9 Things Every WordPress Developer Should Know

9 Things Every WordPress Developer Should Know

In this article we highlight some of the important features/aspects of wordpress that every wordpress web developer should know so as to make the most out of your wordpress theme and create a well optimized wordpress website.

WordPress is surely an imperious platform. You may take minutes to learn it, but you’ll have to spend ages altogether to master it. Although WordPress started its journey by powering blogs, today, this influential content management system has even added millions of business websites into the list.

Written in MySQL and PHP languages, editing, modifying, changing, and updating this platform isn’t tough comparatively. Despite the ease, a WordPress developer is supposed to be equipped with the advanced knowledge to create wonders. Even if you’re a professional developer, with WordPress, there’s always some room to enhance skills. So here are –

9 Things Every WordPress Web Developer Should Know –

1. Using Action & Filter Hooks:

The hook is a kind of place where you can add your code or can alter the default code provided by WordPress. Such hooks are available in two different forms – action hooks and filter hooks.
An action hook helps you create a new action and can be initiated while the WordPress is running. Actions can be executed in various forms, like creating a widget during the initialization of WordPress or tweeting whenever there is a newly published post.

On the other hand, filter hooks allow you modifying data in WordPress before it is transferred to the database. It customizes displaying of excerpts or adding code at the post end.
The primary difference between these two hooks is while filter hook lets you receive data that you’d have to return at the end of the function; on the other hand, action hooks neither let you receive data nor modify, but you get a place for code execution.

2. Languages That WordPress Uses:

WordPress utilizes four different languages: CSS, HTML, PHP, and JavaScript. While CSS, HTML, and JavaScript are implemented in the browser, PHP is executed on a web server to create and serve the browser uses of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.

Because of this reason, PHP is known as server-side as it works on a remote server, and JavaScript is considered as client-side as it works on the computer of those who access the website.
PHP runs on the web server to create an HTML document including JavaScript and CSS. In the browser section, HTML runs and defines the content and structure of a document. CSS helps in styling the document, such as modifying the visual appearance, etc. And, JavaScript operates the HTML and CSS.

3. Understand the Database of WordPress:

Being a WordPress developer, although there are several different aspects to know about, however, out of all of them, you must have a profound understanding of the fundamental WordPress database tables.
For now, WordPress has up to 11 default fundamental tables. Each of these tables comprises different sections of functionality and data of WordPress. Once you’ve got proper knowledge of these tables, you’d be able to execute several functions seamlessly.
Right from changing passwords to selecting themes directly from the database, disabling plugins, and more; these tables will allow you to do almost everything without accessing the admin panel.

4. Enqueue Styles and Scripts:

Undoubtedly, a WordPress website comprises a variety of plugins sourced from varied developers. However, if you come across such plugins that are linking HTML tags to include CSS and JS files or hooking scripts, the chances of duplicity arise to a great extent.

In such a situation, you can seek help by enqueueing your scripts and styles. The process of enqueueing denotes a CMS-friendly method of adding different scripts to a WordPress website.
Therefore, instead of linking HTML tags or utilizing scripts, experts recommend enqueueing styles and scripts. If each of the plugins uses wp_enqueue_script() to hook files, the issue of duplicity can be fixed. Further, if you want, you can even use this method for WordPress themes as well.

5. Keeping the Site Secured:

Being a responsible developer is not just about creating an attractive and unique website, but keeping it secured as well. When you are on the internet, the rate of risks and threats increases even more.
In such a situation, keeping the website secured from such potential dangers, such as SQL injections and malware is always recommended. Although there are several methods to protect your site against hackers’ attacks, one of the best would be to keep your themes and plugins always updated.

Latest versions of themes and plugins come with security protections as well as several advanced features. Therefore, it’s good for you in every way.

6. You Should Never Edit the Core:

One of the fundamental rules of WordPress is that you shouldn’t edit the core files. Never. Ever. If you alter these core files, the fitting of these core files is overwritten with new changes.

Owing to which, the massive segments of fitting will stop working and may even prohibit the repairs, which will entirely ruin the establishment. In this way, even the smallest of edits in the core file can spoil everything for you.
Not just that, but if you mess up with the core files, it may even bring forth loopholes, which can be a major threat to your WordPress website. Hackers wouldn’t even take a few seconds before overtaking the site. So, as a developer, prevent editing the core as much as possible.

7. Understand Your Feeds:

Being a WordPress Web Developer you should know your Feedswell. Feeds are, in one way or the other, a driving force for your site. They can either attract your visitors or draw them away altogether. To make a satisfactory conversion, it’s important to let your visitors know about your feeds.
Apart from the basic ones, there are several cool feeds that can be used as well, such as:

    • Main – site.com/feed
    • Custom taxonomy – site.com/feed/?post_type=custom_post_type_name&taxonomy_name=taxonomy
    • Main comments – site.com/comments/feed
    • Custom post type – site.com/feed/?post_type=yourposttype
    • Post comments – site.com/post-name/feed
    • Categories & tags – site.com/category/categoryname/feed or site.com/tag/tagname/feed
    • Search – site.com/?s=searchterm&feed=rss2
    • Author – site.com/author/authorname/feed/

Though the usual information can be displayed through simple feed, however, if you want to let them know about specific information, then you must use point to point feed.

8. Using WordPress For Intranet Sites:

There is no denying the fact that WordPress has bestowed developers and users with a myriad of plugins that are useful in extending the functionality of this platform. However, an important thing that a majority of people seem to overlook is that these plugins can be perfectly used for different companies’ back-end functionality requirements.
There are several things that are quite possible with WordPress, such as issue tracking, customer relationship management software, all-in-one-intranets, and more. Being a developer, you can learn how to self-host these apps, and you wouldn’t have to pay anyone to manage these plugins.

9. Take Less Time for Coding:

As much as you may consider it to be an exciting journey, being a WordPress developer is surely tough. As if ensuring everything to be perfect wasn’t less, you also have to sit and code for hours to develop an enchanting site.
What if you get to know there’s a way to make development easy? Of course, there is. Thanks to premium WordPress themes plugins, you can even find a tool that can help you decrease the development time by adding code snippets automatically.
Such plugins run on latest features of WordPress and advanced standards of coding. Hence, they wouldn’t pose any serious troubles throughout the way of development.

Conclusion:

Once you’re well-versed with these important aspect of WordPress that we believe every wordpress web developer should know; creating something beautiful out of this platform becomes easier. These points mentioned above are not only advantageous for novice developers but can be helpful for professionals as well.
So, dig deeper, no more, and develop beautifully.

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