# 2630 Wordpress Development Ecosystem 2025 01 30 Eb45a0d9 > WordPress Development Ecosystem Research - Skill: `tools-only/2630-wordpress-development-ecosystem-2025-01-30-eb45a0d9` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tools-only/2630-wordpress-development-ecosystem-2025-01-30-eb45a0d9` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tools-only/2630-wordpress-development-ecosystem-2025-01-30-eb45a0d9/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Research & Search - Author: tools-only (https://skillmd.com/u/tools-only) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tools-only/2630-wordpress-development-ecosystem-2025-01-30-eb45a0d9 --- # WordPress Development Ecosystem Research **Research Date:** January 30, 2025 **Focus:** WordPress 6.x Development Practices & Skills Library Architecture **Scope:** Plugin Development, Theme Development, Modern Tooling, Testing, Security --- ## Executive Summary WordPress continues to evolve rapidly with WordPress 6.7 (released November 12, 2024, codenamed "Rollins") representing the current stable release. The ecosystem has shifted significantly toward **Block-based development**, **Full Site Editing (FSE)**, and **modern PHP practices** (PHP 8.3 recommended). Key architectural changes include the maturation of the Block Editor (Gutenberg), theme.json for centralized styling, and enhanced REST API capabilities. **Critical Version Requirements:** - **WordPress:** 6.7 (current), 6.4+ recommended for FSE features - **PHP:** 8.3 recommended (7.4 minimum, PHP 7.0-7.1 support dropped) - **MySQL:** 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+ - **Node.js:** 18.x+ for modern build tooling **Recommended Skills Library Structure:** 5 distinct skills covering (1) Plugin Fundamentals, (2) Block Editor & FSE, (3) Security & Data Validation, (4) Testing & Quality, and (5) Advanced WordPress Architecture. --- ## 1. Latest WordPress Version & PHP Requirements ### WordPress 6.7 "Rollins" (November 12, 2024) **Major Features:** - **Full Site Editing Maturity:** FSE is no longer beta (stabilized in 6.2, refined in 6.4-6.7) - **Block Bindings API:** Connect block attributes to dynamic data sources - **Improved Block Interactivity API:** Enhanced client-side interactions without React - **Performance Improvements:** Faster asset loading, optimized query performance - **Enhanced Site Editor:** Improved template editing workflow **PHP Version Support:** | PHP Version | Status | WordPress 6.7 Support | |-------------|--------|----------------------| | 7.0-7.1 | EOL | ❌ Dropped Support | | 7.2-7.4 | EOL | ✅ Supported (minimum: 7.4) | | 8.0-8.2 | Security/EOL | ✅ Compatible with exceptions | | 8.3 | Active | ✅ **Recommended** (best performance) | | 8.4 | Candidate | ⚠️ Beta support (testing phase) | **Key Changes in WordPress 6.x Series:** - **6.0-6.2:** FSE foundation, block locking, template editing - **6.3-6.4:** Style variations, design tools, pattern improvements - **6.5-6.6:** Font library, block hooks, interactivity API refinements - **6.7:** Performance optimizations, block bindings, developer experience improvements **Official Documentation:** - PHP Compatibility: https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/php-compatibility-and-wordpress-versions/ - Server Requirements: https://wordpress.org/about/requirements/ --- ## 2. Plugin Development: Modern Architecture & Best Practices ### Modern Plugin Structure (2024-2025) **Recommended Directory Structure:** ``` my-plugin/ ├── my-plugin.php # Main plugin file (metadata header) ├── composer.json # Dependency management (REQUIRED) ├── package.json # npm dependencies (if using build tools) ├── includes/ # Core business logic (PSR-4 autoloaded) │ ├── Core.php # Plugin bootstrap/loader class │ ├── Admin/ # Admin-specific functionality │ ├── Frontend/ # Public-facing functionality │ └── API/ # REST API endpoints ├── assets/ # CSS, JS, images │ ├── css/ │ ├── js/ │ └── images/ ├── blocks/ # Custom Gutenberg blocks ├── templates/ # PHP template files ├── languages/ # Translation files ├── tests/ # PHPUnit tests │ ├── unit/ │ ├── integration/ │ └── bootstrap.php ├── .phpcs.xml.dist # PHP_CodeSniffer config (WPCS) ├── .editorconfig # Editor configuration ├── .gitignore └── README.md ``` **Main Plugin File Example:** ```php run(); } } // Activation hook register_activation_hook( __FILE__, 'my_plugin_activate' ); function my_plugin_activate() { // Run activation tasks (flush rewrite rules, create tables, set default options) if ( class_exists( 'MyPlugin\\Activation' ) ) { MyPlugin\\Activation::activate(); } } // Deactivation hook register_deactivation_hook( __FILE__, 'my_plugin_deactivate' ); function my_plugin_deactivate() { // Cleanup tasks (flush rewrite rules, clear scheduled events) if ( class_exists( 'MyPlugin\\Deactivation' ) ) { MyPlugin\\Deactivation::deactivate(); } } ``` **Core Plugin Class (OOP Singleton Pattern):** ```php load_dependencies(); $this->define_hooks(); } private function load_dependencies() { // Load required classes/files } private function define_hooks() { // Register WordPress hooks add_action( 'init', [ $this, 'on_init' ] ); add_action( 'admin_menu', [ $this, 'register_admin_menu' ] ); add_action( 'rest_api_init', [ $this, 'register_rest_routes' ] ); } public function run() { // Start the plugin execution } } ``` ### Plugin API Fundamentals **1. Actions vs. Filters** | Aspect | Actions | Filters | |--------|---------|---------| | Purpose | Execute code at specific points | Modify data before use/output | | Return Value | Returns nothing (void) | **Must return value** | | Example Use | Send emails, log events, register CPTs | Modify post content, filter queries | | Common Pattern | `do_action()` / `add_action()` | `apply_filters()` / `add_filter()` | **Action Example:** ```php // Register custom post type on 'init' action add_action( 'init', 'register_custom_post_type' ); function register_custom_post_type() { register_post_type( 'book', [ 'labels' => [ 'name' => __( 'Books', 'my-plugin' ), 'singular_name' => __( 'Book', 'my-plugin' ), ], 'public' => true, 'has_archive' => true, 'supports' => [ 'title', 'editor', 'thumbnail' ], 'show_in_rest' => true, // Enable block editor ]); } ``` **Filter Example:** ```php // Modify post content with custom message add_filter( 'the_content', 'add_reading_time' ); function add_reading_time( $content ) { if ( is_single() && in_the_loop() && is_main_query() ) { $word_count = str_word_count( strip_tags( $content ) ); $reading_time = ceil( $word_count / 200 ); // 200 words/min $message = sprintf( '

Estimated reading time: %d min

', $reading_time ); $content = $message . $content; // Prepend message } return $content; // MUST return modified content } ``` **2. Hook Priority and Execution Order** ```php // Priority: 1-999 (default: 10) // Lower numbers = earlier execution, higher numbers = later execution add_action( 'init', 'my_early_function', 5 ); // Runs first add_action( 'init', 'my_normal_function' ); // Priority 10 (default) add_action( 'init', 'my_late_function', 20 ); // Runs last // Remove hooks remove_action( 'init', 'my_normal_function', 10 ); remove_filter( 'the_content', 'wpautop' ); // Remove auto-paragraph formatting ``` **3. Creating Custom Hooks** ```php // In your plugin code - create custom action hook function my_plugin_process_order( $order_id ) { // Process order logic... // Allow other plugins/themes to hook into this point do_action( 'my_plugin_order_processed', $order_id, $order_data ); } // Other developers can now hook into your plugin: add_action( 'my_plugin_order_processed', 'send_order_notification', 10, 2 ); function send_order_notification( $order_id, $order_data ) { // Send email notification } // Custom filter hook function my_plugin_get_price( $product_id ) { $price = get_post_meta( $product_id, '_price', true ); // Allow price modification return apply_filters( 'my_plugin_product_price', $price, $product_id ); } ``` **Common Core Hooks:** - **init:** Register post types, taxonomies, rewrite rules - **plugins_loaded:** Initialize plugin (after all plugins loaded) - **wp_enqueue_scripts:** Enqueue frontend CSS/JS - **admin_enqueue_scripts:** Enqueue admin CSS/JS - **wp_head:** Add code to section - **wp_footer:** Add code before - **save_post:** Runs when post is saved/updated - **pre_get_posts:** Modify WP_Query before execution ### WordPress Coding Standards (WPCS) **Installation via Composer:** ```bash composer config allow-plugins.dealerdirect/phpcodesniffer-composer-installer true composer require --dev wp-coding-standards/wpcs:"^3.0" composer require --dev phpcompatibility/phpcompatibility-wp:"*" ``` **.phpcs.xml.dist Configuration:** ```xml Custom ruleset for WordPress plugin ./includes ./my-plugin.php */vendor/* */node_modules/* ``` **Key Coding Rules:** - **Indentation:** Tabs (not spaces) - **Braces:** Opening brace on same line for control structures - **Yoda Conditions:** `if ( true === $value )` instead of `if ( $value === true )` - **Naming:** Snake_case for functions/variables, PascalCase for classes - **Documentation:** PHPDoc blocks for all functions/classes **Running PHPCS:** ```bash # Check coding standards vendor/bin/phpcs # Auto-fix fixable issues vendor/bin/phpcbf # Check specific file vendor/bin/phpcs includes/Core.php ``` ### Database Interactions **1. Using $wpdb Global Object:** ```php global $wpdb; // Prepare queries to prevent SQL injection $user_id = 42; $results = $wpdb->get_results( $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT * FROM {$wpdb->posts} WHERE post_author = %d", $user_id ) ); // Insert data $wpdb->insert( $wpdb->prefix . 'my_custom_table', [ 'column1' => 'value1', 'column2' => 123, 'created_at' => current_time( 'mysql' ), ], [ '%s', '%d', '%s' ] // Data format ); // Update data $wpdb->update( $wpdb->prefix . 'my_custom_table', [ 'column1' => 'new_value' ], // Data to update [ 'id' => 5 ], // WHERE condition [ '%s' ], // Data format [ '%d' ] // WHERE format ); // Delete data $wpdb->delete( $wpdb->prefix . 'my_custom_table', [ 'id' => 5 ], [ '%d' ] ); ``` **2. Creating Custom Tables:** ```php function my_plugin_create_tables() { global $wpdb; $table_name = $wpdb->prefix . 'my_custom_table'; $charset_collate = $wpdb->get_charset_collate(); // IMPORTANT: Specific SQL formatting required for dbDelta() $sql = "CREATE TABLE $table_name ( id bigint(20) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, user_id bigint(20) unsigned NOT NULL, title varchar(255) NOT NULL, content longtext, status varchar(20) DEFAULT 'draft', created_at datetime DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, updated_at datetime DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, PRIMARY KEY (id), KEY user_id (user_id), KEY status (status) ) $charset_collate;"; // dbDelta() intelligently creates or updates tables require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php'; dbDelta( $sql ); // Store database version for future migrations add_option( 'my_plugin_db_version', '1.0.0' ); } // Run on plugin activation register_activation_hook( __FILE__, 'my_plugin_create_tables' ); ``` **Best Practices:** - ✅ Always use `$wpdb->prepare()` for dynamic queries - ✅ Use `$wpdb->prefix` (never hard-code `wp_`) - ✅ Use `$wpdb->get_charset_collate()` for correct character encoding - ✅ Use `dbDelta()` for table creation/updates (handles schema changes) - ✅ Store schema version in options table for migrations - ⚠️ Consider using existing tables (post_meta, options) before creating custom tables ### Settings API and Options Framework **1. Options API (Simple Key-Value Storage):** ```php // Add option add_option( 'my_plugin_setting', 'default_value' ); // Get option $value = get_option( 'my_plugin_setting', 'default_if_not_exists' ); // Update option update_option( 'my_plugin_setting', 'new_value' ); // Delete option delete_option( 'my_plugin_setting' ); ``` **2. Settings API (Structured Admin Pages):** ```php // Register settings on admin_init add_action( 'admin_init', 'my_plugin_register_settings' ); function my_plugin_register_settings() { // Register setting register_setting( 'my_plugin_options', // Option group 'my_plugin_settings', // Option name [ 'type' => 'array', 'sanitize_callback' => 'my_plugin_sanitize_settings', 'default' => [], ] ); // Add settings section add_settings_section( 'my_plugin_main_section', // Section ID __( 'Main Settings', 'my-plugin' ), 'my_plugin_section_callback', // Callback for section description 'my_plugin_settings_page' // Page slug ); // Add settings field add_settings_field( 'api_key', // Field ID __( 'API Key', 'my-plugin' ), 'my_plugin_api_key_callback', // Callback to render field 'my_plugin_settings_page', // Page slug 'my_plugin_main_section', // Section ID [ 'label_for' => 'api_key' ] // Extra arguments ); } // Sanitize callback function my_plugin_sanitize_settings( $input ) { $sanitized = []; if ( isset( $input['api_key'] ) ) { $sanitized['api_key'] = sanitize_text_field( $input['api_key'] ); } return $sanitized; } // Field render callback function my_plugin_api_key_callback( $args ) { $options = get_option( 'my_plugin_settings' ); $value = isset( $options['api_key'] ) ? $options['api_key'] : ''; ?>

// Verify nonce on form submission function handle_form_submission() { // Check if nonce is set and valid if ( ! isset( $_POST['my_nonce_field'] ) || ! wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['my_nonce_field'], 'my_action' ) ) { wp_die( 'Security check failed' ); } // Process form data $user_data = sanitize_text_field( $_POST['user_data'] ); // ... } // Nonce for URLs $url = wp_nonce_url( admin_url( 'admin.php?action=delete_item&id=5' ), 'delete_item_5', 'delete_nonce' ); // Verify URL nonce if ( ! isset( $_GET['delete_nonce'] ) || ! wp_verify_nonce( $_GET['delete_nonce'], 'delete_item_5' ) ) { wp_die( 'Invalid security token' ); } // Nonce for AJAX wp_localize_script( 'my-ajax-script', 'myAjax', [ 'ajaxurl' => admin_url( 'admin-ajax.php' ), 'nonce' => wp_create_nonce( 'my_ajax_nonce' ), ]); // Verify AJAX nonce add_action( 'wp_ajax_my_action', 'handle_ajax_request' ); function handle_ajax_request() { check_ajax_referer( 'my_ajax_nonce', 'nonce' ); // Process AJAX request wp_send_json_success( [ 'message' => 'Success!' ] ); } ``` ### 2. Sanitization (Input Cleaning) **Purpose:** Remove unwanted/dangerous characters from input ```php // Text input $clean_text = sanitize_text_field( $_POST['username'] ); // Email $clean_email = sanitize_email( $_POST['email'] ); // URL $clean_url = esc_url_raw( $_POST['website'] ); // Filename $clean_filename = sanitize_file_name( $_FILES['upload']['name'] ); // HTML content (allows safe HTML tags) $clean_html = wp_kses_post( $_POST['content'] ); // HTML with custom allowed tags $allowed_html = [ 'a' => [ 'href' => [], 'title' => [] ], 'strong' => [], 'em' => [], ]; $clean_custom_html = wp_kses( $_POST['content'], $allowed_html ); // Integer $clean_int = absint( $_POST['user_id'] ); // Absolute integer // Array of text fields $clean_array = array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', $_POST['items'] ); ``` ### 3. Validation (Logic Checks) **Purpose:** Ensure data meets business requirements ```php function validate_user_registration( $data ) { $errors = []; // Validate email if ( empty( $data['email'] ) || ! is_email( $data['email'] ) ) { $errors[] = 'Invalid email address'; } // Validate username length if ( strlen( $data['username'] ) < 3 ) { $errors[] = 'Username must be at least 3 characters'; } // Validate age (must be integer between 18-100) if ( ! is_numeric( $data['age'] ) || $data['age'] < 18 || $data['age'] > 100 ) { $errors[] = 'Invalid age'; } // Validate required field if ( empty( $data['terms_accepted'] ) ) { $errors[] = 'You must accept the terms'; } return empty( $errors ) ? true : $errors; } ``` ### 4. Escaping (Output Protection) **Purpose:** Prevent XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks ```php // HTML content echo esc_html( $user_input ); // Converts < > & " ' to HTML entities // HTML attributes // URLs Link // JavaScript strings // Textarea content // Internationalized text (with HTML allowed) echo wp_kses_post( __( 'Welcome user!', 'my-plugin' ) ); // Internationalized text (no HTML) echo esc_html__( 'Welcome user!', 'my-plugin' ); // URLs with translation echo esc_url( __( 'https://example.com/page', 'my-plugin' ) ); ``` ### 5. Capability Checks (Authorization) ```php // Check if user is logged in if ( ! is_user_logged_in() ) { wp_die( 'You must be logged in' ); } // Check user capability if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_posts' ) ) { wp_die( 'You do not have permission' ); } // Check capability for specific post if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post_id ) ) { wp_die( 'You cannot edit this post' ); } // Common capabilities: // - read: Read-only access // - edit_posts: Create/edit own posts // - edit_published_posts: Edit published posts // - delete_posts: Delete posts // - manage_options: Access settings (admin) // - upload_files: Upload media ``` **Complete Security Example:** ```php add_action( 'admin_post_save_custom_data', 'handle_custom_form' ); function handle_custom_form() { // 1. Verify nonce if ( ! isset( $_POST['custom_nonce'] ) || ! wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['custom_nonce'], 'save_custom_data' ) ) { wp_die( 'Security check failed' ); } // 2. Check user capability if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_posts' ) ) { wp_die( 'You do not have permission' ); } // 3. Sanitize input $title = sanitize_text_field( $_POST['title'] ); $email = sanitize_email( $_POST['email'] ); $age = absint( $_POST['age'] ); // 4. Validate data $errors = []; if ( empty( $title ) ) { $errors[] = 'Title is required'; } if ( ! is_email( $email ) ) { $errors[] = 'Invalid email'; } if ( $age < 18 ) { $errors[] = 'Must be 18 or older'; } if ( ! empty( $errors ) ) { wp_die( implode( '
', $errors ) ); } // 5. Process data (with escaped output if needed) $result = save_to_database( $title, $email, $age ); // 6. Redirect with success message wp_redirect( add_query_arg( 'message', 'success', wp_get_referer() ) ); exit; } ``` --- ## 4. Block Editor (Gutenberg) & Full Site Editing ### Current State (2024-2025) - **FSE Status:** Production-ready (no longer beta since WordPress 6.2) - **Block Themes:** Preferred approach for new themes (HTML templates + theme.json) - **Classic Themes:** Still supported but considered legacy - **Hybrid Approach:** Classic themes can add block support incrementally ### Block Theme Architecture **File Structure:** ``` my-block-theme/ ├── style.css # Theme metadata ├── theme.json # Global styles and settings (REQUIRED) ├── functions.php # Theme setup (optional) ├── templates/ # HTML block templates │ ├── index.html # Fallback template (REQUIRED) │ ├── home.html │ ├── single.html │ ├── single-product.html # Custom post type template │ ├── page.html │ └── 404.html ├── parts/ # Template parts (header, footer, etc.) │ ├── header.html │ ├── footer.html │ └── sidebar.html ├── patterns/ # Block patterns (reusable designs) │ ├── hero.php │ └── call-to-action.php ├── assets/ │ ├── css/ │ └── js/ └── languages/ ``` ### theme.json (Global Styles) **Purpose:** Centralized configuration for colors, typography, spacing, layouts ```json { "$schema": "https://schemas.wp.org/trunk/theme.json", "version": 3, "settings": { "appearanceTools": true, "layout": { "contentSize": "800px", "wideSize": "1200px" }, "color": { "palette": [ { "slug": "primary", "color": "#0073aa", "name": "Primary" }, { "slug": "secondary", "color": "#005177", "name": "Secondary" }, { "slug": "black", "color": "#000000", "name": "Black" }, { "slug": "white", "color": "#ffffff", "name": "White" } ], "gradients": [], "duotone": [], "defaultPalette": false, "defaultGradients": false }, "typography": { "fontFamilies": [ { "fontFamily": "-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif", "slug": "system", "name": "System Font" } ], "fontSizes": [ { "slug": "small", "size": "0.875rem", "name": "Small" }, { "slug": "medium", "size": "1rem", "name": "Medium" }, { "slug": "large", "size": "1.5rem", "name": "Large" }, { "slug": "x-large", "size": "2rem", "name": "Extra Large" } ], "lineHeight": true, "dropCap": false }, "spacing": { "units": ["px", "em", "rem", "vh", "vw", "%"], "padding": true, "margin": true, "blockGap": true }, "border": { "radius": true, "color": true, "style": true, "width": true }, "blocks": { "core/button": { "color": { "palette": [ { "slug": "button-primary", "color": "#0073aa", "name": "Button Primary" } ] } } } }, "styles": { "color": { "background": "#ffffff", "text": "#000000" }, "typography": { "fontFamily": "var(--wp--preset--font-family--system)", "fontSize": "var(--wp--preset--font-size--medium)", "lineHeight": "1.6" }, "spacing": { "blockGap": "1.5rem" }, "elements": { "link": { "color": { "text": "var(--wp--preset--color--primary)" }, ":hover": { "color": { "text": "var(--wp--preset--color--secondary)" } } }, "h1": { "typography": { "fontSize": "var(--wp--preset--font-size--x-large)", "lineHeight": "1.2" } } }, "blocks": { "core/button": { "color": { "background": "var(--wp--preset--color--primary)", "text": "var(--wp--preset--color--white)" }, "border": { "radius": "4px" }, ":hover": { "color": { "background": "var(--wp--preset--color--secondary)" } } } } }, "customTemplates": [ { "name": "page-no-sidebar", "title": "Page Without Sidebar", "postTypes": ["page"] }, { "name": "single-product", "title": "Product Template", "postTypes": ["product"] } ], "templateParts": [ { "name": "header", "title": "Header", "area": "header" }, { "name": "footer", "title": "Footer", "area": "footer" } ] } ``` **Key theme.json Features:** - **Version 3** (WordPress 6.6+): Latest schema version - **Appearance Tools:** Enable border, spacing, typography controls - **Block-Specific Settings:** Customize individual blocks - **Custom Templates:** Register templates for specific post types - **CSS Custom Properties:** Auto-generated CSS variables (e.g., `var(--wp--preset--color--primary)`) ### Block Template Example **templates/single.html:** ```html
``` ### Custom Block Development (PHP Registration) **Modern Approach (block.json metadata):** ```php // Register block in functions.php or plugin add_action( 'init', 'register_custom_block' ); function register_custom_block() { register_block_type( __DIR__ . '/blocks/testimonial' ); } ``` **blocks/testimonial/block.json:** ```json { "$schema": "https://schemas.wp.org/trunk/block.json", "apiVersion": 3, "name": "my-plugin/testimonial", "title": "Testimonial", "category": "widgets", "icon": "format-quote", "description": "Display a customer testimonial.", "keywords": ["quote", "review", "testimonial"], "version": "1.0.0", "textdomain": "my-plugin", "attributes": { "content": { "type": "string", "source": "html", "selector": ".testimonial-content" }, "author": { "type": "string", "default": "" }, "role": { "type": "string", "default": "" } }, "supports": { "html": false, "align": true, "color": { "background": true, "text": true }, "spacing": { "padding": true, "margin": true } }, "editorScript": "file:./index.js", "editorStyle": "file:./editor.css", "style": "file:./style.css", "render": "file:./render.php" } ``` **blocks/testimonial/render.php:** ```php 'testimonial-block', ]); ?>
>
``` ### Custom Post Types & Taxonomies with Block Support ```php // Register custom post type with block editor support add_action( 'init', 'register_book_post_type' ); function register_book_post_type() { register_post_type( 'book', [ 'labels' => [ 'name' => __( 'Books', 'my-plugin' ), 'singular_name' => __( 'Book', 'my-plugin' ), ], 'public' => true, 'has_archive' => true, 'rewrite' => [ 'slug' => 'books' ], 'supports' => [ 'title', 'editor', // Block editor 'thumbnail', 'custom-fields', 'excerpt', ], 'show_in_rest' => true, // REQUIRED for block editor 'rest_base' => 'books', 'menu_icon' => 'dashicons-book', 'template' => [ // Default block template [ 'core/paragraph', [ 'placeholder' => 'Enter book description...', ]], [ 'core/image' ], [ 'my-plugin/book-details' ], ], 'template_lock' => 'insert', // Prevent adding/removing blocks ]); } // Register custom taxonomy add_action( 'init', 'register_book_genre_taxonomy' ); function register_book_genre_taxonomy() { register_taxonomy( 'genre', 'book', [ 'labels' => [ 'name' => __( 'Genres', 'my-plugin' ), 'singular_name' => __( 'Genre', 'my-plugin' ), ], 'hierarchical' => true, // Like categories 'show_in_rest' => true, // REQUIRED for block editor 'rest_base' => 'genres', 'rewrite' => [ 'slug' => 'genre' ], ]); } ``` **Template Assignment in theme.json:** ```json { "customTemplates": [ { "name": "single-book", "title": "Book Template", "postTypes": ["book"] } ] } ``` --- ## 5. REST API Development ### Registering Custom Endpoints ```php add_action( 'rest_api_init', 'register_custom_rest_routes' ); function register_custom_rest_routes() { // Route: GET /wp-json/myplugin/v1/items register_rest_route( 'myplugin/v1', '/items', [ 'methods' => 'GET', 'callback' => 'get_items_callback', 'permission_callback' => '__return_true', // Public endpoint ]); // Route: GET /wp-json/myplugin/v1/items/(?P\d+) register_rest_route( 'myplugin/v1', '/items/(?P\d+)', [ 'methods' => 'GET', 'callback' => 'get_item_callback', 'permission_callback' => '__return_true', 'args' => [ 'id' => [ 'validate_callback' => function( $param ) { return is_numeric( $param ); }, ], ], ]); // Route: POST /wp-json/myplugin/v1/items (authenticated) register_rest_route( 'myplugin/v1', '/items', [ 'methods' => 'POST', 'callback' => 'create_item_callback', 'permission_callback' => function() { return current_user_can( 'edit_posts' ); }, 'args' => [ 'title' => [ 'required' => true, 'validate_callback' => function( $param ) { return is_string( $param ) && strlen( $param ) > 0; }, 'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_text_field', ], 'content' => [ 'required' => false, 'sanitize_callback' => 'wp_kses_post', ], ], ]); } // Callback functions function get_items_callback( $request ) { // Query parameters $per_page = $request->get_param( 'per_page' ) ?: 10; $page = $request->get_param( 'page' ) ?: 1; // Fetch data $items = [ [ 'id' => 1, 'title' => 'Item 1' ], [ 'id' => 2, 'title' => 'Item 2' ], ]; return rest_ensure_response( $items ); } function get_item_callback( $request ) { $id = $request->get_param( 'id' ); $item = [ 'id' => $id, 'title' => "Item $id" ]; if ( ! $item ) { return new WP_Error( 'not_found', 'Item not found', [ 'status' => 404 ] ); } return rest_ensure_response( $item ); } function create_item_callback( $request ) { $title = $request->get_param( 'title' ); $content = $request->get_param( 'content' ); // Insert into database global $wpdb; $result = $wpdb->insert( $wpdb->prefix . 'my_items', [ 'title' => $title, 'content' => $content, 'created_at' => current_time( 'mysql' ), ], [ '%s', '%s', '%s' ] ); if ( ! $result ) { return new WP_Error( 'creation_failed', 'Failed to create item', [ 'status' => 500 ] ); } $item_id = $wpdb->insert_id; return rest_ensure_response([ 'id' => $item_id, 'title' => $title, 'message' => 'Item created successfully', ], 201 ); } ``` ### REST API Best Practices 1. **Use Proper Namespacing:** `myplugin/v1` (allows versioning) 2. **Implement Permission Callbacks:** Always define `permission_callback` 3. **Validate & Sanitize:** Use `validate_callback` and `sanitize_callback` 4. **Return Proper HTTP Codes:** 200 (success), 201 (created), 400 (bad request), 401 (unauthorized), 404 (not found), 500 (error) 5. **Use Controller Pattern:** For complex endpoints, use dedicated controller classes 6. **Implement Pagination:** Support `?page=2&per_page=10` query parameters 7. **Enable HTTPS:** Always use HTTPS for API endpoints 8. **Use Authentication:** Application passwords, OAuth, or JWT for sensitive endpoints **Testing REST API:** ```bash # GET request curl https://example.com/wp-json/myplugin/v1/items # POST request with authentication curl -X POST https://example.com/wp-json/myplugin/v1/items \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -u username:application_password \ -d '{"title":"New Item","content":"Item content"}' # Using Postman or Insomnia for interactive testing ``` --- ## 6. Modern Development Tools & Workflow ### Local Development Environments **1. wp-env (Official WordPress Tool)** **Features:** - Docker-based (no manual configuration) - Includes WordPress, MySQL, PHP, Composer, PHPUnit, WP-CLI - Fast setup (one command) - Customizable via `.wp-env.json` **Setup:** ```bash # Install globally npm install -g @wordpress/env # Start WordPress environment (in any directory) wp-env start # Access: # - Frontend: http://localhost:8888 # - Admin: http://localhost:8888/wp-admin (admin/password) # Stop environment wp-env stop # Clean environment (reset database) wp-env clean ``` **.wp-env.json Configuration:** ```json { "core": "WordPress/WordPress#6.7", "phpVersion": "8.3", "plugins": [ "./my-plugin", "https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/woocommerce.latest.zip" ], "themes": [ "./my-theme" ], "config": { "WP_DEBUG": true, "WP_DEBUG_LOG": true, "WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY": false }, "env": { "development": { "port": 8888 }, "tests": { "port": 8889 } } } ``` **2. LocalWP (Local by Flywheel)** **Features:** - GUI application (no command line required) - One-click WordPress installation - Easy PHP/MySQL version switching - Built-in SSL, MailHog (email testing) - Push to Flywheel/WP Engine hosting **Best For:** Designers, non-developers, quick prototyping **3. Docker Compose (Custom Setup)** **docker-compose.yml Example:** ```yaml version: '3.8' services: wordpress: image: wordpress:latest ports: - "8000:80" environment: WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db WORDPRESS_DB_USER: wordpress WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: wordpress WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress WORDPRESS_DEBUG: 1 volumes: - ./wp-content:/var/www/html/wp-content depends_on: - db db: image: mysql:8.0 environment: MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: rootpass MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress MYSQL_USER: wordpress MYSQL_PASSWORD: wordpress volumes: - db_data:/var/lib/mysql phpmyadmin: image: phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin ports: - "8080:80" environment: PMA_HOST: db PMA_USER: wordpress PMA_PASSWORD: wordpress volumes: db_data: ``` **Usage:** ```bash docker-compose up -d # Access WordPress: http://localhost:8000 # Access phpMyAdmin: http://localhost:8080 ``` ### WP-CLI (WordPress Command-Line Interface) **Installation:** ```bash # Download WP-CLI curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/builds/gh-pages/phar/wp-cli.phar # Make executable chmod +x wp-cli.phar sudo mv wp-cli.phar /usr/local/bin/wp # Verify wp --info ``` **Essential Commands:** ```bash # Install WordPress wp core download --locale=en_US wp config create --dbname=wordpress --dbuser=root --dbpass=password wp core install --url=http://localhost --title="My Site" --admin_user=admin --admin_password=password --admin_email=admin@example.com # Plugin management wp plugin install woocommerce --activate wp plugin list wp plugin update --all wp plugin deactivate my-plugin wp plugin delete my-plugin # Theme management wp theme install twentytwentyfour --activate wp theme list wp theme update --all # Database operations wp db export backup.sql wp db import backup.sql wp db query "SELECT * FROM wp_posts LIMIT 5" # Search and replace (for migrations) wp se …(truncated)