WordPress as a CMS Methods & Theme/Plugin Development

Methods & Theme/Plugin Development

Contact Information http://mattwalters.net/ http://twitter.com/mwalters/ http://twitter.com/atticusthedog [email_address]

http://mattwalters.net/

http://twitter.com/mwalters/

http://twitter.com/atticusthedog

[email_address]

WordPress as a CMS WordPress is just for Blogging X

WordPress

is just for

Blogging

WordPress as a CMS WordPress is not just for Blogging

WordPress is

not just for

Blogging

WordPress as a CMS Pages Posts New Articles Site Blog Custom fields available for other content Sidebars Imagery Ajax content

Pages

Posts

New Articles

Site Blog

Custom fields available for other content

Sidebars

Imagery

Ajax content

WordPress as a CMS Examples

Examples

WordPress as a CMS http://magazine.wsj.com/

WordPress as a CMS http://www.evsc.virginia.edu/

Theme Development Front End Development Best Practices Keep CSS in one file included via <link> in the header Keep Javascript in one file included in the footer Use image spirites if possible Use shorthand (padding vs padding-left/right) Minify CSS/JavaScript if possible Use appropriate compression for images

Front End Development Best Practices

Keep CSS in one file included via <link> in the header

Keep Javascript in one file included in the footer

Use image spirites if possible

Use shorthand (padding vs padding-left/right)

Minify CSS/JavaScript if possible

Use appropriate compression for images

Theme Development WordPress Codex http://codex.wordpress.org/ Best Practices for distributing themes Avoid packaging plugins Support PHP 4 if possible :( No paid advertisement

WordPress Codex

http://codex.wordpress.org/

Best Practices for distributing themes

Avoid packaging plugins

Support PHP 4 if possible :(

No paid advertisement

Theme Development Minimum of two files are required for a theme style.css index.php

Minimum of two files are required for a theme

style.css

index.php

Theme Development Style.css Theme Name Theme URI Description Version Author Author URI Tags

Style.css

Theme Name

Theme URI

Description

Version

Author

Author URI

Tags

Theme Development Functions.php Contains custom functionality for theme Can be procedural or Object Oriented Can include plugin-like code Create settings page in admin area Apply filters Perform actions etc

Functions.php

Contains custom functionality for theme

Can be procedural or Object Oriented

Can include plugin-like code

Create settings page in admin area

Apply filters

Perform actions

etc

Theme Development Template Hierarchy Diagram

Theme Development Template Hierarchy Diagram

Theme Development Child Themes Style.css Template: <define parent theme> Other fields are same as a parent theme Child theme templates override that of parent theme Parent templates are inherited by child theme

Child Themes

Style.css

Template: <define parent theme>

Other fields are same as a parent theme

Child theme templates override that of parent theme

Parent templates are inherited by child theme

Theme Development Base template structure get_header() Includes header.php from theme directory The Loop Display content get_sidebar() Includes sidebar.php from theme directory get_footer() Includes footer.php from theme directory

Base template structure

get_header()

Includes header.php from theme directory

The Loop

Display content

get_sidebar()

Includes sidebar.php from theme directory

get_footer()

Includes footer.php from theme directory

Theme Development The Loop Required in template files Displays Posts/Pages Provides easy access to content data the_title() the_content() the_excerpt() the_permalink() the_tags/category etc ...

The Loop

Required in template files

Displays Posts/Pages

Provides easy access to content data

the_title()

the_content()

the_excerpt()

the_permalink()

the_tags/category

etc ...

Theme Development bloginfo() / get_bloginfo() Useful to create dynamic references Blog name Description Site URL Stylesheet Directory (theme directory) and more ...

bloginfo() / get_bloginfo()

Useful to create dynamic references

Blog name

Description

Site URL

Stylesheet Directory (theme directory)

and more ...

Theme Development Custom Fields Two Components Name / Value – Basically key=>value pair Example Usage: Assigning images to Posts/Pages Serve as a data source for Ajax content Provide multiple content areas for a page

Custom Fields

Two Components

Name / Value – Basically key=>value pair

Example Usage:

Assigning images to Posts/Pages

Serve as a data source for Ajax content

Provide multiple content areas for a page

Theme Development Using Custom Fields get_post_meta($post_id, $key, [boolean]) $post_id = Primary key for Post/Page $key = &quot;Name&quot; for custom field [boolean] is optional True: Returns single string for $key False: Returns array witch values for each $key matched

Using Custom Fields

get_post_meta($post_id, $key, [boolean])

$post_id = Primary key for Post/Page

$key = &quot;Name&quot; for custom field

[boolean] is optional

True: Returns single string for $key

False: Returns array witch values for each $key matched

Theme Development Theme Frameworks Carrington Sandbox

Theme Frameworks

Carrington

Sandbox

Theme Development Questions? (or funny jokes?)

Questions?

(or funny jokes?)