How do ShortCodes work?

Edit Subject

Shortcodes are small bits of text that can be embedded in blog pages or posts by the blogger. When the page or post is loaded, the shortcode text itself is replaced with other data. In the case of dsIDXpress, the IDX shortcodes are replaced with live data from the MLS so that whether the post / page is viewed the day it's saved or 3 weeks after, the data will be up to date.

idx-listing: Will show property details when given an MLS number. The level of detail that is shown for the property can be configured, so if the blogger wants to show just price changes and the location on a map (in addition to the default property details), only those panels can be enabled for that listing. The map that is shown is a Google map that is specifically crafted to show up on both the blog itself AND in Google Reader for subscribers to the blog. One example use for this shortcode would be when an agent gets a new listing and wants to write a blog post or create a page about the listing. Example: [idx-listing mlsnumber="U8000471" showall="true"]

idx-listings: Will show a configurable number of properties based on parameters that are completely customizable by the agent. One example use of this shortcode would be when an agent wants to create a page for a particular city or community and wants to list the top 20 most-recently-listed properties in that area. Example: [idx-listings city="Laguna Beach" orderby="Price" orderdir="DESC" count="20"]