Posting in WordPress.

[This is my first article for The WordPress Magazine, which isn't up yet, but check the site out once its up! 

There are multiple ways of witting posts with WordPress. Some like the plain text-mode, some like the built-in TinyMCE editor, others install plugins (such as WYSIWYG for WordPress or Xinha), and some even use MS Word 2007's blogging features. Lets examine the first method:

Plain-text:

This method is just like using a text editor, except that it can insert some snippets of code for you, such as the tags for inserting images, lists, bold text, etc. I imagine old-school coders use this method the most. Or perhaps lazy bloggers, because using the other methods is a lot faster and it gives you a preview of your article, including images, as you write.

Built-in Editor 

WP 2.0 now has a slimmed down version of the TinyMCE editor. It handles image very effectively; it allows you to position them and resize them. It also has a few more paragraph and font modifiers.

Advanced Editor

JD from The Mudbomb Blog created the WYSIWYG Plugin for WP, now in version 5 [more info here] . There are more options, such as Xinha, which I haven't tried, and I'm sure there are many others, let me know in the comments.

them and select whether you want a thumbnail, the full size image (which can be resized) or a link to the image. It also allows you to perform various paragraph edit. Directly from the author:

•More image control! You can choose thumbnail size, adjust the compression quality setting, or choose not to create a thumbnail at all(useful for small images) all on the fly. Add images as thumbnails, full-size images, or thumbnails with a link to the full size, AND MORE!

•Extended emoticon support- just click on a smilie to add it to your post.

•Quick dictionary.com dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia lookups via a built-in plugin.

•A few extra text effects- underline, text color, highlighting, etc.

•No need to alter any of WordPress' core files, so the plugin is easy to install and should be pretty much "upgrade-proof". All settings are configured via the WordPress admin interface. No config files to edit! :)

Using Word 2007

After fiddling around with Word 2007, I came across one of its very useful features, especially for bloggers; the ability to post WP articles directly from Word. You have to configure a couple of settings and make sure you are running at least WP 2.0. Word does a good job and posting is almost instantly. I'll show you how to configure Word in 4 easy steps:

Step 1: Click on the Office button on the top left of your screen in Word. Go to publish, then Blog.

Step 2: Click Register Now

Step 3: Select WordPress from the drop-down menu.

Step 4. Enter the details of your blog, such as address, your username and password.

Click OK on the next two screens and you're all set. You can now publish your articles directly from MS Word 2007, just hit "Publish" on the top left button.

So there you have it. Four methods for writing post for WordPress, including one using everyone's favorite Word Processor [add sarcastic tone, please].