1. How to be a
WordPress Rockstar
Ptah Dunbar
#wcmia
@ptahdunbar

2. How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

3. Ptah Dunbar
• WordPress core contributor
• Co-organizer for South Florida
WordPress Meetup
• WordPress Consultant

4. WordPress speaks
many languages
PHP HTML CSS JS MySQL
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

5. Prerequisites
Make sure you have the following apps installed
• Web Server (Apache/PHP/MySQL)
• MAMP Pro/WAMP/XAMPP
• Subversion (Tortoise SVN for PC)
• Terminal/Command line
• IDE or Text Editor
• Textmate/Eclipse/Aptana
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

6. Subversion 101
manages files and directories,
and the changes made to them, over time
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

7. Subversion Commands
The only commands you’ll need to know
• svn checkout [url] [destination]
• svn update
• svn status
• svn revert *
• svn diff > ticket.13237.diff
• patch -p0 < ticket.13237.diff
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

8. Have several WordPress Installs
http://wp.trunk - latest snapshot of trunk
http://wp.dev - daily working copy of trunk
http://wp.stable - latest stable major version
http://wp.ms - multisite install (subdomain/dir)
http://wp.bp - latest stable + buddyPress stable
http://bp.trunk - latest trunk + buddyPress trunk
http://bp.dev - latest trunk + buddyPress trunk
http://wp.29 - WordPress 2.9 (or any legacy version)
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

9. Development Plugins
• Debug Bar (3.1+) - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/debug-bar/
• Debug Console - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/debug-bar-console/
• Demo Data Creator - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/demo-data-creator/
Development Constants for wp-config.php
• define( ‘WP_DEBUG’, true );
• define( ‘SCRIPT_DEBUG’, true );
• define( ‘SAVEQUERIES’, true );
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

10. The Plugin API
do_action, apply_filters, oh my!
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

11. 1. Add an action
do_action( ‘event’ );
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

12. 2. Hook into that action
add_action( ‘event’, ‘foobar’ );
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

13. 3. Do stuff.
function foobar() {
echo ‘Hello World’;
}
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

14. 1. Add a filter
return apply_filters( ‘the_content’, ‘This is data.’ );
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

15. 2. Hook into that filter
add_filter( ‘the_content’, ‘foobaz’ );
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

16. 3. Do stuff.
function foobaz() {
return ‘New content’;
}
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

17. WordPress UX
take advantage of all usability features
baked into core.
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

18. Navigating the
WordPress source code
Say hello to your new Codex
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

19. Contributing to Core
can be as little as one liner
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

20. Contributing to Core
or as big as...
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

21. WordPress Rockstars
Follow other people in the community
and build relationships with them.
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

22. Become actively involved
Read WordPress Books,
attend local WordPress meetups, WordCamps.
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia

23. South Florida
WordPress Training
http://meetup.com/wordpress-training/
Next Meet-up: March 19th, 2011
How to be a WordPress Rockstar #wcmia

24. That’s all folks.
Questions?
How to be a WordPress Rockstar — @ptahdunbar #wcmia