The document discusses tools and techniques for customizing and creating plugins for WordPress, including FTP clients, code editors, browser tools, WordPress documentation, understanding the file structure and template hierarchy, using hooks and filters, and creating a child theme. It also lists specific tools for FTP, code editing, and browsing including Transmit, FileZilla, Coda 2, Sublime Text 2, FireBug, and the WordPress Codex.

1. Customization and
Plugins
Jon Brown
jBrownStudios.com | 9seeds.com
@jb510
Tuesday, February 19, 13

2. Prerequisites
Part 1 (geekery)
• Some familiarity with HTML/CSS
• No need for PHP today
Part 2 (non-geekery)
• Some familiarity with a self-hosted
WordPress installation
Tuesday, February 19, 13

3. Developer Tools
• FTP
• Code Editor
• Browser Tools - FireBug / WebKit Dev Tools
• Local AMP Stack
• Version Control (git/svn)
Tuesday, February 19, 13

4. FTP
Mac Win
Transmit WinSCP
FileZilla FileZilla
CyberDuck FireFTP for FireFox
FireFTP for FireFox
Tuesday, February 19, 13

5. Code Editor
Mac Win
Coda 2 NotePad++
Sublime Text 2 TextWrangler
TextMate
Tuesday, February 19, 13

6. Wait Wait
What About
DreamWeaver...
• Yes... you CAN use DreamWeaver, for both
FTP and as a code editor, but not many do.
Tuesday, February 19, 13

7. Browser Tools
• FireBug or WebKit Dev Tools
• (quick demo)
Tuesday, February 19, 13

8. WordPress Tools
• The Codex
http://codex.wordpress.org/
• Developer Documentation
http://codex.wordpress.org/Developer_Documentation
Tuesday, February 19, 13

9. Getting Started
Creating a theme
1. Understand the WP Core file structure
2. Understand the WP theme template hierarchy
http://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Hierarchy
3. Hooks (Actions and Filters
http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API#Hooks.2C_Actions_and_Filters
Tuesday, February 19, 13

10. WP Core File Structure
http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Files
• root
• wp-admin
• wp-includes
• wp-content
Tuesday, February 19, 13

11. WP Template Hierarchy
http://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Hierarchy
Tuesday, February 19, 13

12. Templates
http://codex.wordpress.org/Stepping_Into_Templates
• Basic template page Header / Content / Footer
(quick demo)
Tuesday, February 19, 13

13. Hooks
• Actions: Actions are the hooks that the WP core
launches at specific points during execution, or when
specific events occur.Your plugin can specify that one
or more of its PHP functions are executed at
these points, using the Action API.
• Filters: Filters are the hooks that WordPress launches
to modify text of various types before adding it to
the database or sending it to the browser screen.Your
plugin can specify that one or more of its PHP
functions is executed to modify specific types of text
at these times, using the Filter API.
Tuesday, February 19, 13

14. More Practical Things
• How to modify a theme... with a CHILD
THEME!
Tuesday, February 19, 13

15. One Click Child Theme
Plugin
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/one-click-child-theme/
Tuesday, February 19, 13

16. Lets demo some code
(css / php)
customizations
Tuesday, February 19, 13