WordPress: Webmaster's Paradise

WordPress:Webmaster's Paradise

Oleg KreymerSystems Librarian, TJ Watson Library

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

CIL 2008 CybertoursCIL 2008 Cybertours

WordPress as a Web Platform?• Content Management System: CMS (forget html!)

• User-friendly admin interface• WYSIWYG editor (invites contribution)• Presentation layer (XHTML + scripting)

• Simplicity:• Clear functionality (it’s a blog!)• Straightforward design: posts + categories + pages

• Open Source = always in development + ¢• Can be enhanced with plugins• Familiarity (used it for other projects)

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

Keeping It Simple• Modify a WordPress Theme ONLY

• Preserve core WordPress functionality• Protection from changes in future upgrades• Theme of choice: Andreas09 (website look)

• Two types of files• PHP: controls WHAT elements are displayed• CSS: controls HOW elements are displayed

• Making changes• Keep track of changes (annotate)• Suppressing and rearranging elements

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

How to work with PHP

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

How to work with PHP

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

How to work with PHP

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

How to work with CSS

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

How to work with CSS

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

How to work with CSS

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

How to work with CSS

Widgets & Plugins• Widgets: dynamic and static sidebar elements

• Plugins extend Wordpress functionality• Select carefully (functionally useful plugins only)• Test! Plugins can break WP• WP upgrade? Test your plugins

• Plugins we’re using• Forms: cforms II• Calendar: Event Calendar & Widget • User Role Manager

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS

Thank you!

• DO try this at home: • WordPress.com

• Questions?

Oleg KreymerSystems Librarian, TJ Watson Library

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

CIL 2008 Cybertours: CIL 2008 Cybertours: WORDPRESSWORDPRESS