Shortcodes are simple set of functions for creating macro codes for use in CMS pages or blocks. If you are familiar with WordPress you must be aware about how placing ["gallery"] in your post content replaces this shortcode with real gallery. Similarly, Magento has it’s own shortcodes which you can use in Magento CMS pages, Product pages, Category pages or blocks. Magento shortcode syntax is fairly simple to understand as the real shortcode is placed inside double curly braces. The most common of all is

<a href="{{store url=""}}">Home Page</a>

In this the {{store url=""}} is replaced by actual store URL. Apart from that there are other

 Magento shortcodes which i am listing below:

Here is a good news for all WordPress lovers who find it hard to work with Magento. The Magento WordPress Integration plugin for WordPress primarily allows you to initiate an instance of your local Magento installation in your WordPress theme. This allows you to communicate with your Magento store to bring in certain elements that are usually unavailable, such as the mini shopping cart,navigation, logos, static blocks, and more.

The Magento WordPress Integration plugin also allows you to show any number of Magento products in a WordPress post or page, with the ability to add simple products straight to the Magento shopping cart.

There might be some particular reasons when you have to change the Magento‘s core files then you should be very careful otherwise all your changes made in core files will be lost when the current Magento version is upgraded to latest version. Before changing anything in the core you should device a clear cut policy to ensure that your customized core files are upgradable, non-over writable and easier to accommodate further customizations.

Magento gives the flexibility to customize it’s core but the most important thing is the developers discipline. A slight negligence can make all efforts go in vain especially when the Magento version is upgraded, degraded etc.
Understanding Magento’s Configuration Files

The Magento Mobile native app continues to bridge the gap between what your customers experience when they visit your physical, online and mobile stores. A new release of Magento Mobile includes a number of features that both consumers and merchants will find beneficial.

Magento Mobile will be more deeply integrated with your inventory management system. An “out-of-stock” notice can be presented with the product listing and merchants are able to segment inventory to make items available on their online store vs. the mobile store (native app).

With the latest release of Magento Mobile, items in a wish list that are added to the shopping cart are automatically removed from the wish list – keeping everything up-to-date.