wordpress complete tutorial

WordPress 3.4

What do you want to learn?

Agenda

1. Overview & Examples

2. Getting Started

3. CMS Tips & Tricks

4. Beyond the Basics

5. Keep it Safe, Secure & Spiffy

6. More Handy Plugins

7. What else can WP do?

1: Overview & Examples

What is WordPress?

Content Management System

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atibens/4578260998/

Open Source is Unlocked

Open Source is Community

WordPress in LibrariesExamples

Blogging

Writing a WordPress Post

Pages - the heart of your site

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tearsandrain/3526002850

Pages for Static Content

Custom Layout for Static Page

Running a full web site

Personal Web Site

And more!

How it works

• You create content

• Content stored in a database

• Pages don’t ‘exist’ until requested

• User clicks on a link

• PHP code retrieves content from database.

• CSS used to style page

• Page is displayed

Add Content – Web Based Interface

Stored in a database

the_title

the_content

Page created when requested

Same content on other pages

THEMES make it look good!

Same Content – Different Themes

Hosting WordPress

Free Hosted Versions

Free Hosted Versions

Free Hosted Versions

Pros:

• Free

• No tech skills required

• Easy

Cons:

• No custom URL

• Can’t upload themes & plugins

Host your own?

LAMPLinuxApacheMySQLPHP

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neonarcade/23955187

Technical Requirements

• Currently Version 3.4.x

• PHP version 4.3 or greater *• MySQL version 4.1.2 or greater • http://codex.wordpress.org/

Hosting_WordPress

* Might find some plugins require more recent version of PHP.

Hosting on your own server?

• Cost? • Storage capacity?• Bandwidth?• Tech Support? • Install software yourself

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamisonjudd/2433102356

“If you have no idea what to do with this download….”

Commercial Services

• Often under $10/month• Tech support

• One Click Install!

For more hosts: http://wordpress.org/hosting/

2: Getting Started

Admin Dashboard

Lose the ‘admin’ login!

Users Add New User

Settings General

Settings Permalinks

Editing a Post Permalink

Writing a Post

• News & events & updates

• Most recent appears at the top

• Older posts get bumped off the page

• Stored in Archives

• Special page for posts

Writing a Post

Writing a Post

Read More…

Read the rest of the entry…

Make a Post STICKY

Sticky post at top.

Publish Later

Tags vs Categories

Images & Videos

Add Media Button

Add Media Button

Places image in post

Get rid of Caption?

ALT text

Change default image sizes

Create a Gallery

[gallery] shortcode

SimpleViewer Pluginfor fancier galleries

wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-simpleviewer/

SimpleViewer Shortcode

Embed Video

Viper's Video Quicktags Plugin

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/vipers-video-quicktags/

Viper's Video Quicktags Plugin

Themes

Themes

Themes – Add new themes

Search for a new theme

FTP access -

Themes with extras!

Sidebar Widgets

Widgets on Sidebar

Appearance Widgets

Text Widget to Customize

Text Widget & 3rd Party Content

Basic Plugins

Plugins add functionality & features

Plugins Page

WordPress.com Stats• Requires API

code from wordpress.com

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stats/

Google Analytics

• Sign up with GA• Enter ID in WP

Settings panel

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-analytics-for-wordpress/

Akismet

• Requires API code from wordpress.com • http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/akismet/

More great plugins later!

3: CMS Tips & Tricks

Settings Permalinks

Custom Permalink Structure

news/gaming-night-for-teens/

Making a static front page

Create a Main Page

Create a Page for Posts

No Content for the Page, just a title

Settings Reading

Select Front Page & Posts Page

News tab shows Posts now

But …

Home & Welcome both go to the same place.

Need to delete HOME

Edit header.php file

• Delete the line of code that creates the default HOME link

Yay, extra tab is gone!

4: Beyond the Basics

Great New Custom Menus in 3.0

Custom Menu in Sidebar Widget

Custom Content TypesCustom Fields

Custom Fields Example

Custom Field – Post Page

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/more-fields/

Custom Post (Content!) Types

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/more-types/

More on Themes, CSS & Templates

A quick look at the Theme Editor

• Modify existing themes

• Change fonts, colors, graphics

• Create your own themes

• Wordpress.com – ~ $15 year extra

Template & Styles

Stylesheet – styles.css

Editing a .php file

Custom 404 page

404.php template

<?php get_header(); ?><div id="primary"><h1 class="page-title">Oops! </h1><p>This page is missing. Try the search box</p>

<?php include (TEMPLATEPATH . "/searchform.php"); ?></div>

<?php get_footer(); ?>

PHP code & HTML

Template Pages

Page uses “no sidebar” template

Add Page – Select Template

Editing a Template

Web Developer Firefox Add On

5: Keep it Safe, Secure & Spiffy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maistora/3237164755

Don’t leave the door unlocked Run the latest version

Get rid of default ADMIN user

• Sign in

• Create a new user with total admin rights

• Sign out

• Sign in to the new user account

• Delete the old admin account

• Use your new account just for adminstrative stuff

Manage User Accounts

• Give yourself a separate account for writing/editing

• Define what access your contributors need

Security Keys

• Check your wp-config.php file

• Does it have security keys?– define('AUTH_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here');

– define('SECURE_AUTH_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here');

– etc…….

– More Info: http://goo.gl/SIhf

Use reliable themes & plugins

• Check WordPress.org directories

• Check the ratings & forum discussions

• Test, test, test! And test some more.• Keep them up to date!• Deactivate & Delete

unwanted plugins

Plugins - Deactivate, then Delete

Back it up!

1. Backup your database:– Via web host control panel– Or wp-db-backup plugin

(wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-db-backup/)

2. FTP to server and copy: • wp-content/themes• wp-content/plugins• wp-content/uploads (images, files, etc.)

WP-DB-BACKUP plugin

Google XML Sitemaps

wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/

6: Handy Plugins

All in one SEO

wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/

Facebook Like Button

wordpress.org/extend/plugins/facebook-like-button/

Sexy Bookmarks

wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sexybookmarks/

Simple Viewer Gallery

wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-simpleviewer/

OpenBook Book Data

johnmiedema.ca/portfolio/openbook-wordpress-plugin/

WP Contact Form Plugin

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-contact-form/

Add <!--contact form--> to a page

The Events Calendar

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/the-events-calendar/

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/the-events-calendar/

Settings

MobilePress

• Detects mobile device

• Displays mobile version of page

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/mobilepress/

MobilePress

http://www.flickr.com/photos/purplelime/1569139115/

WordPress App

http://www.zirona.com/software/wordpress-donations-cloud/

Donations Cloud – works with PayPal

More Plugins…

• WP Plugin Repository– http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/

• My links to plugins – http://delicious.com/grdnldy/wordpress+plugins

• Lots of great plugins discussed on this blog:– Lorelle on WordPress http://lorelle.wordpress.com

7: What else can we do with WP?

BuddyPressbuddypress.org

The Academic Commons...is designed to support faculty initiatives and build community through the use(s) of technology in teaching and learning.

The Academic Commons...is designed to support faculty initiatives and build community through the use(s) of technology in teaching and learning.

...Creating networks and support systems that are enabled by easy access to quality digital resources will nurture faculty development through sharing replicable materials and best practices.

...Creating networks and support systems that are enabled by easy access to quality digital resources will nurture faculty development through sharing replicable materials and best practices.

About the CUNY (City University of New York) Academic Commons

Open System, Open Learning

BlogsBlogsForumsForums

PeoplePeople GroupsGroups

BlogsBlogs

Members

BlogsBlogs

ePortfolios

Forums

Blogs

… features – similar to Facebook, Twitter, etc – will probably seem familiar to many.

My philosophy of teaching includes instilling in my students a sense of exploration and play. And dealing with change.

The Buddypress site is an extension of that. In my email to my classes as school starts, I asked them to configure their blogs, get an RSS aggregator and explore the site. Explore is the keyword.

… features – similar to Facebook, Twitter, etc – will probably seem familiar to many.

My philosophy of teaching includes instilling in my students a sense of exploration and play. And dealing with change.

The Buddypress site is an extension of that. In my email to my classes as school starts, I asked them to configure their blogs, get an RSS aggregator and explore the site. Explore is the keyword.

Dr. Michael Stephens on his BuddyPress enabled course sites

Set up a network of sites with WordPress MultiSite

Library Catalogs

“..easy to let library staff at the various libraries contribute articles to the blog, ensuring a lively, regularly updated blog/catalog.”

(isis.pbcantwerpen.be/)

(translated with google translate)

Scriblioscriblio.net

Selected WP Books(There are tons more great ones!)

• Digging into WordPress by Jeff Starr & Chris Coyier (digwp.com)

• Beginning WordPress 3 by Stephanie Leary

• Smashing WordPress by Thord Hedengren

More Help!

• WordPress Codex - http://codex.wordpress.org/

• WordPress Forums - http://wordpress.org/support/

• WordPress FAQ’s - http://codex.wordpress.org/FAQ

• New to WordPress? –tips http://codex.wordpress.org/FAQ_New_To_WordPress