WordPress Debugging
Tips and Tricks
KEANAN KOPPENHAVER
KEANAN@DOEJO.COM
! @KKOPPENHAVER

This is one of those
audience participation
talks.

Step 1:
Identify the problem

Step 2:
Find the cause

Step 3:
Find the solution

Step 4:
Repeat

Part 1 | Front End

What are Dev Tools?

(Spoiler Alert: They
help with debugging
step 2)

Developer Tools
• Bundled with most major browsers (Chrome,
Firefox, Safari)
• Allow you to inspect elements, console, network
traffic and much more
• You can even code in dev tools (please don’t)

Demo:
Chrome Dev Tools

Bonus Tip:
Safari Dev Tools work with iOS
simulator

Part 2 | Back End

if ( $env == ‘development’ ) {
PLEASE USE WP_DEBUG;
(or WP_DEBUG_LOG)
}

Query Monitor
• Dev plugin runs in the background on every
page when enabled
• You can monitor much more than queries…
• Hooks, theme info, request info, oh my!

Demo:
Query Monitor

Let’s talk about
server logs

[03-May-2016 21:12:56 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Cannot
use object of type stdClass as array in /Users/doejo/code/Dev/
wordpress/wp-content/themes/clientname/lib/admin-helpers.php:303
Stack trace:
#0 /Users/doejo/code/Dev/wordpress/wp-includes/plugin.php(525):
RootsSageExtrasrestrict_adding_tags('')
#1 /Users/doejo/code/Dev/wordpress/wp-settings.php(393):
do_action('init')
#2 /Users/doejo/code/Dev/wordpress/wp-config.php(85):
require_once('/Users/doejo/co...')
#3 /Users/doejo/code/Dev/wordpress/wp-load.php(37):
require_once('/Users/doejo/co...')
#4 /Users/doejo/code/Dev/wordpress/wp-admin/admin.php(31):
require_once('/Users/doejo/co...')
#5 /Users/doejo/code/Dev/wordpress/wp-admin/post.php(12):
require_once('/Users/doejo/co...')
#6 {main}
thrown in /Users/doejo/code/Dev/wordpress/wp-content/themes/
clientname/lib/admin-helpers.php on line 303

[03-May-2016 21:12:56 UTC] PHP Fatal error:
Uncaught Error: Cannot use object of type
stdClass as array in /Users/doejo/code/Dev/
wordpress/wp-content/themes/clientname/lib/
admin-helpers.php:303

Questions?
KEANAN KOPPENHAVER
KEANAN@DOEJO.COM
! @KKOPPENHAVER