If you are looking for expert ways to ensure better functionality of your WordPress site with plugin developments, then go through this informative blog post.
WordPress plugins are softwares having certain functions that can be added and utilized in a WordPress site. These plugins help in extending various functionalities and in the inclusion of added features to the site. These applications are also used in order to enhance the performance of the already added features. If you are looking for helpful strategies that can be implemented in order to ensure better functionality of WordPress website, then going through this blog and the practices discussed below shall definitely come into play in the long run.
1) Know Your Requirement
First things first; it is crucial that you maintain a checklist. It is important for you to know and confirm whether you’re using the plugins for customizing the site and display purposes, or you’re using them for real-time regular functionalities. It is also to be noted and considered whether a similar plug-in has already been written earlier.
These questions are important and need to be answered as they are going to decide how sincerely one must take plug-in issues including support, documentation, coding, updates and the likes. Thus, it requires an individual to take note of several minute details before commencing the task of writing plug-in for WordPress sites.
2) Use Simple Coding Standards
Things are always better when kept less complicated. Thus, considering certain simple things such as the use of consistent spaces, indenting and explanatory variable naming are always preferable and good way to start developing efficient plugins.
3) Prioritize Plug-in Securities
It is perhaps one of the most vital points to be considered when we are talking of WordPress plugin creation and development. There are developers who end up neglecting this aspect, but that won’t really prove to be helpful and wise. It would rather be a mistake to neglect the security aspect. One must try and get familiar with the codes such as:
- esc_textarea
- esc_html
- esc_url
- esc_url_raw
4) Developing without Debugging isn’t a Good Idea
The first and foremost thing to be considered while developing WordPress plugin is to enable debugging and the process must be kept on throughout the time of writing the WordPress plugin code. If you keep the debugging process on, then WordPress notices will also remain turned on. This is vital because the timely notices will allow you to know if you’re using any depreciated function. Hence, debugging is a process one must always consider when the development of WordPress plug-ins is in progress.
5) Log your Personalized Debug Statements
The best and perhaps the easiest way to log your own debug statements is by using “echo” and see the message appearing on the page. There’s even a better way to get this task done, which is by creating a function that can do this task. Then one can expect to see all of his/her personalized debug statements in debug.log file.
6) Developers Can Utilize the Functionality of Advertising Manager
This is one of the most effective plug-ins when it comes to WordPress website development and customization. Advertising Manager helps placing ads in the blog flexibly. It makes it easier to manage site advertising as well.
7) The Google XML sitemaps can come into play as well
Using this effective plug-in can help the site with enhanced search engine ranks. It is considered as one of the most configurable and efficient tools that helps in generating site maps. Every time there will be an update in your website, it can be configured in order to regenerate site map. It also helps in specifying the contents of the sitemap. Thus, this tool can certainly prove to be an efficient plug-in to be considered as far as your WordPress site development is concerned.
8) Consider using Blackbox Debug Bar
This particular plug-in is certainly helpful for various reasons. This tool sets a thin black bar at the top of the page and helps the developer get an easy access to profile data, global variables, SQL query and to any potential error.
9) Name Plugin Functions with a Prefix
Other plug-in developer may use similar function names that are used by you. Thus, in order to avoid the conflict, consider prefixing your functions. Each of the functions should be named uniquely using a prefix which is an abbreviated form of your plug-in name can also prove to be an effective idea. However, to use PHP classes having your functions is perhaps the best idea to avoid the possibilities of similar naming of functions. However, using a function name which already been taken might cause WordPress to show errors. So, one must try and be careful in this matter.
10) Consider Including CSS, images and JavaScript
While you can always consider writing PHP codes in order to make plug-ins work efficiently, considering the use of some images, CSS and JavaScript can also come into play. You can later on arrange these files in their specific folders such as “js’, ‘css’ and images.