NOTE: After updating the theme, make sure you clear browser cache, plugin cache (if you use that) and server cache (if you use that) in order to see the new admin options.

NEW: 1 Click Demo Import
NEW: Re-design of theme options and re-order some theme options for better usability
NEW: Limit number of images that can be uploaded in front ent submission form for each property

UPDATE: Email Management includes Wire Transfer purchase activation email
UPDATE: Remove sticky header from mobile devices for half map
UPDATE: style.css
UPDATE: Caption in slider for property type 1
UPDATE: wprentals.po

FIX: Booking info display when using Friday as weekend day
FIX: IOS device, upload media button after editing or uploading an image
FIX: Delete custom periods if you add custom price per guest, without selecting custom price per night
FIX: Features and amenities with ‘ in text

Update: Visual Composer plugin to 5.01, Rev Slider plugin to 5.3.1.5

Update the theme via  FTP if you have a translation file done in wpresidence/languages or add the language files in child theme before updating via wp-admin – http://help.wprentals.org/2015/12/21/how-to-add-translated-po-files-in-child-theme/

To update the theme via FTP follow these steps:

Download the theme again from the Theme Forest account, where you initially purchased it. The download will be under your buyer account – Downloads. Download only “All files and documentation” , unzip the theme pack and find the wprentals folder.

Unzip the theme pack

Login to your FTP account and navigate to your WordPress Installation directory

Navigate to the folder /wp-content/themes

Replace the “wprentals” folder from FTP with the wprentals folder from the un-zipped theme pack

When notified if you want to overwrite files, choose ’YES’ to all.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you don’t copy theme inside theme or you’ll have issues using the theme.

To update the theme via wp-admin follow these steps:

Download the theme again from the Theme Forest account, where you initially purchased it. The download will be under your buyer account – Downloads.

Unzip the theme pack

Go to wp-admin/Appearance-Themes and activate a different theme

Find wprentals theme and click delete. THIS WILL DELETE ALL FILES in the THEME (language files too)

Install again the theme from Appearance – Add New and select wprentals.zip from the latest theme pack

Activate the theme

IMPORTANT: all your theme settings will NOT change during this process. But the language files you had in the wprentals/languages folder will be deleted if you choose this method.

 To update the theme via wp-admin WITH BACKUP:

Access your websites FTP and rename previous theme from wprentals to wprentals_old in wp-content/themes folder

Then via wp-admin – themes – Add new wprentals.zip from latest theme pack (REMEMBER to unzip it first). And Activate is. That should be all.

Next – if you had any special modifications done in the previous theme version you can copy from wprentals_old backup to new wprentals folder. But we would strongly recommend to use child theme for changes.

PLUGINS UPDATE

The notifications from Visual Composer, Rev Slider or Ultimate Add-ons that you need the purchase license code to get automatic updates is just for clients who buy the license.

We bought commercial license so we can offer these plugins for free to our clients with WP Rentals theme. The steps are the same as in this video, even if the video was created with one of our other themes.

Option 1: Update plugins via FTP with theme update

1. Update the theme (see above help)

2. For Visual Composer – via FTP go to wp-content/plugins/js_composer and delete the entire folder

For Revolution Slider – via FTP go to wp-content/plugins/revslider and delete the entire folder

For Ultimate Add-ons – via FTP go to wp-content/plugins/Ultimate_VC_Addons and delete the entire folder

3. Go to wp-admin and install the plugin again via the installation notice in header.

Option 2 – Update plugins via wp-admin after you get the latest zip  files from latest theme updates or from us

1. If we released the latest plugins with theme updates, download the theme and find the latest plugins in wprentals/libs/plugins folder.

If you wish the plugins updates sooner than we make the theme update, open a support ticket here – http://support.wpestate.org/ and ask us for the latest plugins

2. Activate a different theme from Admin – Appearance – Themes

3. Delete the plugins you wish to update from Admin – Plugins

4. Activate WP Rentals

5. Go to wp-admin and install the plugins via Plugins – Add New.

IMPORTANT: Your server must have at least PHP 5.5 for the theme to work. Check your PHP version with this plugin – https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-php-info/ and contact hosting to update PHP version if it’s not at least 5.5

Before theme installation each client must do all these steps:

a. Choose hosting
b. Buy a domain
c. Install wordpress on domain. Here’s a tutorial for how to do that http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress#Famous_5-Minute_Install.

Next you can upload the theme with one of these 2 methods:

FTP method:

• Unzip the theme pack from Theme Forest.
• Upload the folder wprentals folder contents to the wp-content/themes folder on your server – via FTP Manager
• Activate the theme in the Appearance / Themes menu in WordPress Admin.
• In admin open the WP Rentals Options and set up theme options.

WordPress method

• Extract package downloaded from ThemeForest.
• Find for wprentals.zip inside the large folder
• Upload ONLY wprentals.zip from Appeareance / Themes / Install Themes uploader
• Activate the theme

To install the plugins:

For the plugins you get with the theme you don’t need buyer license to use them.

Since we have the extended license we give all our clients plugin updates through theme updates. There is only one license per purchase – so only we can use this license to get the updates and then share the update with our clients.

If you have any problem with the plugins or if you need help updating the plugins please open a ticket in our private support system here – http://support.wpestate.org/ and we will help you asap.

Click on the Install Plugins notice:

Then select the plugins, select “install” and click “APPLY” button:

If there’s an error during plugins install it means the server doesn’t allow the auto-installer to make this action. In this case, do installation like this:

Download all files and documentation from buyer account:

Unzip and you’ll find the wpestate folder inside:

Find the plugins zips inside the folder: wprentals/libs/plugins

Go to Add Plugins page:

And install the plugins zips one by one from  wprentals/libs/plugins

Starting JUNE 22 all new websites must have Google Maps API to use the maps:

Google Maps API: Unable to load the map and shows error – This page didn’t load Google Maps correctly. See the JavaScript console for technical details.

After you activate the theme please follow these steps in order to setup your site and get started.

1. Import content demo content. (optional, not recommended if you already have your own content).

Demo Setup with 1 Click Demo Import

2. Go to Admin- Theme Options – Google Maps and fill in the landing address for Google Maps. To find out Latitude and Longitude for Google Maps, starting point go to Google Maps, find your location, click right on the location on the map and click “What’s here”. Coordinates will show in the search bar on top.

3. MANDATORY Set Google Api Key (the link to the documentation for how to generate your own Google Maps API Key: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/tutorial#api_key ). Help http://help.wprentals.org/2016/06/30/google-maps-api-unable-to-load-the-map-and-shows-error-this-page-didnt-load-google-maps-correctly-see-the-javascript-console-for-technical-details/

We recommend importing only 1 demo.

If you need to add a 2nd one, reset the installation with a wordpress plugin – https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-database-reset/  and then do a new demo import.

NOTE: some demo imported pages may not be able to be edited (during import wordpress breaks them). If you meet with this situation, please create new pages with the same settings and delete the demo ones.

SERVER Requirements:

• max_execution_time 180
  memory_limit 96M
  post_max_size 32M
  upload_max_filesize 32M

How to import:

Download ALL FILES AND DOCUMENTATION from your buyer account – theme forest.

Unzip.

Open the folder.

Find the demo import zip in theme pack, demo_content folder.

Go go Theme Options – WpRentals Import

Select the demo zip and click Import. Then activate demo.

During import you see:

When import is done your see:

In order to finish the setup check these notes too:

Note about Taxonomy Pages – City and Area featured images

WordPress doesn’t know how to import images for each city and area. So you will have to add these images again if you wish to use them from Edit City or Edit Area

Example below:

Note about pages content IDs:

During import WordPress adds UNIQUE and different IDs to posts, properties, categories, cities, areas, owners. All shortcodes that are not showing need to be edited and the ID must be set as in your theme import.

To see IDs easier – install Reveal Id Plugins – https://wordpress.org/plugins/reveal-ids-for-wp-admin-25/

Then edit the page shortcodes and add your own content IDs.

Example –

NOTE about Users/Owners.

Users/Onwers cannot be imported by wordpress and synced. The demo users/owners will not show correct name on Property page for this reason. Your new users and submissions from front end will display correctly user info / contact on each new property page.

Set Google Maps API key to see the Google Maps features

Google Maps API: Unable to load the map and shows error – This page didn’t load Google Maps correctly. See the JavaScript console for technical details.

Ultimate Addons included plugin settings:

Make sure that for Ultimate Addons these settings are done:

Ultimate – Scripts & Styles –
Optimized CSS – ON
Optimized JS – ON

For client support please open a ticket at http://support.wpestate.org/

Starting 1.18 the setting for logo can be found in General-Logos & Favicon

For the transparent header logo – Sticky menu will automatically switch to default logo. Always add your own custom logos in all available places.

The retina script requires that Retina Images have set in html the specific height of the original image. Unfortunately this is not something we could do in theme options. So must be set in theme code.

Here are the code instructions:

Standard logo, file header.php, line 152, add height=”xx” as in below code. Instead of xx specify the exact height of your original logo.

$logo . '" class="img-responsive retina_ready" height="xx"'

Mobile logo, line 14, from mobile_menu_header.php, add add height=”xx” as in below code. Instead of xx specify the exact height of your original logo.

class="img-responsive retina_ready" height="xx" src="'. get_template_directory_uri().'/img/logo.png"

Starting the 1.18 theme version you can find the settings for Header in General-Header

Starting 1.18 theme version the footer settings can be found in General-Footer

To use WP Rentals, you must be running WordPress 4.4 or higher and PHP5.6 or higher.

You will get errors if you use PHP 3 as APIs integrated in the theme do not use this obsolete PHP version and is is highly recommend it you do not use it either. Please contact hosting to upgrade PHP.

To run the theme make sure you have server memory set to:

memory_limit 96M

To import demo you must make sure you have these server settings:

Update: Removed the main menu from user dashboard. Now registered users can access homepage from the link to Home available in header.

Update: Removed the option to select “Use Custom Colors” Yes/No. New colors will update automatically. Delete color codes from Design if you wish to use default theme colors.

New: Instant Booking check option for each property

New: Option to Include expenses (city and cleaning fee) when calculating admin booking fee

New: Dropdown custom field option for properties

New: 2 header types with different logo alignment position

New: Header menu custom colors

New: General design options for header (header height, sticky header height, border size, border color)

New: Option to set footer 100% wide

New: Launch of Rentals Club Extensions for Wp Rentals (3rd party software). First extension: SMS Notifications via Twilio. Check http://www.rentalsclub.org/ for more info

Update: Multicurrency widget shows currency symbol

Update: Search by Island name improvement for Google Places

Fix: Language file and view guests info

Fix: Language file and payment info

Update: wprentals.po, style.css and my_media.css

Property ID can be hidden with css. This value is assigned automatically by wordpress and it’s a unique number.

.list_detail_prop_id{
display:none;
}

You can add this in Design – Custom Colors – Custom CSS

Before adding this css the property page includes Property ID

After this css is added, Property ID doesn’t show

How to enable Instant booking from each user account – add or edit property – description settings.

INSTANT BOOKING with ADMIN FEE PAYMENT REQUIRED

User sends booking request and must pay admin fee instantly for the booking to be confirmed. Live demo – http://wprentals.org/properties/summerlin-cabin-perfect-holiday/

After payment is done, booking is confirmed and user is redirected to My Reservations to check the reservation details

INSTANT BOOKING with ADMIN FEE 0

User sends booking request and it is confirmed instantly. Live demo – http://demo1.wprentals.org/properties/apartment-in-jersey-city/

If you wish to be redirected to a specific page after you completed to submit a property, you need to make change in ajaxcalls_add.js

After you press the the SAVE button from the last submission page you will be redirected to the page that you wish.

You need to search in ajaxcalls_add.js after the button ID which is edit_calendar and after the success line the the redirect rule after the example of the other button from submission.

Instead of YOUR LINK, you need to add the link of the page where you wish to be redirected.

In order to enable option to create profile page for users who select “i only want to book” in registration form (if this option is enabled) go in wprentals\libs\ajax_functions.php and remove the highlighted code as displayed in below screenshot from function wpestate_ajax_register_form.

When a new theme version is released / updated, the translation .po must be updated as well to find the new terms – http://www.marketpressthemes.com/blog/how-to-merge-two-po-files-using-poedit/

Step #1

Open up your existing language PO file with Poedit software.

Step #2

Go to Catalogand selectUpdate from POT file

Step #3

First, change the file type option to All Files, then select the new wprentals.po PO file from latest theme update folder

Step #4 (OPTIONAL)

Next, you’ll see a mini box which includes all the new strings as well as obsolete string from the new PO file. Proceed by clicking the okbutton.

Step #5

Once the import is completed, all the new string from the new PO file will be added and your existing (translated) string will remain intact as well.

Step #6

Finally, proceed to translate all the new string into your preferred language. Save. Move the updated .po and .mo language file back to wpresidence/languages or to child theme languages folder.

Property page design options are managed from Appearance settings

Property Page design type 1:

Property page design type 2:

*this plugin is not included, but it’s compatible with our theme. Must be purchased, installed and setup separately. This is only a guide help to help us WPML settings with the theme options.1

WPML is a third party plugin. You can use this to create a multi-language website. The theme has been tested by WPML officially. These are instructions meant to help you set-up the plugins needed and translate the theme. The plugins may have extra settings. We kindly ask you to contact them for further support – http://wpml.org/forums/forum/english-support/

Link to WPML public test site for that theme: http://wprentals.compatibility.wpml.org/

What is needed to run these two softwares

WPML Multilingual CMS – http://wpml.org/purchase/

and

WPML Media

WPML String Translation

WPML Translation Management

Getting started section: Installing & activating both WPML & the theme / plugin

• WPML getting started guide http://wpml.org/documentation/getting-started-guide/

How to set and translate main features of the theme / plugin:

• Using translation management http://wpml.org/documentation/translating-your-contents/using-the-translation-editor/

• Translation Management & Features –http://wpml.org/documentation/translating-your-contents/using-the-translation-editor/translation-management-features/

• Translating URL slugs –http://wpml.org/documentation/getting-started-guide/translating-page-slugs/

Screenshots from WPRENTALS + WPML setup test area

IMPORTANT:

Use string translation for translation source to be able to translate custom fields

Set in Translation Mangement which fields to translate (like custom fields) and the other elements to COPY (like price, author, Id, metaboxes – everything that you wish to copy and not translate)

In translate use the option to DUPLICATE a translation so the elements you set as copy sync automatically in translation.

USE COPY FOR CUSTOM FIELDS AND FEATURES AND AMENITIES for these fields to be copied when using “Copy from x translation” option. 

How to translate custom Taxonomies

How to add property Google Maps Pins to all languages

How to make Read From File YES – generate pins.txt file in all languages.

1. If you use Read From File YES (and I see you do) , make sure WP RESIDENCE 1.11.1 or above is your main theme because this one has an update for this read system + WPML and follow these steps. And make sure you have + WPML 3.2 or above.

2. Go via FTP to wpcontent/themes/wpresidence/pins.txt

3. Rename pins.txt to pins-en.txt for English

4. Create new pins.txt files for each language you have. Like pins-de.txt (German) where de is replaced with language code, and so on.

5. Go to Theme Options – Generate Pins. Click Generate Pins in every language.

6. Make sure you translate the Advanced Search Results page in every language.

How to Set-up WPML media so your images are translated when you’ll start translating properties

How to translate custom fields you add in Theme Options – Property Details, Property labels in Advanced Search, Property Fields Labels, Property Features and Amenities

For this you’ll use STRING TRANSLATION plugin. See below WPML references

• How to scan strings coming from the theme / plugin –http://wpml.org/documentation/getting-started-guide/theme-localization/
• How to translate strings using String Translation –http://wpml.org/documentation/getting-started-guide/string-translation/

Screenshots from WP RENTALS + WPML test

How to Translate a property with WPML, after you have done the above steps

How to Translate a blog post

How to Translate a page

WPML help for Visual Composer translation: http://wpml.org/2014/06/use-visual-composers-page-builders-wpml/

How to Translate Widgets

The only widget that needs translation is Featured Property widget since WPML creates a unique ID for translations. For this widget we recommend to use WPML Widget plugin to display the Featured Property widget based on the property ID in each translation. The rest Widgets text translate with POEDIT for each language as those are default texts.

Contact Widget details are translated from String Translation.

WPML language switcher settings

• http://wpml.org/documentation/getting-started-guide/language-setup/custom-language-switcher/

Conclusion

WPML HELP LINK.

WP Rentals 1.16 and above

WPML version WPML Translation Management 1.9.6 and above

WPML String Translation 2.0.9.1 and above

WPML Multilingual CMS 3.1.7.2 and above

WPML Media 2.1.6 and above

——-

Known WPML issue. Pagination on homepage is working only with specific settings:

WPML > Languages

Language URL format

Different languages in directories

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To add wpml-config.xml in child theme

WPML documentation:

When using a parent child theme the wpml-config.xml file of the parent theme will need to be renamed or deleted and the wpml-config.xml file of the child’s theme will be taken into affect.

To use WP RENTALS, you must be running WordPress 4.4 or higher and PHP5.6 or higher.

For good speed results, from theme end follow below settings.

1.Make sure you are not missing images.

Add pins to properties as google maps requests increase if you do not have this. Help –

PINS MANAGEMENT

2. Enable read from file for pins

On some servers the way we load pins without the “Read from file” system starts to slow down from less than 200 properties. So – just in case – test that read from file system –

Google Maps Settings: How read from file works

Works with the “generate pins” button (manual control) or a cron that generates new pins every 24 hours automatically.

3. Enable gzip on server and make sure your hosting has a cache system (like memcached for ex)

As workaround you can use plugins like  FASTEST CACHE- plugin and enable gzip compression. Enabling cache as well will make a difference, but server cache has better results.

4. Every plugin can cause extra delay. Remove un-necessary plugins

Test speed just with theme plugins (Visual Composer, Ultimate Addons, Rev Slider) to compare results and delete those you do not use or want to keep using.

5. Make sure your images are optimized.

Make sure your images and less size possible – this applies for any image. Use plugins such as SMUSH IT or EWWW OPTIMIZER.

6. You are using Cheap or Shared Hosting. 

Sorry to break it to you, but your $9.95 Turbo Plan at Hostgator/A2hosting/Bluehost/Godady probably isn’t suitable for your website. Shared hosting means you SHARE resources. That means that there are hundreds of sites like yours all fighting for resources on the same machine(computer).This is how these companies makes money : they take a server and put as much clients as possible on it and limit the resources for each website hosted there. It’s  even worse is if you’re running multiple websites running on the same plan!

Also a hacker who has gained access to one site on a shared machine can most likely gain access to all the sites on that machine.  Look for at least a virtual hosting.  – you should get a decent one for $20-$30.

8. Always update

Always update to the latest theme versions and WordPress version. We release constant updates with new features but also with code improvements that may speed up your website.

*** we update this document on regular basis – you should check it from time to time.

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