Version 3.7 of WordPress, named “Basie” in honor of Count Basie, is available for download or update in your WordPress dashboard. This release features some of the most important architectural updates we’ve made to date. Here are the big ones:

Updates while you sleep : With WordPress 3.7, you don’t have to lift a finger to apply maintenance and security updates. Most sites are now able to automatically apply these updates in the background. The update process also has been made even more reliable and secure, with dozens of new checks and safeguards.

: With WordPress 3.7, you don’t have to lift a finger to apply maintenance and security updates. Most sites are now able to automatically apply these updates in the background. The update process also has been made even more reliable and secure, with dozens of new checks and safeguards. Stronger password recommendations : Your password is your site’s first line of defense. It’s best to create passwords that are complex, long, and unique. To that end, our password meter has been updated in WordPress 3.7 to recognize common mistakes that can weaken your password: dates, names, keyboard patterns (123456789), and even pop culture references.

: Your password is your site’s first line of defense. It’s best to create passwords that are complex, long, and unique. To that end, our password meter has been updated in WordPress 3.7 to recognize common mistakes that can weaken your password: dates, names, keyboard patterns (123456789), and even pop culture references. Better global support: Localized versions of WordPress will receive faster and more complete translations. WordPress 3.7 adds support for automatically installing the right language files and keeping them up to date, a boon for the many millions who use WordPress in a language other than English.

For developers there are lots of options around how to control the new updates feature, including allowing it to handle major upgrades as well as minor ones, more sophisticated date query support, and multisite improvements. As always, if you’re hungry for more dive into the Codex or browse the over 400 closed tickets on Trac.

A New Wave

This release was led by Andrew Nacin, backed up by Dion Hulse and Jon Cave. This is our first release using the new plugin-first development process, with a much shorter timeframe than in the past. (3.6 was released in August.) The 3.8 release, due in December, will continue this plugin-led development cycle that gives much more autonomy to plugin leads and allows us to decouple feature development from a release. You can follow this grand experiment, and what we’re learning from it, on the make/core blog. There are 211 contributors with props in this release:

Aaron Brazell, Aaron D. Campbell, Aaron Holbrook, Aaron Jorbin, adamsilverstein, Alexander Hoereth, Alex Mills (Viper007Bond), Amy Hendrix (sabreuse), andg, Andrew Nacin, Andrew Norcross, Andrew Ozz, Andrew Spittle, askapache, atimmer, Barry, Beau Lebens, ben.moody, Ben Miller, Bernhard Riedl, BFTrick, Billy (bananastalktome), bmb, Brandon Kraft, brianhogg, Brian Richards, Bryan Petty, Carl Danley, CharlesClarkson, Chip Bennett, Chouby, Chris Olbekson, Chris Rudzki, coderaaron, Coen Jacobs, Colin Robinson, cyonite, Daan Kortenbach, Daniel Bachhuber, Daniel Convissor, dartiss, Daryl Koopersmith, Dave Ross, David Laietta, Dion Hulse, dllh, Dominik Schilling (ocean90), dpash, Drew Jaynes, DrProtocols, Dustin Filippini, dzver, Edward Caissie, enej, Eric Andrew Lewis, Eric Mann, Evan Solomon, faishal, Faison, Foofy, Frankie Jarrett, Frank Klein, Gary Cao, Gary Pendergast, Gaya Kessler, George Stephanis, Gizburdt, goldenapples, gradyetc, Gregory Cornelius, Gustavo Bordoni, hakre, Helen Hou-Sandi, Ian Dunn, Ipstenu (Mika Epstein), itinerant, J.D. Grimes, jakub.tyrcha, James Collins, Jen Mylo, Jeremy Buller, Jeremy Felt, Jesper Johansen (jayjdk), Joe Hoyle, Joey Kudish, John Beales, John Blackbourn (johnbillion), John Fish, John James Jacoby, John P. Bloch, Jonas Bolinder (jond3r), Jonathan Christopher, Jonathan Desrosiers, Jon Cave, Jon Lynch, Joost de Valk, Joseph Scott, Josh Betz, Justin de Vesine, Justin Sainton, K.Adam White, Kailey (trepmal), Ketwaroo, kevinB, Kim Parsell, kitchin, Konstantin Kovshenin, Konstantin Obenland, koopersmith, Kurt Payne, Lance Willett, Lee Willis (leewillis77), lessbloat, Lew Ayotte, Luke Gedeon, Marcin Pietrzak, Marco Cimmino, Marco Galasso, Mark Jaquith, Mark McWilliams, Marko Heijnen, Mel Choyce, Michael Beckwith, Mike Hansen, Mike Schinkel, Mike Schroder, Milan Dinic, mitcho (Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine), Mr Papa, Naoko Takano, Naomi, Nashwan Doaqan, NateJacobs, nathanrice, Niall Kennedy, Nick Daugherty, Nick Halsey, Nick Momrik, Nikhil Vimal (NikV), Nikolay Bachiyski, noahsilverstein, nofearinc, nukaga, nullvariable, Oleg Butuzov, Paolo Belcastro, Parham, Paul Biron, Paul de Wouters, pavelevap, peterjaap, Peter Westwood, Philip Arthur Moore, Pippin Williamson, plocha, Pollett, Ptah Dunbar, Rami Yushuvaev, Rasheed Bydousi, RayBernard, rboren, Reuben Gunday, rfair404, Richard Tape, Rick Radko, Robert Chapin, Robert Dall, Rodrigo Primo, Ron Rennick, rpattillo, Ryan Boren, Ryan McCue, Sam Hotchkiss, Scott Reilly, scottsweb, Scott Taylor, scribu, scruffian, Seisuke Kuraishi (tenpura), Sergey Biryukov, ShinichiN, Simon Prosser, Simon Wheatley, Siobhan, Siobhan Bamber (siobhyb), sirzooro, solarissmoke, Stephanie Leary, Stephen Edgar (@netweb), Stephen Harris, strangerstudios, sweetie089, swissspidy, Takayuki Miyauchi, Takuma Morikawa, Taylor Lovett, tivnet, TobiasBg, Tom Auger, toscho, Travis Smith, Ulrich Sossou, vericgar, Vinod Dalvi, Weston Ruter, wikicms, Will Norris, Wojtek Szkutnik, wycks, Yoav Farhi, and Yuri Victor.

Enjoy what may be one of your last few manual updates. See you soon for version 3.8!

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