WordPress allows for flexible content types including pages, posts, custom post types, and templates. Pages are for main site content and can have a hierarchy. Posts are flexible for any content and use tags and categories. Custom post types provide interfaces for custom content. Templates are used when layout or functionality differs from the theme. Taxonomies like categories and tags group content, and custom taxonomies can be created. Custom fields provide additional data for posts and pages.

1. The Flexibility of WordPress

2. Multiple Content Types
• Pages
– Main site pages
– Apply templates for advanced functionality
– Are hierarchical (can have parent/child relationships)
• Posts
– Flexible for any content, anywhere
– Tags and categories allow content segmentation
– Not hierarchical
• Custom Post Types
– Provide a separate interface for totally custom content
– Create if default Posts are in use already (ie. a blog)
– OR for highly special content that doesn’t fit normal post
schema (home page slider)
– Can be hierarchical, but are not by default

3. Page Templates
• Used when layout or functionality doesn’t
match the rest of the theme and cannot be
added through the post editor
• Examples
– Highly specialized forms
– Precisely placed elements, like maps
– Single column instead of theme’s regular two
– Specific scripts only needed on that page
– Other special layouts
– Members-only or other protected areas

4. Implementing Page Templates
• Two main ways
– From Page Editor
• Works only for Pages
• End-user is able to change
– With get_template_part() and a conditional
statement
• Done on a theme level
• Provides way to get any template from anywhere, even
if it’s just a small piece (like social media links or a
gallery)

5. Post Tags and Categories
• Both provide a way to group and navigate content
• Both are searchable and form archive pages by default
• Categories
– Umbrella groups for similar content topics
– Are hierarchical (can have parent/child relationships)
– Use to separate content but still use the default post editor
• Tags
– Like keywords
– Especially useful for blogs to connect topics
– Also useful for ecommerce
• Analogy for Use
– A book store would categorize by genre, but tag each book
with the author

6. Custom Taxonomies
• Categories and Tags are “taxonomies”
• Custom Taxonomies essentially work the
same, but are more easily distinguishable
• Book Store Example
– “Genre” would be a custom taxonomy instead of
using the default categories
– “Author” would be created instead of using tags

7. Custom Post Types (CPT)
• Useful to make specialized content readily
accessible to end-users
• Can be made inaccessible by search, and
therefore be used to insert and organize small
bits of content
– Example: Sliders
• Only include the interface elements needed
– ie. only the Title, Editor, and Featured Image and
not Categories or Tags

8. Custom Fields
• Provide additional post meta for Posts or Pages
via customized UI elements
• Any form field can be used to get additional data
• How to Use
– DO use for variable data
– DO use to make content easier for end-user to edit
– DO use to insert content and retain theme styling
– DO NOT use when the data needs to form
relationships between posts/pages – use a taxonomy
instead

9. Custom Fields
• Favorite Uses
– Checkbox to mark as a featured post
– Radio to place in a specific area
– Checkboxes to add product features
– A series of rich-editor enabled textareas to add
content to a special layout (especially from CPT)
– Extra upload for specific media display/output

10. Creating CPT, Custom Taxonomies,
and Custom Fields
Demo of
Easy Custom Post Types
plugin

11. Plan for Next Sessions
• How to Get What You Want: Part I
– Basic theme tags
– The WordPress Loop, and how to Query
• How to Get What You Want: Part II
– Conditional Statements, Custom Fields, and get_template_part()
• Helping the End User Part I
– Shortcodes v. Custom Fields
• Helping the End User Part II
– Theme Options
• Plugins and Functions
– When to use
– Functionality plugins vs. functions.php
– Recommended plugins
• Defending Themes From End-Users
– Final setup of user accounts and training

12. Resources
• The WordPress Codex
– Your new best friend, so go get friendly
http://codex.wordpress.org/
• Pages
– http://codex.wordpress.org/Pages
– Page Templates
• Create basic template:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Pages#Creating_Your_Own_Pag
e_Templates
• Post Types
– About various post types
http://codex.wordpress.org/Post_Types

13. Resources
• Taxonomies
– Basics
http://justintadlock.com/archives/2010/06/10/a-
refresher-on-custom-taxonomies
– More on implementation
http://justintadlock.com/archives/2011/10/20/cu
stom-user-taxonomies-in-wordpress

14. Resources
• Taxonomies
– Basics
http://justintadlock.com/archives/2010/06/10/a-
refresher-on-custom-taxonomies
– More on implementation
http://justintadlock.com/archives/2011/10/20/cu
stom-user-taxonomies-in-wordpress

15. Resources
• Recommended RSS Feeds
– Link to my Google Reader xml file
(edit out one’s you already have, then import to
your reader)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26817239/stephs-
wordpress-rss.xml