No more “Cowboy Coding”
A Best Practices Guide to
Local Development
& Migration
all disney images used without permission so don’t sue me

How many of you have done THIS?

Or This? (without a backup)

Or This?

Well, That’s Cowboy Coding!
And we don’t
take KINDLY to
those kinda
SHENANIGANS!
(and neither do
your clients)

Tonight, we’ll talk about
the Importance of:
✘Regular Backups
(Even Better in the CLOUD!)
✘Local Development FIRST
✘Understanding the WordPress Database
& File Structure
✘Version Control Process
(& why it’s so important)
✘Migrating a LIVE Website from Local
(without losing your head)

BACKUPS
MINIMUM: Copy your file before editing or replacing into
a backup directory
BETTER: Use Cloud Connected Storage
✘OFFSITE
✘Sync’d on all your devices (even your phone)
✘RESTORE History!
(Easy to get back to prior version)
GREAT for Graphic Files, Project Documents
http://dropbox.com
http://google.com/drive/

LOCAL DEV
Web Server running WordPress w/ MySQL Database
on your LOCAL machine
Why? Gives you a Safety Net
✘Test things (and break things) w/o hurting anyone
✘Test Plugins and Themes
✘Learn the WordPress Database
✘Great for Client Demos

LOCAL DEV
ServerPress’s
DesktopServer
(Works on Mac or Windows)
Automates the WAmP/MAMP
Stack (whatever that means)
FREE (up to 3 local websites)
http://serverpress.com

LOCAL DEV
Vagrants
VVV (or Varying Vagrant Vagrants)
Works on ALL OS’s (with some work)
(Requires VirtualBox & Vagrant)
Creates Virtual Machines all within
your desktop (more console based)
FREE but Complicated
Getting Started Walkthrough:
http://torquemag.io/2014/08/getting-started-vagrant-local-development/
https://webdevstudios.com/2015/01/14/getting-started-vagrant-vvv-local-development/
includes VV List, a VVV Site Wizard

Learn WordPress Database
Two really good resources to learn the structure of where your
files are stored; necessary when you’re doing migrations:
Tour of the WordPress Database:
https://deliciousbrains.com/tour-wordpress-database/
Tour of the MultiSite WordPress Database:
https://deliciousbrains.com/wordpress-multisite-database-tour/
Learning phpMyAdmin & WordPress:
http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/beginners-guide-to-wordpress-database-management-with-phpmyadmin/

Learn WordPress File Structure
Specifically WP_CONTENT
All your primary files for your WordPress installation
are in that directory:
/themes/ - all your theme files, active or not
/plugins/ - all your plugins, active or not
/uploads/ - All the Media files
Site Configuration in wp_config.php
https://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Files#wp-content

MIGRATIONS
The File & Database are important, because
MINIMUM to copy a WordPress site:
wp_content
wp_config.php (configured to connect to DB on new Server)
MySQLDUMP file imported into that Database
http://www.billerickson.net/migrating-wordpress-websites/

MIGRATIONS
Automated Tools for Migrations:
BackupBuddy by iThemes
Handles initial Migration,
not sure about ‘changes’
https://ithemes.com/purchase/backupbuddy/

MIGRATIONS
WP Migrate DB &
WP Migrate DB Pro
by Delicious Brains
Handles all Data migrations
with a PUSH/PULL technology
VERY Powerful!
https://deliciousbrains.com/wp-migrate-db-pro/

WP Migrate DB Pro
Local REMOTE
Can also handle MEDIA files
and new version can handle MultiSite
(subsites to single install & back)

Version Control with GIT
Incredibly powerful, but
sometimes Incredibly
complicated tool that can
save your life (and the life
of your project), if you
know how to use it.
LUCKILY….
http://wordpress.tv/2015/12/13/morten-rand-hendriksen-github-for-the-rest-of-us/
http://mor10.com/github-wcus/

Git Tools
✘GitHub Desktop (Mac & Windows)
https://desktop.github.com/
✘BitBucket / SourceTree (Mac & Windows)
https://www.sourcetreeapp.com/
✘Tower for Git (paid, Mac Only)
https://www.git-tower.com/
✘Additional Tutorials:
https://www.codeschool.com/courses/try-git
https://confluence.atlassian.com/bitbucket/bitbucket-tutorials-teams-in-space-training-ground-
755338051.html

Perfect Team
With GIT for Version control
of my theme stuff
and WP Migrate DB Pro to
keep my Data in sync
the Cloud for my Graphic Files
and Local Development with
Vagrant, I’m safe & effective

Who Am I?
Jim True, @jimtrue
Support Lead &
Community Manager
@podsframework
http://pods.io

Special Thanks to:
Iron Yard Tampa
St Pete Campus
Campus Director,
Toni Aliberti
@theironyard
Thanks for hosting us
every other 1st
Thursday of the Month
Tampa Bay WordPress
& WordCamp Tampa
WordCamp Tampa 9/10-11
USF Marshall Student Center
tampa.wordcamp.org
WordPress Meetups:
meetup.com/Tampa-Bay-WordPress
Slack Chat:
tampabaywp.org/chat/