6 Tips For Efficient WordPress Custom Plugin Development

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BEST WORDPRESS WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT COMPNAY San
Francisco, CA
6 Tips For Efficient WordPress Custom Plugin
Development
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1. Research Your Idea To Ascertain Its Viability
As mentioned earlier, there are more than 50,000
plugins available to the users of the CMS. There
are numerous options for activating the same
functionality. Why would someone choose your
offering over another option? In order to create
an effective product, it is essential to
ascertain the viability of the idea behind the
tool. Research your concept to assess whether
anyone needs the solution or not. If yes, then
what are the alternatives available to the users.
There is no use in building a tool which has been
already created by someone else. Once you have
zeroed in on a good concept, draw an outline of
the project to understand how you should be
approaching it.
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2. Identify The Versioning System You Will Use
Whether you converted PSD to WordPress or built a
new interface, you will have used plugins to
extend the websites functionality. You must have
noticed version details of the plugins you have
installed. Usually, they are displayed in the
following manner on a plugins directory page. Any
further updates will create a new variant which
will then be numbered as 7.4.2. You must choose a
Version Control System for your project.
WordPress uses the Subversion VCN which lets all
developers access a single central repository.
You must select a system which suits your project
as well as your development team.
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3. Identify The Points To Include In The Plugins
Documentation
Documentation is a key aspect of WordPress custom
plugin development. It provides end users with
comprehensive information about the new tool.
Imagine a scenario where you installed a solution
but needed help in enabling a feature. Now, there
is no material walking you through the process by
detailing the necessary step. Chances are you
will discard the product for an option which
provides documented assistance. Identify the
important points that you need to address in the
support material supplied with your product. Make
sure it addresses all key aspects of the tool. It
will improve the user experience of the plugin
and also enhance your reputation as an efficient
developer.
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4.Select Appropriate Tools For The Development
Process
The choice of the tools will be critical to the
smooth flow and ultimately the success of the
project. You will need a powerful code editor
with convenient features like syntax highlighting
and auto-complete. Another option is to use an
Integrated Development Environment (IDE) which
will give you access to more tools in a single
place. IDEs come with multi-language support,
debugger, code sniffing, and many other features.
Some of them also provide integration with SVN or
GIT which will be helpful in versioning.
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5. Be Careful While Selecting The Hooks
In WordPress, hooks are functions that can be
applied to an action or a filter. Actions and
filters are functions that can be modified to
change the default functionality. Hooks are used
by developers to make the core understand what
functionality you want to enable with your custom
tool. It is impossible to craft the code for a
plugin without using hooks. It is, therefore,
vital to know how to properly use hooks. There
is extensive documentation about all actions and
filters on the WordPress Codex. You must go
through the documents to understand the hooks you
will need for your project.
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6. Do Not Release Your Plugin Without Extensive
Testing
Testing is an integral and critical part of a
software development project. Your plugin must
undergo rigorous screening before it is released
in the actual user environment. You must test the
tool on multiple themes and also on a fresh
installation of the CMS. it will also be
pertinent to test its compatibility with
different browser developer tools. Make sure that
the solution works fine on all kinds of
installations by testing it on older WordPress
versions.
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