Tag Archives: Web Developer

Filtering the Options API in WordPress

Posted on with No Comments

The Options API in WordPress is one of the many WordPress APIs we all use every day when developing with WordPress. A quick call to get_option() is not an uncommon sight. What if you could dynamically filter those options? You can.

Adding filters in WordPress is also a common practice. Combining this with the Options API can allow for, for example, the ability to change an option when in preview mode without committing to the change.

In the “Magazine” template in Canvas by WooThemes, for example, WooTumblog “image” and “video” posts are aware when they are present in the magazine-style grid. This is an example of filtering the Options API.

Continue reading →

How to improve web developer coding practices (and code)

Posted on with 1 Comment

Every developer approaches their day to day development tasks from a different angle. In addition to this, each developer “designs” their code to suit their own personal preferences and approaches towards specifics in a project. When developers examine code written by other developers, we’re often critical (sometimes hyper-critical) of the code itself, mostly according to our personal preferences. While there is a place for being critical of code, and it should be encouraged, there are a few aspects of this criticism that should be left at the door… namely, the personal preferences.

While we all have our own preferences, it’s important to solidify a few areas when approaching code and to, ultimately, hone the developer’s mindset into certain guidelines. Below are a few thoughts I have running through my mind constantly while developing:

Continue reading →

Re-thinking the concept of the “impossible”

Posted on with 1 Comment

In today’s society, it seems to be a common occurrence to use the word “impossible”. For example, after climbing a mountain, one might say something like; “wow, that was impossible”. No it wasn’t… you just did it. Nowadays we seem to have a tendency to over-exaggerate (pardon the tautology there) and, in many cases, start to believe what we’re saying. Surely, this affects how we approach tasks and situations. Why should it?

Over the past few years (I’d say, since about 2008), I’ve decided to approach tasks day to day from a different angle. How can we say that a task is “impossible” if we haven’t even yet attempted it?

This is quite a common occurrence in web development… developers looking at a task, attempting to analyze it, getting “stuck” at one point and then moving on, deeming it “impossible”. Why does it have to, all of a sudden, be “impossible”, if you haven’t even attempted it yet? Why settle for the “shortcut” when you could just sit down and develop it how you envision it in the first place?

Continue reading →

GROW BootCamp 2012 – The Creations

Posted on with No Comments

At the GROW Academy 2012, Jeff and I have been discussing and showcasing WordPress and what it can do. We’ve been working with the recruits, setting up WordPress.com websites and learning the system.

We thought it’d be a cool idea to showcase what the recruits of 2012 have compiled.

Continue reading →

GROW Academy Bootcamp 2012

Posted on with No Comments

This week, Jeff and I will be presenting at our second GROW Academy Bootcamp session. We’ll be discussing “Website Design & Development” with the recruits, running through WordPress and how to setup a website using WordPress.com or WordPress.org.

The GROW Academy is an initiative to educate and empower the youth of today through technology. The Bootcamp session covers everything from social media and setting up e-mail, all the way through to search engine optimisation and an internet super-user course, for those who wish to continue on with more advanced studies. The GROW website’s “About” page (built on Canvas and Canvas BuddyPress by WooThemes) has a detailed explanation of the initiative and it’s founding partners.

Continue reading →

A Quick Guide to the WordPress Transients API

Posted on with 6 Comments

The Transient API in WordPress is one of the many APIs available in the WordPress core that, once used, become invaluable and used on a daily basis. This is a quick guide to getting started with the transients API, when to use it and why.

The Transients API, while similar to the WordPress options API, has the addition of an expiry time. The API is used to store data in the database for a fix amount of time, at which point it is deleted and would need to be re-added, if one requires the data again. The WordPress Codex explains the Transients API as:

…very similar to the Options API but with the added feature of an expiration time, which simplifies the process of using the wp_options database table to store cached information.

From a technical standpoint, transients are also sped up by caching plugins, which store the data in memory, rather than in the database, making for a faster lookup.

Continue reading →

Re-thinking “Uncategorized” in WordPress

Posted on with 1 Comment

As WordPress users soon come to realise after setting up their website, a few defaults are loaded in. These defaults include a test “Hello World” post with a comment from Mr. WordPress, a “Sample Page’ with some text and instructions and the “Uncategorized” category, amongst the various default “Links” data and “Blogroll” category.

Having given this some thought, the “Uncategorized” category doesn’t really seem correct in that the term is a category in itself. It’s almost a full paradox to say that a post is “uncategorized”, meanwhile it is in fact in a category.

Continue reading →

What a blog redesign means to me

Posted on with 6 Comments

Today’s question, folks, is; “What does a blog redesign mean to you?”. Lets dive right in, shall we?

For me, a blog redesign means quite a lot. It means the opportunity to hone my skills, experiment with new ideas and techniques and put a fresh coat of paint and a new engine behind my blog. Let me elaborate on the paint and engine for a moment.

Continue reading →