WordPress for Web Developers

The second edition of Beginning WordPress 3 has a new title! It’s also been completely reorganized and updated for 3.6.

WordPress for Web Developers is a professional’s introduction to building sites with WordPress. It’s intended for web designers and developers who know their way around HTML and CSS and would like to learn how to build WordPress themes and plugins.

The book begins with a detailed overview of the content editing and site administration screens. The middle section focuses on server-related topics: setting up multisite mode, optimizing performance and security, and migrating or importing content from other sites. The last half of the book is an introduction to developing secure themes and plugins for WordPress. It covers child themes, theme frameworks, widgets, custom post types, taxonomies, options and settings, hooks, data validation, debugging, and more.

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s | Indiebound

Ebook: Kindle | iBooks | Google Play | more…

Want a short sample? Download Chapter 4, Working with Content (PDF, 6.7MB). There are more downloads below the table of contents…

Psst! I have a new WordPress book out! Content Strategy for WordPress is now available.

Part 1: Installing and Using WordPress

(Non-technical)

1. Introduction
   1. Why WP?
   2. WP’s CMS capabilities
   3. Major sites using WP
2. Installation
   1. Requirements
   2. Troubleshooting
3. Settings
   1. Reading settings
   2. Discussion: comments and trackbacks
   3. Permalinks and short links
4. Working with content
   1. Posts and pages
      1. Basic fields
      2. Custom fields
      3. Working with content from Office files
      4. Quick Edit
      5. Bulk Edit
      6. Screen options
   2. Media
   3. Feeds
5. Working with themes
   1. Using the customizer
   2. Using widgets
   3. Using the menu manager
   4. Finding and evaluating themes
6. Working with plugins
   1. Installing
   2. Finding and evaluating plugins
   3. Troubleshooting plugins
7. Working with users
   1. Profiles
   2. Roles
   3. Permissions
   4. Workflow

Part 2: WordPress and Your Server

(Intermediate: involves editing configuration files and working with host’s administration tools.)

8. Setting up the network (multisite)
   1. Domain mapping
9. Performance and Security
   1. SSL
   2. File permissions
   3. Changing file locations
10. Importing and migrating
    1. Moving to a new server or domain
    2. Tips for happy importing
    3. Importing from other CMSs
    4. Importing from static files
    5. Post-migration checklist

Part 3: Beginning WordPress Development

(Advanced: Familiarity with PHP arrays, if/else statements, loops, and function syntax required. Familiarity with objects and classes helpful, but not required.)

11. Common Development Concepts
    1. Hooks
       1. Filters
       2. Actions
    2. Settings
    3. Writing secure themes and plugins
       1. Validating input
       2. Escaping output
       3. Checking capabilities
       4. Checking referrers
    4. Debugging
       1. Debug mode
       2. Helpful plugins
    5. Developer resources
12. Creating a custom theme
    1. Theme file hierarchy and context
    2. Turning plain HTML into a theme
    3. The Loop
    4. Basic theme functions
       1. Setting up widget areas
       2. Enabling post thumbnails
       3. Changing excerpt length and ellipsis
    5. Advanced theme functions
       1. Modifying the Loop
       2. Multiple Loops
       3. Getting post information outside the Loop
    6. Creating theme customizer settings
    7. Creating Child themes
    8. Creating theme frameworks
    9. Responsive design issues in themes
13. Creating plugins
    1. Creating a template tag
    2. Creating a shortcode
    3. Creating widgets
       1. Caching widget output using transients
    4. Dashboard widgets
    5. Adding a settings screen
    6. Other APIs
14. Custom post types, taxonomies, and fields
    1. Post types
    2. Taxonomies
    3. Fields
15. Appendix A: Plugin Index
16. Appendix B: Community resources
    1. Documentation
    2. Support
    3. Discussion
    4. News
    5. Events

     

Downloads

In addition to Chapter 4 (PDF), you can download:

• Appendix A, the list of recommended plugins
• the theme from Chapter 12, including both a traditional theme options screen and controls for the new theme customizer
• the user directory plugin from Chapter 13, which demonstrates template tags, sidebar widgets, dashboard widgets, shortcodes, and custom user contact fields
• the course listing plugin from Chapter 14, demonstrating post types, taxonomies, and fields, with some cool features like sortable columns for the Edit screens

Review Copies

If you’re a teacher or a writer for a WordPress-focused news site, and you’d like a review copy of the book, please let me know and I’ll hook you up with my publicist at Apress.