Quick Intro to WordPress

Hello,

This is my first ever article. I recently started my Web Design journey using WordPress as a CMS, I would try as much as possible to document my journey so I can look back and reflect plus who knows, somebody might find this sort of helpful.

Typically, there are two categories of people who decide to get involved in Web development using WordPress.

The people belonging to the first are those who are already developers in one way or another and make the choice to learn more about WordPress(I belong to this category). The second, is those who have no coding experience, either way, I believe both could achieve great results.

WordPress is an amazing platform to learn about development which is why it is perfect for those who learn things as they need to. It works well as a learning tool for new developers.

Yes, there are different coding languages and standards, but you do not need to learn so much about them at the starting of your development journey.

The three main core languages that you need to learn to become a near perfect WordPress developer are PHP, CSS, and HTML.

PHP controls each and everything within WordPress. It interacts within and connects with the MySQL database.

The next important aspect is CSS. This is how you design your site. It helps differentiate your website from all of the others out there. It can be a bit difficult to master and will require a great deal of studying to get the most from it, even me still dey learn.

HTML is the structure that the functions made in PHP as well as the styling defined by the CSS are built around. It is the easiest to learn but very important in creating a good site.

Development Paths to Explore

There are several paths to explore. I chose to start with Theme Development which I’d get into below.

Theme Development

It is the most common path in WordPress development. Many WordPress developers start their learning process with the themes. Whether you have a theme that needs to be redesigned for various reasons, or you decide to make a theme of your own this is an excellent place to start.

Custom Theme Plugin Development involves all the three development languages and you learn how WordPress integrates with all of its aspects. It comes with the bonus of allowing you to view the code for other themes and learn how they are put together.

Plugin Development

Creating a plugin is not usually something that is attempted by those who begin coding by playing around with their website. There is far too much that can go wrong with a badly written plugin for beginners.

You can change a default WordPress installation into practically anything with plugins. Example plugins currently available include social networks, forums, membership websites, and other things.

Developing the Core Software

Getting involved with software development for WordPress requires a good deal of skill. This is not something that should be attempted by those without any PHP experience.

Learning Sources

Although WordPress development can get tricky, there is a number of resources across the web that can help you with whatever issue you’re facing.

Chances are if you are stuck on one thing, the solution is already available. Here’s where you should start looking.

The Codex

The WordPress Codex would be the first part for any question of development.

It is a resource that details each and every function and piece of code within the WordPress software. It includes so many tutorials and articles for getting started with WordPress and is arguably the resource on the subject.

Tutorials

There are many free tutorials available for you, but there are also various premium courses and tutorials you can use.

As well as tutorials for learning about development, there is also a number of specific tutorials that will teach you how to carry out several tasks. A fast Google search will give you days worth of the reading materials.

Forums

There are a no of forums for the developers. Not all of the answers you receive will be worthwhile, but they can be quick and useful places to have specific questions answered.

There are WordPress-forums or developer forums such as stack overflow for you to investigate. It is worth taking the time to discover a forum that suits you and asking questions of the more experienced users.

Conclusion

Learning about WordPress design and development is very difficult and time-consuming, but can be extremely rewarding. If the time is taken to learn the software then you can begin to shape your WordPress website in many ways.

Whether you design and develop your themes, introduce a plugin or become greatly involved in the development of the software, diving in and getting involved in the community is quite fun.

Have you started your journey into WordPress development, or you are hoping to start soon? If you’re an excellent WordPress developer, how would you recommend all to get started? I’d love to see your thoughts in the comments section.

Rah Rah! You now have some background knowledge on WordPress Development….hopefully, I’d be able to keep up writing more here.

If you don’t see me here soon I’m probably locked in my room in front of my computer or watching YouTube.

Bye for now.