Introduction to WordPress
Unit: 1 of 13
At the beginning of the course, we will define what WordPress actually is and what it is for.
Although, due to its popularity today, we often hear about WordPress in all possible environments and in different contexts, many people are unclear about its essence and how it works, which sometimes leads to completely illogical questions like: “WordPress is better than PHP?“, implying a basic misunderstanding of the matter.
Therefore, in this lesson we will clarify the basics and put WordPress first in the context of the web, PHP and HTML languages and other important essential concepts.
Image 1.1. The WordPress logo
Image 1.2. WordPress – dashboard
appearance
The first version of WordPress was released in May 2003 and soon WordPress (WP for short) became the most popular Content Management System< a i=2> (in short, CMS) or, in translation, content management system.
WordPress was conceived as a blog platform, but it has long surpassed this role and today we can find it as the basis of many blogs, but also of sites with other purposes, as well as for various web applications. With its help and with the help of different CMS solutions, it is possible to create websites more easily. However, to understand what WordPress is, one must first understand other terms.
Web technologies
The most basic variant of creating each site is creating the structure through HTML and CSS language.
HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is a descriptive language (markup), which we use to edit virtually all pages on the web. By opening any web page, the user’s browser (Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.) receives from the server the HTML code that turns into a page. HTML, as a descriptive language, is not sufficient for creating websites, because it only defines the structure and elements of a document. With its help, we define (describe) the basic parts of the page, headings, paragraphs, lists, images, tables and other content elements.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a descriptive language, often said to define the “design” of HTML pages. CSS is composed of CSS rules (eng. CSS rule), with which we arrange the appearance of the elements we have created in the HTML pages. CSS by itself means nothing, but paired with the HTML document shows its true power. For example, an HTML page with text, without the CSS rule, would have the default font sizes, written in Times New Roman, black on a white background. CSS allows all text, even the entire page, to be styled and visually modified, including color, width, position, fonts, and basically every other aspect of page design. At the beginning of the development of the HTML and CSS language, it was possible for some of the styling to be done by HTML itself, but in the HTML5 era it was completely removed from the From behind. HTML, therefore, remains to create the content and CSS to style it.
As mentioned above, HTML and CSS languages are sufficient for the basic website creation option. With their help we can create pages, their elements, and style them as we wish. Such a site may be functional, but this is often not enough.
PHP (recursive acronym from PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a general purpose scripting programming language. It was originally designed as a language for creating dynamic web pages. It allows fast page processing and loading, is easy to understand and use, and runs on almost all operating systems. PHP is interpreted by the web server and generates HTML or other output that clients (which are usually web browsers) can recognize. In other words, PHP is usually used to refresh the site. PHP (among other things) allows the creation of a template on which the structure of the HTML site will be created, the adaptation of the elements when displayed and the connection between the data in the database. Although it is not the only one, it is currently one of the most common languages on the web.
JavaScript is a (primary) scripting programming language that runs on the client side. Today it is considered one of the pillars of the modern web, because it allows the execution of scripts that complete what HTML and static CSS cannot achieve. It is used for various details, from the form validation system through animation to the entire user interaction system.
In addition to these languages, many other languages appear on the web, such as JAVA (do not mix the Java and JavaScript languages, the similarity is only in the name and nothing more), Ruby, Python, different variants of the C language.
Why CMS?
Knowing and using the languages and/or technologies mentioned above, it is clear that we can create a website as we wish. If this is the case, why do we use WordPress and other CMS systems such as Drupal, Joomla and others? How do they fit into this context?
There are several reasons, but perhaps the most important is its simplicity. Whatever the site is created, it is certain that the content will not remain the same over time. At the core of the web is constant change. For example, daily news web portals change their content, sometimes even from minute to minute. Other sites, such as a company site, periodically provide new information about the company’s activity or upload images to the gallery. The site that has not been updated for a month or more looks abandoned and loses visitors very quickly. Modifying and adding content is therefore essential. On the technical side, in case we are working with the static HTML and CSS site, these changes include the addition of new HTML tags, possible CSS code corrections. If we are working with the site, which, in addition to HTML and CSS, works with the PHP language, to modify the content it is probably necessary to add access to the database. In general, it is necessary to know those technologies for which we created the site. You may be wondering why this is a problem. In fact, it is not a problem, but it is clear that the person who knows the language with which the site was created will also make the changes. It is much more practical and easier if there was a way for the site owner, editor or third party with certain rights to access the site and make changes in such a way as to write or copy a text, to insert pictures and other necessary elements, and then the site transforms, compiles everything that is put into an appropriate code structure. This is the essence of CMS, or content management system.
Imagine that the programmers have to be the ones who will bring news on a news portal. Such a system would not be sustainable. Therefore, in the case of such a site, journalists can access it in a different way than users, with their account (via username and password), to be able to enter and make changes to the content themselves. For this there is no need to know HTML, CSS, PHP and other languages, nor to understand how the site works, because the CMS creates an interface for them. We can think of this as another site or as the reverse side of the site dedicated to certain users (editors, owner).
CMS has a variety of solutions. If we have enough programming knowledge, we can create our own CMS, which would fully satisfy the needs of a particular project. However, a common variant is the use of ready-made CMS solutions, which we can adapt. A few of these, like WordPress, come with a large number of finished details, so that we can set up the site in minutes, as we are satisfied with the suggestion. On the other hand, we can change everything if we have time, knowledge and desire for this.
In the end, the user who accesses the site does not know whether he has approached a static website or a certain CMS is hidden behind it, as well as which CMS it is.
| Advice
Knowledge of HTML, CSS, JS, PHP and other languages is not mandatory in working with WordPress, as already said, but on the other hand, with their help we can get more, respectively we can, to a small or large extent, modify the operation of our WordPress application. |
In other words, WordPress, as a CMS system, can help the website to be created very quickly and easily, using ready-made components. In this way, it becomes the central point of the site, which makes the connection between the owner (or the editor) of the site, on the one hand, and the users, respectively the visitors of the site, on the other. The site owner does not need to know any of the previously mentioned languages, any details regarding the structure and storage of the content. The core of the WordPress system takes care of all of this. WordPress stores data on the server in a certain, defined database, sets PHP and other scripts, and generates HTML code for visitors. The site owner introduces the content through the visual interface, which is adapted to this type of activity.
This is where his source of popularity comes from. With WordPress, anyone can, with minimal knowledge, create and configure their own website. However, from another perspective, WordPress can be used in another way. If we know PHP programming and/or code writing, we can process, recycle and remodel almost all WordPress elements ourselves or create our own details to be incorporated into the system.
For example, we can create a theme “from scratch”, using HTML, CSS, JS and PHP, in which we will wrap our WordPress site, with the aim of obtaining a completely customized design. Or we can, for example, using the language mentioned above, create our own plug-ins, with the help of which we extend the functionality of the site.
| Note
WordPress is a final or semi-finished product, which uses PHP, JS, HTML, CSS and, if necessary, other languages as its base. WordPress is not the competitor of these languages, we really cannot compare them because WordPress is composed of them. Comparing the mentioned languages with WordPress is like comparing car parts with the respective car. We can use these parts to get the car, but we could also get another product from the same or similar parts. WordPress runs on the server, which can be Apache, NGINX, or another. |
Image 1.3. WordPress as a system in relation to the site owner, the user and the server
Another detail that contributes to its popularity is a very large community of users, programmers, designers and other people who contribute to the world of WordPress on a daily basis. The power of WordPress comes primarily from the many enthusiasts around the world who create and build the core and plugins.
WordPress.org and WordPress.com
The common confusion of beginners consists in the access to create the WordPress site, where to start. Although you delineate it quite clearly, some terms are mistakenly equated.
We will start with wordpress.org and wordpress.com. At first glance, it seems that both sites offer the same thing, but in reality they are not, because they provide very different services.
wordpress.org
WordPress.org is the central point for the open source WordPress project. On this site we can find the current and previous version of the WordPress installation, but also official documents, as well as other useful information. Here we can find official support forums. There is also a stock of plug-ins, which help to extend the functionality of our site, a large number of themes with which to arrange the appearance of the site.
WordPress.org can be seen as a “real” WordPress, which is what we will use all the time. With this variant, we have to take care of the installation and a few steps ourselves, but we have complete control, which we will talk about in detail in the following lessons.
WordPress is completely free. Support is provided by many individuals from all over the world, but also by large companies. What involves certain costs is renting/setting up the domain and hosting, but this is necessary for each site (regardless of WordPress), which we will discuss in the following.
Image 1.4. wordpress.org1
wordpress.com
WordPress.com is a commercial site that offers a slightly different experience of the WordPress application. With this we can easily and quickly, in a few simple steps, create our own website. Here the installation is simplified and automated. It is enough to choose the free or paid domain and our WordPress site will be installed automatically.
What makes the biggest and main difference is that they have many options closed or completely removed. For example, it is not possible to install additional plug-ins, we can only use those that are included in the package. Also, option to add theme or any code correction is not available. There are still some restrictions regarding advertising, rules of use, etc.
We can say that this is a “turnkey” option, which offers an easier start, but on the other hand, it has great and often insurmountable limitations. Certain additional configuration options are possible for a fee.
Image 1.5. wordpress.com2
We also mention the company Automattic (automattic.com), which is behind the wordpress.com project and many others. It is often misunderstood that this company manages and develops the wordpress.org project, which is not true.
Automattic helps and participates in the development of the WordPress application and cooperates on the wordpress.org project, but it is not unique, while wordpress.com is entirely their project.
Image 1.6. Automatic – logo
In conclusion, we must understand that wordpress.org provides what is almost always required. Each site or blog will probably require more advanced functionalities, which the .com variant does not offer (or offers with additional fees).
The WordPress.com variant is used if we are satisfied with the most basic options and if we want to create a simple blog or website. The initial version, free on the wordpress.com website, offers an address in the form: example.wordpress.com and 3 GB of storage space.< /span>
WordPress este:
1. Screenshot taken on the website https://wordpress.org/ (Accessed: November 21, 2022)
2. Screenshot taken on the website https://wordpress.com/ (Accessed: November 21, 2022)
Introduction to WordPress
00:19:18
Unit: 1 of 13
At the beginning of the course, we will define what WordPress actually is and what it is for.
Although, due to its popularity today, we often hear about WordPress in all possible environments and in different contexts, many people are unclear about its essence and how it works, which sometimes leads to completely illogical questions like: “WordPress is better than PHP?“, implying a basic misunderstanding of the matter.
Therefore, in this lesson we will clarify the basics and put WordPress first in the context of the web, PHP and HTML languages and other important essential concepts.
Image 1.1. The WordPress logo
Image 1.2. WordPress – dashboard
appearance
The first version of WordPress was released in May 2003 and soon WordPress (WP for short) became the most popular Content Management System< a i=2> (in short, CMS) or, in translation, content management system.
WordPress was conceived as a blog platform, but it has long surpassed this role and today we can find it as the basis of many blogs, but also of sites with other purposes, as well as for various web applications. With its help and with the help of different CMS solutions, it is possible to create websites more easily. However, to understand what WordPress is, one must first understand other terms.
Web technologies
The most basic variant of creating each site is creating the structure through HTML and CSS language.
HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is a descriptive language (markup), which we use to edit virtually all pages on the web. By opening any web page, the user’s browser (Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.) receives from the server the HTML code that turns into a page. HTML, as a descriptive language, is not sufficient for creating websites, because it only defines the structure and elements of a document. With its help, we define (describe) the basic parts of the page, headings, paragraphs, lists, images, tables and other content elements.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a descriptive language, often said to define the “design” of HTML pages. CSS is composed of CSS rules (eng. CSS rule), with which we arrange the appearance of the elements we have created in the HTML pages. CSS by itself means nothing, but paired with the HTML document shows its true power. For example, an HTML page with text, without the CSS rule, would have the default font sizes, written in Times New Roman, black on a white background. CSS allows all text, even the entire page, to be styled and visually modified, including color, width, position, fonts, and basically every other aspect of page design. At the beginning of the development of the HTML and CSS language, it was possible for some of the styling to be done by HTML itself, but in the HTML5 era it was completely removed from the From behind. HTML, therefore, remains to create the content and CSS to style it.
As mentioned above, HTML and CSS languages are sufficient for the basic website creation option. With their help we can create pages, their elements, and style them as we wish. Such a site may be functional, but this is often not enough.
PHP (recursive acronym from PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a general purpose scripting programming language. It was originally designed as a language for creating dynamic web pages. It allows fast page processing and loading, is easy to understand and use, and runs on almost all operating systems. PHP is interpreted by the web server and generates HTML or other output that clients (which are usually web browsers) can recognize. In other words, PHP is usually used to refresh the site. PHP (among other things) allows the creation of a template on which the structure of the HTML site will be created, the adaptation of the elements when displayed and the connection between the data in the database. Although it is not the only one, it is currently one of the most common languages on the web.
JavaScript is a (primary) scripting programming language that runs on the client side. Today it is considered one of the pillars of the modern web, because it allows the execution of scripts that complete what HTML and static CSS cannot achieve. It is used for various details, from the form validation system through animation to the entire user interaction system.
In addition to these languages, many other languages appear on the web, such as JAVA (do not mix the Java and JavaScript languages, the similarity is only in the name and nothing more), Ruby, Python, different variants of the C language.
Why CMS?
Knowing and using the languages and/or technologies mentioned above, it is clear that we can create a website as we wish. If this is the case, why do we use WordPress and other CMS systems such as Drupal, Joomla and others? How do they fit into this context?
There are several reasons, but perhaps the most important is its simplicity. Whatever the site is created, it is certain that the content will not remain the same over time. At the core of the web is constant change. For example, daily news web portals change their content, sometimes even from minute to minute. Other sites, such as a company site, periodically provide new information about the company’s activity or upload images to the gallery. The site that has not been updated for a month or more looks abandoned and loses visitors very quickly. Modifying and adding content is therefore essential. On the technical side, in case we are working with the static HTML and CSS site, these changes include the addition of new HTML tags, possible CSS code corrections. If we are working with the site, which, in addition to HTML and CSS, works with the PHP language, to modify the content it is probably necessary to add access to the database. In general, it is necessary to know those technologies for which we created the site. You may be wondering why this is a problem. In fact, it is not a problem, but it is clear that the person who knows the language with which the site was created will also make the changes. It is much more practical and easier if there was a way for the site owner, editor or third party with certain rights to access the site and make changes in such a way as to write or copy a text, to insert pictures and other necessary elements, and then the site transforms, compiles everything that is put into an appropriate code structure. This is the essence of CMS, or content management system.
Imagine that the programmers have to be the ones who will bring news on a news portal. Such a system would not be sustainable. Therefore, in the case of such a site, journalists can access it in a different way than users, with their account (via username and password), to be able to enter and make changes to the content themselves. For this there is no need to know HTML, CSS, PHP and other languages, nor to understand how the site works, because the CMS creates an interface for them. We can think of this as another site or as the reverse side of the site dedicated to certain users (editors, owner).
CMS has a variety of solutions. If we have enough programming knowledge, we can create our own CMS, which would fully satisfy the needs of a particular project. However, a common variant is the use of ready-made CMS solutions, which we can adapt. A few of these, like WordPress, come with a large number of finished details, so that we can set up the site in minutes, as we are satisfied with the suggestion. On the other hand, we can change everything if we have time, knowledge and desire for this.
In the end, the user who accesses the site does not know whether he has approached a static website or a certain CMS is hidden behind it, as well as which CMS it is.
| Advice
Knowledge of HTML, CSS, JS, PHP and other languages is not mandatory in working with WordPress, as already said, but on the other hand, with their help we can get more, respectively we can, to a small or large extent, modify the operation of our WordPress application. |
In other words, WordPress, as a CMS system, can help the website to be created very quickly and easily, using ready-made components. In this way, it becomes the central point of the site, which makes the connection between the owner (or the editor) of the site, on the one hand, and the users, respectively the visitors of the site, on the other. The site owner does not need to know any of the previously mentioned languages, any details regarding the structure and storage of the content. The core of the WordPress system takes care of all of this. WordPress stores data on the server in a certain, defined database, sets PHP and other scripts, and generates HTML code for visitors. The site owner introduces the content through the visual interface, which is adapted to this type of activity.
This is where his source of popularity comes from. With WordPress, anyone can, with minimal knowledge, create and configure their own website. However, from another perspective, WordPress can be used in another way. If we know PHP programming and/or code writing, we can process, recycle and remodel almost all WordPress elements ourselves or create our own details to be incorporated into the system.
For example, we can create a theme “from scratch”, using HTML, CSS, JS and PHP, in which we will wrap our WordPress site, with the aim of obtaining a completely customized design. Or we can, for example, using the language mentioned above, create our own plug-ins, with the help of which we extend the functionality of the site.
| Note
WordPress is a final or semi-finished product, which uses PHP, JS, HTML, CSS and, if necessary, other languages as its base. WordPress is not the competitor of these languages, we really cannot compare them because WordPress is composed of them. Comparing the mentioned languages with WordPress is like comparing car parts with the respective car. We can use these parts to get the car, but we could also get another product from the same or similar parts. WordPress runs on the server, which can be Apache, NGINX, or another. |
Image 1.3. WordPress as a system in relation to the site owner, the user and the server
Another detail that contributes to its popularity is a very large community of users, programmers, designers and other people who contribute to the world of WordPress on a daily basis. The power of WordPress comes primarily from the many enthusiasts around the world who create and build the core and plugins.
WordPress.org and WordPress.com
The common confusion of beginners consists in the access to create the WordPress site, where to start. Although you delineate it quite clearly, some terms are mistakenly equated.
We will start with wordpress.org and wordpress.com. At first glance, it seems that both sites offer the same thing, but in reality they are not, because they provide very different services.
wordpress.org
WordPress.org is the central point for the open source WordPress project. On this site we can find the current and previous version of the WordPress installation, but also official documents, as well as other useful information. Here we can find official support forums. There is also a stock of plug-ins, which help to extend the functionality of our site, a large number of themes with which to arrange the appearance of the site.
WordPress.org can be seen as a “real” WordPress, which is what we will use all the time. With this variant, we have to take care of the installation and a few steps ourselves, but we have complete control, which we will talk about in detail in the following lessons.
WordPress is completely free. Support is provided by many individuals from all over the world, but also by large companies. What involves certain costs is renting/setting up the domain and hosting, but this is necessary for each site (regardless of WordPress), which we will discuss in the following.
Image 1.4. wordpress.org1
wordpress.com
WordPress.com is a commercial site that offers a slightly different experience of the WordPress application. With this we can easily and quickly, in a few simple steps, create our own website. Here the installation is simplified and automated. It is enough to choose the free or paid domain and our WordPress site will be installed automatically.
What makes the biggest and main difference is that they have many options closed or completely removed. For example, it is not possible to install additional plug-ins, we can only use those that are included in the package. Also, option to add theme or any code correction is not available. There are still some restrictions regarding advertising, rules of use, etc.
We can say that this is a “turnkey” option, which offers an easier start, but on the other hand, it has great and often insurmountable limitations. Certain additional configuration options are possible for a fee.
Image 1.5. wordpress.com2
We also mention the company Automattic (automattic.com), which is behind the wordpress.com project and many others. It is often misunderstood that this company manages and develops the wordpress.org project, which is not true.
Automattic helps and participates in the development of the WordPress application and cooperates on the wordpress.org project, but it is not unique, while wordpress.com is entirely their project.
Image 1.6. Automatic – logo
In conclusion, we must understand that wordpress.org provides what is almost always required. Each site or blog will probably require more advanced functionalities, which the .com variant does not offer (or offers with additional fees).
The WordPress.com variant is used if we are satisfied with the most basic options and if we want to create a simple blog or website. The initial version, free on the wordpress.com website, offers an address in the form: example.wordpress.com and 3 GB of storage space.< /span>
WordPress este:
1. Screenshot taken on the website https://wordpress.org/ (Accessed: November 21, 2022)
2. Screenshot taken on the website https://wordpress.com/ (Accessed: November 21, 2022)