minor pains installing mpm_itk (i.e. removing mpm_prefork first) and mysqli (which is installed in a package with a different name) I was ready to restore my wordpress site. But wouldn’t you know it, my tech support guru forgot to tell me the mysql password before he went to sleep. I had to reset it by shutting down the server and using –skip-grant-tables –skip-networking. I opened the client and

UPDATE mysql.user SET Password=PASSWORD('MyNewPass') -> WHERE User='root';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

That was the easy stuff, but the odd, somewhat comically pathetic difficulties I had experienced until this point must have been foreshadowing the nightmares which were about to begin.

I restored my updraft plus backup files and checked the site. All the Japanese on my site had been replaced with question marks.

I panicked.

So here’s what I did to make it work.

1. Comment out two defines in wp-config.php:

/*define('DB_CHARSET', 'utf8');*/
/*define('DB_COLLATE', '');*/

It seems that updraft plus forgot to save my config file. This was a real pain to figure out years ago when I started this blog, and I forgot what to do. Having to go through the process of figuring that out again was a real pain.

But it didn’t work — I checked the database and the actual information was question marks. Oh boy. I panicked.

Then I checked the original backup file itself from updraft plus. The information was not question marks! Ok!

2. Manually change the collation of the database.

I had to

 ALTER DATABASE databasename CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;
 ALTER TABLE tablename CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;

(alter table for every table in the wordpress database) then restore the database in updraft plus again, and it worked. Yes, I really did have to re-restore the database backup on top of the restore I originally did to make it work. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to do this if I changed the collation before I restored the database.

3. Fix permalinks.

This was a new install remember. Permalinks weren’t working. After quite some research I found I had to

a2enmod rewrite

But that wasn’t enough. What isn’t mentioned in any of the StackOverflow questions and howto’s is that it won’t work unless you change your Directory configuration as well to allow .htaccess (check the .htaccess file in the wordpress directory to see how they handle permalinks — it requires mod_rewrite).

4. Change AllowOverride in apache2.conf

AllowOverride none
(changed to)
AllowOverride FileInfo

Finally it worked.

I am happy to say that this process was easier than restoring c-panel backups by hand like I originally did when I migrated away from JustHost. But all things considered this process it is nowhere near what I had hoped for in a modern product (that’s a mark against ubuntu as well as updraft plus). This time around, it “only” took me 6 or 7 hours to figure out and I went to school for this stuff. A normal user would have has as much chance as a tuna in a sushi bar.

May I make a suggestion to software authors. In the future, run a few simple checks for stuff like the wrong collation or mod_rewrite not being enabled and tell the user what is going on. A few hours work on your part can save countless lifetimes of user pain.

JLPT N5 Word of the Day: じてんしゃ

じてんしゃ is the word of the day, Japanese learners-san!

Jitensha means bicycle. Here is the Kanji: 自転車

You have to do your homework! Write this Kanji and it’s Kana ten times.

This word is famous because it is also the name of a song by the Ore Ska band which was used in the ed for Naruto Shippuden. Here’s a nice live version:

We can enjoy じてんしゃ　together! The Kanji is 自転車. Good luck, Japanese learners-san!

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

私は毎日自転車で通っています。

私 (わたし) I
は topic marker particle
毎日 (まいにち) every day
自転車 (じてんしゃ) bicycle
で directional verb application particle (“with”, as opposed to に which would imply “to”)
通って (とおって) います commuting

“I commute with my bicycle every day” or “I go to work by bike each day.”

See you soon!

Series 2: “K”: The first consonant.

 

A

I

U

E

O

K

か

き

く

け

こ

 

“K” is the first consonant in Japanese. However “K” does not exist on it’s own, it always appears in front of a vowel.In this way we can understand that Hiragana is a syllabic alphabet; We do not write a symbol for “k” and a symbol for “a”; あfor example does not appear in the Hiragana for “ka”. “Ka” is かand ki is き. There’s just one symbol for each syllable. Thankfully the number of syllables used in Japanese is relatively small.

K-series example words

Here are the example words we will use for today’s series:

 

Hiragana

Example Word

Romaji

English

か

かさ

ka.sa

umbrella

き

きた

ki.ta

north

く

くるま

ku.ru.ma

car

け

けいかん

ke.i.ka.n

policeman

こ

これ

ko.re

this

 

Ok! Don’t forget to practice your writing. And now, here is a video which will help you practice the hiragana! It’s so cool!


TEACH U 50 “I ♥ 日本語”

In case you’re wondering, “Teach U 50″ is a great book! But it’s J-C (Japanese in Chinese) not J-E (for English speakers). Still, they usually give an English translation and romaji is also given. So it’s not entirely bad. And it comes with a CD. Here’s another video about the book series. It’s a real pity we don’t have such wonderful production quality in English Language Japanese textbooks. Perhaps I should write a book and change all that? Yes, I will!

Can you find any other AIUEO songs on youtube? There are lots. What’s your favorite one? Here is one from Pizzicato Five. Perhaps you remember them from my Shibuya Kei post back in November. I will post some more of my favorite AIUEO videos next time too!

じゃね～！

Series 1: Practice Writing AIUEO

Series 1: Vowel Sounds.

The first set of kana you will learn are the A I U E O vowel sounds. These sounds set the structure of the rest of the writing system.

Romaji

A

I

U

E

O

Hiragana

あ

い

う

え

お

Example
Kanji

あさ

朝

morning
(asa)

いち

一

one
(ichi)

うえ

上

top, on, above
(ue)

えき

駅

station (n.)
(eki)

おとこ

男

man; male
(otoko)

 

The above table shows the first sounds we need to know for Japanese. You will notice that a Kanji has been chosen for each sound. Normally we won’t do this, as it’s not important that you remember Kanji yet. We’re only showing you these today to give you a feel for the language and so that you will have some experience looking at them. For now however, our serious study focuses on the hiragana alone.

あ

The first sound we need to know is “a”, or あ. Of course, we’re not really learning phonics here, because it is on the internet. You can learn phonics on your own via youtube — see below for a link to some videos.

あsounds like “a” in “father”. You know, open your mouth and say “aaaah”. You can also imagine that it is the sound of a villan falling off a cliff. To write あ takes three strokes; across, down and all around. The final stroke proceeds clockwise.

い

The next sound we need to know is “i”. This isn’t “i” as in “eye”, but “i” as in “ee”. Like “feet” or “street”.

う

Next up is う. You pronounce it as “oo” in “loo” or “too”. う is a very common syllable. The Japanese word for Rabbit (うさぎ, usagi) for example, begins with う.

え

Our fourth sound, if you can you believe we have already progressed this far, is “eh”, or “え“. え sounds like “eh” in “bleh”.

お

Can you believe it? We’re on the last sound! It’s “o”, or お. You already know how to say “o”, it’s just like the letter “o” in English. All of the sounds are like this. I think you can find out the sounds on your own, actually, from youtube videos. Here’s my favorite one! Of course, if you find you don’t like this one, just search for A I U E O on youtube and there are dozens of others.

Now, some advice for the blog version~

You have to really practice writing out the kana (not the kanji, at least not yet). You really do need a notebook! You CAN just follow along by reading, but if you really want to learn Japanese and make it YOUR language, you can only do this by writing. Did you know, it’s science? Writing triggers key linguistic areas of the brain related to memory. It is as if we have evolved to learn languages by writing. You should try it!

 

しぶや けい

Shibuya-kei (渋谷系) is a sub-genre of Japanese pop music which originated in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. It is best described as a mix between jazz, pop, and electropop. Above is pictured the band that single-handedly started it all, Pizzicato Five. What is very nice about this video, is that although it looks like it was made in the 1960s, it was made in the 1990s, three decades later.

Let’s say it together:

Hiragana

し

ぶ

や

け

い

Romaji

shi

bu

ya

ke

i

Kanji

渋

谷

系

 

Very good! For your reward, I will now show you another Pizzicato Five video.

Feel that groove!

of course, there are many other wonderful songs by Pizzicato five. For example, check out Happy Sad for a new stereophonic sound spectacular! I think I will let you discover the rest of the amazing music on your own.

Do you enjoy Pizzicato Five’s music? Thank you, everyone.

ショッピング Spree

Shopping in Azabu Juuban, Tokyo!

Atashi wa… kaimono ga…. suki ~

 

私は (I)

買い物が (shopping)

好き (love).

 

Hiragana (can you read it?)

あたしはかいものがすき

 

 

ショッピング! Shoppingu! What other way can we spend our time, and our money? Welcome to Azabu, just east of Shibuya! Although I suppose one may say, that it is Shibuya which is west of Minato-ku! A HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Azabu (麻布) is an area within Minato in Tokyo, Japan, built on a marshy area of foothills south of central Tokyo. Its coverage roughly corresponds to that of the former Azabu Ward, presently consisting of nine official districts: Azabu-jūban, Azabu-dai, Azabu-Nagasakachō, Azabu-Mamianachō, Nishi-azabu, Higashi-azabu, Minami-azabu, Moto-azabu and Roppongi. It is known as Tokyo’s most expensive upscale residential district; many artists, business people, and celebrities reside here.

My home which is in Azabu Juuban. Azabu-Juban is a lively residential area in central Tokyo. With a mixture of Japanese shops, restaurants and bars. The convenience of several supermarkets central location and the proximity of Hiroo and Roppongi make it one of the more trendy and sought after residential areas of Tokyo. The main street, a block away from a busy road junction, has a village-like feel with cobbled stoned paving in some places. This atmosphere is created by the narrow streets, slow moving traffic, and a mixture of stores operated by older owners.

One day I went shopping in the mall. I wanted to buy a ミュージック (myūjikku).

Where else can you find Tony Bennet, Impact Exciter, and the soundtrack to the Royal Wedding - all in once place?

 

I am saddened to report that Moon Kana had been sold out and they had not yet ordered in the new CDs.

Well that was fun, I thought. I will go to the tooys section now. They are fun ^^

Robots of 7 in 1.. and they're fruity!

Sunakku Bureiku! Wau!

It’s…… DING DING DING!!! スナック タイム! (sunakku taimu!) Yes, you guessed it, it’s snack time!

Here in Japan we have many snacks! In fact, Japan has the best snacks anywhere in the world, as I am sure you will agree!

Wow! Okay, now I am going to explain this sunakku (that’s Japanese for snack) for you so that you understand it’s majestic importance.

Pucca is.. well..

Pucca is salty crackers shaped like fish, clams, and tako! (tako is Japanese for octopus!)

But it’s so much more, because pucca is filled with ICE CREAM!

☆★☆ ~~^_^~~ ☆★☆   ワウ!! (wau! i.e. wow)

Only the Japanese could come up with something so insidiously delicious. And, you see the hole? That’s where they inject the cream. That’s how you know it’s Japanese!

Here is a picture of what they look like before you eat them:

Okay! but that’s not all! I have ANOTHER SNACK to share with you today. It is called PETIT! Or in Jappanese, PUCHI! プチ! The Japanese are so inventive with their sunakku names (That’s Japanese for Snack), Pocky, Pucca, Puchi, Ahh, I love speaking Japanese.

Mmm! They taste so… well… They’re little chocolate chip cookies and they are perfectly baked! You can eat a whole pack all by yourself, or you can share it with many ともだち (tomodachi)! Tomodachi means friends in Japanese!

Mmmmmm! おいしい! (oishii, delicious)! MMMmmmmmmm!

And why don’t you wash it all down with a nice can of UCC BLACK?

Ahhh, ice black coffee. Don’t guzzle this the first time or you will puke! But it starts to taste good after the first can. ALL Japanese people drink UCC Black, all the time. Nothing could be more Japanese!

Note: There are six cans of UCC Coffee “Bitter” (what they called “Black” in the ’80s) in this screenshot.

かんぱい! (kanpai!, bottoms up!)

Japanese Cultural of the Month

Hello. This month I have decides to show you some of the cool things I found here in Japan. For one, you should introduced to Kana（香奈）。

Her style is called gothic lolita, although for the Tsuki no Usagi album she seems more like an angel ^^

I am SOOO suprised to hear this song, as you may be. Her work is varied. I suggest you listen to as much as you can. The sublime joys of picnic, for example, are not to be missed. Neither are her darker stylings, such as Hebi Ichigo. In short, if you have not yet become a fan of Kana, what are you waiting for? ^^

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