Category: WordPress

Precursor

Let me start with a personal take.

I started dabbling with WordPress 10 years ago in 2015.

In that period, there have been changes several changes. Still, there have also been things that have stayed the same.

I’ve learned an important trick; to develop foresight, you need to practice hindsight.

Jane McGonigal

Let’s focus on the fundamentals, first – the things that stood the test of time and will do in future.

We can use WordPress for many purposes. It can serve as a tool builder, like a resumé maker. It can also be a platform or even a billboard. Nevertheless, the fundamental reason we use WordPress is for content.

When we say content, it can mean many things – including Instagram reels or TikToks. However, with WP, content primarily means the written word. That’s what I believe the Word in WordPress stands for.

Although, we can upload and embed videos and images, the power of words is what makes WordPress, well, powerful.

So, it is a Content Management System as its core.

The Foundations

Now that we know what WordPress is (a CMS), let’s dive into what you need to learn to become a developer in the short term.

By near term, I mean a quarter of a year. Let’s say you start now; you could hopefully become a Junior WordPress Developer by June 2025.

These are the tools you need to master to get going:

1. An understanding of the WordPress basics. What is a post and how does it differ from a page? What is a post type? What is a taxonomy? How do I change a theme or install a plugin? And so on.
   
   There is an endless list of questions you may have as you follow through. I recommend you befriend your friendliest AI tool to ask questions and get clarity.
2. A Development Environment. Avoid working on projects without a dev environment if you can. Do not work on projects with just a single production site where all the work happens. I also recommend having a local WP environment. This way, all your development work is on your computer. You can do this while you are working. LocalWP and Studio by WP.com are both great for beginners.
   
   Think of it this way. Would you be doing carpentry at the location of your customer or at your work shed? I would do it at my work shed or a home office shed (remote work FTW). So, let’s use a local development environment.
3. Basic Web Development. I would say you should possess the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I am not a purist, so w3schools.com is a good resource for learning that. If you happen to be a purist, head over to mdn!
4. Some backend knowledge. It is also good to know some PHP and MySQL. Or even the basic syntax and ideas are sufficient.
   
   Again, ChatGPT is your friend. Pester it with your questions and test yourself against it.

Intermediate

Now, we are getting to where most developers should get to. However, a lot of them will take a false path. Others will stop with the foundations. For instance, they will still use the Classic Editor. They will rely solely on a Page Builder. They will also stick to store bought themes and plugins without considering any customizations.

WordPress Hooks (filters and actions) 🪝 are an important part of advancing as a WordPress developer. It’s crucial we learn it right – and practice it.

Gutenberg was merged to core in 2018 and there has been a mixed reaction from the community. I believe it is about time (albeit a bit too late) to embrace the block editor with both arms.

There are so many terms when it comes to the block editor. But keeping abreast of the nuances pays off handsomely in the long run.

With that said, let me throw some words:

1. Blocks – they can be core or custom
2. Block Patterns
3. Block Filters
4. Block Styles
5. Block Variations
6. Block Plugins
7. Block Themes and Full Site Editing
8. Block Templates
9. Reusable Blocks
10. Dynamic Blocks – as opposed to Static Blocks

I do not want to explain here what each means. Nor do I want to be considered an expert in critiquing the decisions that went into its nomenclature. You could learn a ton about these from fullsiteediting.com or through Google / ChatGPT.

You can also learn from wpdevelopment.courses. Please note, it is a paid resource and I am a student of the course. The course helped me a ton to level up in block theme development. And no, I am not being paid to say this.

ES2015+ or ES6 is also a decade old now. And React is 12 years old now; almost a teenager. The reason I mention it is so that we are aware its about time we learned these. So along with learning Gutenberg, it’s essential to also learn modern JS.

Of course, here comes the other essentials like security best practices. Escaping, Sanitizing, Validating – the whole nine yards.

An excellent resource is WPVIP’s course on security.

It could take a year or more to get comfortable at this.

Advanced

You are in the big boy league now.

It can take a several years to become great at WordPress.

Courses from here are great to get good at some advanced WP concepts.

Also, feel free to go through these best practices.

The best way to become great, in my opinion, is to go through the works of the best people in the industry.

For example, reading through WP Core or Gutenberg Core’s code on GitHub, perhaps reading through a major plugin’s code like Google Site Kit, or by contributing to core and other open source software yourself.

An obvious way to get advanced is by working on large site rebuilds or plugins that touch many sites and has great impact.

Closing Thoughts

Do not forget about the community.

You would be doing yourself a great favor by participating in dialog with the WordPress community, over on Twitter or at local events such as Meetups and WordCamps. A friend I made at a meetup 10 years ago is my almost like a mentor now!

Of course, when you get to the advanced level, it’s good to contribute back to WordPress in the form of code, events, teaching, encouraging, documenting, organizing, volunteering, and so on.

So, how do I get started?

It depends on what you want to achieve with WordPres.

If I were to give you one call to action, it would be that you register as a member of WordPress.org – you will hopefully look back and thank yourself that you did so.

The more imporant CTA, however, is to head over learn.wordpress.org and choose your path!

Closing Thoughts

I initially set out to write about the WordPress ecosystem—the so-called bubble where outsiders often dismiss WordPress developers as “not real developers.” Instead of merely highlighting a problem, I decided to offer a solution: a practical roadmap to becoming a proficient WordPress developer. I hope this approach provides real value and inspires you to embrace the journey ahead.

Thank you for reading this far.