Rapid WordPress theme development

Rapid WordPress theme development Jonny Allbut Head of Digital - Tanc Design @Jonnyauk | www.tancdesign.com

Howdy!• Creative designer and developer• Working with WordPress since early 2005• Part of WPUK committee since 2008• Creator & lead developer of Wonderﬂux

Use the right tools (for you)• Local development server• Your favourite code editor(s)• VIrtual machines• deﬁne(WP_DEBUG, true);• http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester• http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Unit_Test• http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/developer

Theme development principles• Stand-alone theme• Starter theme• Parent theme• Theme framework

Child themes - the basics /* Theme Name: Whooty Child Theme Theme URI: http://tancdesign.com Description: My cool child theme Version: 0.1 Template: Wonderflux Author: Jonny Allbut Author URI: http://tancdesign.com */

Why theme frameworks rock!• Toolkit always with you• Stop repeating R&D• Rapid, consistent development• Great for teams

Why I bothered to build Wonderﬂux?• Built for ﬂexibility• CSS grids• Powerful display functions• Full BuddyPress support• Easy updates• Free (whoot!)

Lessons learned• The WordPress way (for better or worse!)• Use the core - ﬁlters, hooks and functions• Keep up with trunk development/Trac http://core.trac.wordpress.org/• Documentation (boo!)• Listen to your users!• Dont be scared to ask (but do your R&D!)

Useful CSS for theme developers• Use/add to the body class<body <?php body_class(extra);?>>• Target menu classescurrent-menu-item / current-post-ancestor• Target widget classes<div class="textwidget">

Useful hooks for theme developers• after_setup_theme• pre_get_posts• template_redirect

Some R&D links• http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Review• http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/ Action_Reference• http://ottopress.com/2012/how-to-leverage-the- theme-customizer-in-your-own-themes/• http://ottopress.com/2012/making-a-custom-control- for-the-theme-customizer/• http://wp.tutsplus.com/tutorials/creative-coding/ understanding-the-walker-class/

All criticism, ideas and patches welcome!www.wonderﬂux.com @wonderﬂux Jonny Allbut Head of Digital - Tanc Design @Jonnyauk | www.tancdesign.com

Dont hack the coreEvery time you do, God kills a kitten - DONT DO IT!

Rapid WordPress theme development

by Jonny Allbut on Sep 25, 2012

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