PACKAGE INCLUDES

• Format: CD
• Duration: 9 Hours
• Author: George Plumley
  
• Platform: Windows PC or Mac

COURSE INTRODUCTION

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems so it's important for web designers to offer WordPress services. This VTC course will help you understand how the software works and, in particular, how themes are made. WordPress themes control both the look and many of the functions of a website, so you need to know how to work with theme files. Author George Plumley will demonstrate how to implement your designs in a theme or convert an existing site into a theme. Customizing theme functionality for each client is also important and you'll learn to create page templates. You will also learn how to use plugins to provide clients with key functionality, such as forms, social media, photo management, and even e-commerce.

COURSE OUTLINE

Introduction
Course Overview
Course Requirements & Assumptions
Why Choose WordPress
Self-Hosted WP vs. WordPress.com

Installing WordPress
Basic Installation
Securing a WP Installation
Basic WP Settings

A Quick WP Primer
Administration Interface Overview
Customizing WP Admin Screens
Adding Posts & Pages
Visual/HTML Editor
Adding Images & Video
Media Library
Menus
Widgets
Plugins
Appearance & Themes

Organizing the Client Site
Posts Versus Pages
Categories & Tags
User Roles & Management
Importing Existing Blog Material
Home Page Setup

How WP Themes Work - Basics
How WP Uses Themes
What is in a Theme
Template Hierarchy
Layout Template Files
Stylesheets
Single & Page Templates
Category & Archive Templates
Loop Templates
Functions.php
Other Basic Templates
WP-Generated CSS Classes
Child Themes
Theme Frameworks
Example Theme Framework

Creating Custom Themes
Theme Strategies
Modifying Existing Themes pt. 1
Modifying Existing Themes pt. 2
Modifying Existing Themes pt. 3
Modifying Existing Themes pt. 4
Modifying Existing Themes pt. 5
Converting an Existing Site pt. 1
Converting an Existing Site pt. 2

Solutions Using Widgets & Plugins
How to Choose Plugins
Plugins for Developers
Plugins for Design & Layout
Simple Content with Text Widgets
Photo Galleries
Forms
Workflow & Collaboration
Related Content
Social Media
Memberships & Role Management
Paid Membership Management
Events Management
E-commerce
Video & Audio
Mobile
Ad Management
Embedded Fonts

Housekeeping Plugins
SEO Strategies with WordPress
SEO Plugins
Statistics
Security
Backup
Link Checking
Caching

How WP Themes Work - Advanced
PHP Basics pt. 1
PHP Basics pt. 2
Common PHP Errors
The Loop
Creating Your Own Loops
Template Tags
Conditional Tags
Functions.php
Creating a Plugin
Hooks
Custom Page Templates
Post Formats
Custom Post Templates
Custom Fields
Featured Images
Shortcodes
Custom Taxonomies
Custom Post Types

Some Common Customizations
Adding Menus
Adding Widget Areas
Display Thumbnails with Posts
Header Images by Page
Custom Links Page
Theme Options Page pt. 1
Theme Options Page pt. 2
Theme Options Page pt. 3
Product or Course Listings

Final Thoughts
WP Resources Online
Hiring Extra Help
Wrap Up

Credits
About the Author