Tag: WordPress (Page 117 of 219)

Articles, tips, and resources for WordPress-based development.

Using PHP CodeSniffer For MAMP and WordPress

September 23, 2015 / Tom / 0 Comments

Every developer worth his or her weight will say writing quality code is key to making sure a project is maintainable over time.

What constitutes quality code may be subjective and this is not the post to debate that; however, if you’re working with PHP – especially alongside MAMP and WordPress – then I think using the PHP CodeSniffer is a tool we should all be using.

For those who’ve written both PHP applications and WordPress-specific applications, you know there are different standards used for writing code. Since this blog is primarily focused on the latter, then I’m obviously going to be focusing on that, but the steps provided aren’t altogether different for working strictly with PHP.

So here’s how you can setup PHP CodeSniffer, the rules for the WordPress Coding Standards, and how to have them run alongside MAMP.

WordPress Developers and WP Migrate DB Pro

September 18, 2015 / Tom / 0 Comments

I’ve mentioned WP Migrate DB in previous posts, but it’s been at least two years since I’ve last written about it.

In two years, software can change a lot and WP Migrate DB is no different. I’m still a fan, I still recommend it to people, and I still think that it’s an extremely valuable plugin for any WordPress developer (or even someone who works with WordPress site migrations) to have available.

WP Migrate DB

The point, though, is not for me to sit here and promote a plugin or to try to push something on you. I’ve said what I need to say in terms of who needs it.

But for those who are skeptical or those who are just getting started in WordPress development, it still raises a question as to why anyone needs it.

And that requires an understanding of why each person should have various environments setup for their project development. If you’re an seasoned developer, this post isn’t for you.

But if you’re getting started with WordPress development or looking to refine your workflow, then follow along. I’ll make this quick.

The Perfect WordPress Host (It Doesn’t Exist)

September 17, 2015 / Tom / 0 Comments

Trying to find the perfect WordPress host is not an easy task. There are a lot of options out there – which is actually really cool compared to where we were just a few years ago.

Personally, I’ve shopped around, I’ve tried a bunch of them, some I’ve loved, some I’ve liked, some I’ve never left.

I was literally just telling a friend I have a propensity to try new hosts when come to market and have been established for a little while even to my own detriment.

January

I try wait for others to test the waters, then I’ll jump in. You know, it’s the whole “Come on in, the water’s fine” sorta thing. Sometimes I do better than others.

Really, the only conclusion I’ve been able to draw from trying out all of the options available is there is no perfect WordPress host.

Custom CSS in WordPress (Does It Conflict with Child Theming?)

September 15, 2015 / Tom / 0 Comments

From a developer’s standpoint, I have mixed feelings about having a built-in editor for editing custom CSS in WordPress. On one hand…

It’s a really easy way to make quick changes to the theme you have installed so you get the changes you want.
Then again, it also completely bypasses and defeats the entire child theme process.

As I’ve tried to think this through, I realize each serves a different purpose I’ll try to explain in a moment, but sometimes I can’t help but wonder if it makes things for difficult for users or more difficult for other developers than necessary.

Sounds weird, I know. But hear me out.

Importing A Large Database in MAMP

September 11, 2015 / Tom / 0 Comments

When working with WordPress databases, we’re pretty fortunate to have tools like WP Migrate DB Pro, phpMyAdmin, Sequel Pro, and so on. But there are times when importing a large database is a bit more demanding than the front-end utilities we have.

Perhaps we have to change up our PHP configuration, perhaps we’re dealing with hundreds of megabytes worth of data, perhaps we don’t have the kind of control on the environment that we need.

Whatever the case, we always have the command line. And if you’re working with WordPress, MAMP, and you’re faced with importing large databases, then you may need to stop tweaking your PHP settings and simply import the file via the command-line.