WordPress 2.5 has been released and the improvements are numerous for both users and developers. There is a 4-minute screen cast of the new interface in action but the improvements are so significant to the millions running Wordpress installations, it's necessary to outline all of the features in detail. The change users will first notice is that WordPress has redesigned its dashboard. It now features a much improved (read cleaner, faster, less cluttered) interface which offers a series of widgets, revealing stats about posting, comments, inbound links, as well as new and popular plugins.

Other features or WordPress 2.5 include:

• Multi-file upload with progress bar - select a whole folder of images, music or videos at once and the system will show the progress of each upload.
• Search posts and pages - Previously, Wordpress only searched posts. With the new system, search also includes pages - a helpful development for those using WordPress as a content management system.
• Tag management - users can now add, rename, and delete tags from inside WordPress - no plugins required.
• Concurrent editing protection - for multi-author blogs, WordPress prevents someone else from editing it by locking them out until the other person is done.
• Few-click plugin upgrades - WordPress will now update your plugins for you. Previous versions would notify you that updates were available, but indicate your FTP information and you'll never be out of date again.
• Friendlier visual post edtior - using version 2.0 of TinyMCE, the chances of your code being "messed with" have been reduced thanks to better compatibility with Safari. The new version aslo features a "no-distractions" mode which is like Writeroom for your browser.
• Built-in galleries - Those taking advantages of multi-file upload havea new shortcode that allows for the easy embedding of galleries in your posts.