Plenty of posts on this weblog try to clarify WordPress ideas and terminology, or at the very least these which are related to the submit. And the WordPress Codex does an important job of explaining the ideas utilized by WordPress.
However following a lot of questions I’ve seen in feedback on posts asking for definitions and explanations, I believed it could be helpful to create a jargon buster for WordPress customers and builders.
So on this submit I’ll try and outline and clarify a number of the key ideas in WordPress. A few of these are extra related for customers, others for builders, and a few for each.
I’m going to take every time period alphabetically, so yow will discover them simply in the event you don’t know the place they match by way of context. However first right here’s a listing of the phrases I’ll outline, damaged down by broad subject:
Core ideas: CMS, Multisite community, plugin, theme.
Knowledge: database, database desk, loop, metadata, question.
Content material varieties: attachment, class, web page, submit, submit format, submit kind, tag, taxonomy, time period, revision.
File varieties: youngster theme, config file, features file, embrace file, stylesheet, template file, template hierarchy, template half.
Admin instruments: Customizer, meta field, navigation menu, choices, settings, shortcode, widget.
Code: motion hook, API, class, filter hook, operate, object, Object Oriented Programming, property, methodology, template tag.
Permissions: functionality, position.
Safety: NONCE keys, SALT keys, sanitization, validation.
I understand this isn’t an exhaustive record of WordPress terminology and that in the event you’re a complicated developer (or hoping to grow to be one) there could also be issues I’ve missed out. However this could cowl the overwhelming majority of questions that almost all of our readers ask.
Motion Hook
An motion hook is a line of code added to a WordPress core file, a theme or plugin which helps you to insert additional code by attaching a operate to it.
So as to add an motion hook to your theme or plugin, you add this code:
After which to run a operate known as myfunction at that time in the code, you connect it to the hook utilizing add_action:
If you wish to add code which may be overridden or altered with a operate (as an alternative of making an empty spot for code to be added), you utilize a filter hook.
API
API stands for Utility Programming Interface. It’s a codebase that allows you to work together with one system from one other system.
An API can allow you to work together with one a part of a system from one other a part of the identical system, or it may well allow you to accomplish that from an exterior system. An instance of the primary is the Widgets API, which helps you to write plugins to create widgets, whereas an instance of the second is the WordPress REST API, or the Google Maps API which you may use in the event you’re coding a mapping plugin.
Attachment
An attachment is a file that you just add to a web page or submit in your website. It could possibly be a picture, video, or audio clip that you just embed in your content material, or it could possibly be a file that’s accessed by a clickable hyperlink that WordPress creates once you add the file.
Attachment is a submit kind in WordPress: it’s one of many submit varieties that comes with WordPress out of the field.
Functionality
A functionality lets a consumer carry out a given motion, akin to modifying posts (edit_posts) or putting in plugins (install_plugins).
Every consumer position has an outlined set of capabilities assigned to it, which outline what some with that position can do. You possibly can add or take away capabilities from roles utilizing the add_cap() and remove_cap() features.
Class
Class is an in-built taxonomy that comes with WordPress, that you should use to categorise your posts. Classes are hierarchical, which suggests they will have mum or dad and youngster classes.
Classes are typically used for sections of the positioning or main themes or subjects, as in opposition to tags which you usually use extra of. In most websites the distinction is that you’d use classes to construction your website, including them to the navigation menu, which you wouldn’t with tags. Every class you outline is a time period within the ‘class’ taxonomy.
Class
A category is a sort of programming utilized in Object Oriented PHP. Utilizing a category as an alternative of a load of separate features makes your code cleaner and simpler to increase.
A category will include numerous associated features (often known as strategies): for instance, the WP_Widget class contains features to populate the widget, to save lots of what’s enter into it and to output it on the positioning. You possibly can then write a brand new class in a plugin or theme that extends the unique class by amending or including to particular components of it, saving you from having to rewrite the entire thing.
Youngster Theme
A baby theme is a theme which you utilize so as to add additional code to a mum or dad theme. If you wish to edit a theme you’ve purchased or put in from the theme listing it is best to all the time use a toddler theme to do that, as an alternative of modifying the theme instantly. It’s because any adjustments you make to the theme will likely be misplaced when it’s up to date.
To inform WordPress {that a} theme is a toddler theme, you add additional code to the theme stylesheet with particulars of the mum or dad theme. Youngster themes can be utilized so as to add tweaks to a mum or dad theme, to make vital customizations, so as to add additional styling, features or template information, or along side a theme framework.
CMS
A CMS, or Content material Administration System, is a system that lets customers add content material to a web site with out having to instantly code that content material into internet pages. WordPress is the world’s hottest CMS!
A CMS wants a database to retailer content material after which a set of information (in WordPress, a theme) which will likely be used to output that content material into an online web page, producing front-end languages like HTML and JavaScript. It is going to usually use a back-end programming language like PHP to do that.
Config File
The config file, or wp-config.php, defines how your WordPress set up is configured. It’s typically edited by WordPress itself as you make adjustments within the admin screens, or you’ll be able to edit it instantly (with care!). Use it to activate Multisite or to show debugging on or off.
Customizer
The WordPress Customizer is an interface that allows you to make adjustments to the components of your website that you may’t edit through the submit editor. Precisely what options you may have entry to will rely in your theme (and typically plugins), however there are some default components together with widgets, menus, and website id. Your theme may then additionally allow you to customise the format and colours and add textual content within the header and/or footer.
All themes submitted to the theme listing at the moment are required to make use of the Customizer as an alternative of theme choices screens. The benefit of that is that customers can see the adjustments they’re making as they make them. So as to add Customizer performance to your individual themes, comply with our information.
Customized Subject
Customized subject is one other approach of describing submit metadata. Use customized fields so as to add additional information to your posts akin to your temper once you have been writing, the climate and so forth. You shouldn’t use customized fields to categorise your posts: use classes or tags as an alternative.
So as to add customized fields, use the interface on the submit modifying display. Alternatively, you’ll be able to create your individual metabox to make customized fields even simpler to work with.
Database
The database shops all the information referring to your WordPress set up. This can embrace content material (posts, pages, attachments and so forth.), consumer information and choices akin to configurations you’ve made to plugins.
The database consists of 11 tables. In case your website is a Multisite community there will likely be additional tables for every website, though consumer information is shared throughout the entire community in two tables: wp_users and wp_usermeta.
You need to by no means edit the database instantly: as an alternative, use the WordPress admin screens to make adjustments.
Database Desk
A desk within the WordPress database holds a particular type of information. For instance, wp_posts holds information referring to posts (which incorporates all submit varieties, not simply Posts). There are additionally tables for taxonomy phrases, for choices and for metadata akin to submit metadata.
Filter Hook
A filter hook is coded right into a WordPress core file or a theme or plugin. It encloses default code which you’ll then override by writing a operate and attaching it that hook.
So as to add a filter to your theme or plugin, you utilize code one thing like this:
Then if you wish to change that default code or textual content, you write a operate with the brand new content material and hook it to the filter like so:
You too can hook features to filter hooks offered by WordPress, to override default code.
The distinction between a filter hook and an motion hook is that an motion hook is empty: code is just added to it when a operate is hooked to it. A filter hook shouldn’t be empty: it’s wrapped round default textual content or code that will likely be output if no operate is hooked up to the hook.
Operate
A operate is a block of code that you just write into your theme or plugin to make one thing occur. WordPress core information additionally include lots of of features.
You may make use of core WordPress features in your individual code or you’ll be able to write your individual: it’s all the time a good suggestion to verify that there isn’t already one which does what you want earlier than you begin to create a brand new one.
You possibly can write a operate inside one other one: it’s widespread to jot down your individual operate which accommodates a number of WordPress features.
To get a operate to fireside, you’ll be able to write it instantly right into a theme or plugin file, through which case it is going to fireplace at that time in your file. Alternatively, you’ll be able to hook it to an motion hook or filter hook. The benefit of doing that is that you may insert the operate at a number of factors in your code or you’ll be able to override or take away it at a later stage with out having to edit the theme or plugin information. That is good observe in the event you’re growing themes or plugins for others to make use of and makes them extendable.
To code a operate you give it a novel identify adopted by brackets (inside which you’ll optionally add parameters) after which add the operate code inside curly braces:
Capabilities File
The features file (features.php) is a file in a theme that doesn’t show content material on pages. As a substitute, you utilize it so as to add performance to your theme. The features file will embrace issues like including Customizer help, featured picture help and any customized features you add to your theme. A theme doesn’t need to have a features file to work.
If you end up including an excessive amount of performance through the features file, you is likely to be higher off writing a plugin as an alternative. Plugins must be used for performance and themes for show.
Embody File
An embrace file is a file you add to a plugin (or typically a theme) to carry code individually from the primary plugin file. It may be helpful to do that when including a considerable amount of code so as to add particular performance. For instance, I might use an embrace file so as to add Customizer help to a theme.
To incorporate your file, use a operate (akin to include_once()) inside your fundamental plugin file or your theme’s features file to name the embrace file. This inserts the code from the file within the place the place you added the embrace operate.
Loop
The loop is the code in your theme that queries the database and fetches and outputs the present submit. For a single submit or a web page it is going to run as soon as whereas on an archive web page it is going to loop repeatedly till all related posts have been output.
You possibly can both add the loop to your theme template information or to a template half, which suggests you should use the identical loop in a number of template information. For a information on how to do that, see our submit on theme growth.
Meta Field
A meta field is an space in an admin display that you just use so as to add content material, configure settings, or carry out an motion. You possibly can add meta containers by writing your individual plugins.
The Add Extra metabox lets customers add metadata to this submit.
Meta containers are extremely helpful as they provide customers the flexibleness so as to add additional content material areas (utilizing metadata) or configurations with out having to depart the post-editing display or write any code.
Metadata
Metadata is information about information. Sure, that sounds ridiculous I do know. Let me clarify it with an instance.
WordPress shops posts (and pages, attachments and so forth.) within the wp_posts desk within the database. Fields on this desk are restricted to a predefined record together with the submit title, submit content material, date it was created, its standing and excerpt.
However what if you wish to add additional information to your submit that isn’t coated by a kind of fields? That’s once you want metadata, typically known as customized fields. This may be something you need, from the climate once you created the submit to information referring to its website positioning.
To create and work with metadata, see our information.
Methodology
A technique is one thing that’s utilized in Object-Oriented Programming. It’s the way you describe a operate that’s used inside a class. Nothing mysterious about it!
Multisite Community
A Multisite community is a community of web sites sharing one WordPress set up. By activating Multisite you’ll be able to host as many websites in your WordPress set up as you want, from two to thousands and thousands. For full steering on putting in and managing a Multisite community, see our final information to Multisite.
Navigation Menu
The navigation menu is a menu you place in your website’s header to assist folks navigate round your website. Menu gadgets are a submit kind in WordPress, and also you add them through the menus admin display or the Customizer.
You too can add additional navigation menus by coding them into your theme or utilizing a widget.
Nonce Keys
NONCE stands for Quantity used ONCE. It’s a quantity that may solely be used as soon as, usually inside a URL. So, for instance, if somebody makes an attempt to reset their password in WordPress they are going to be despatched a hyperlink that features a nonce. As soon as they’ve clicked on that hyperlink they will’t use it once more. Because of this another person can’t use the identical hyperlink to alter their password once more.
Use nonces to make your code safer, for instance when saving information through a plugin.
Object
In Object-Oriented Programming, an object is a bundle of variables and associated strategies. Use them in lessons to group features collectively and make your code extra environment friendly and easer to increase.
Object-Oriented Programming
Object-Oriented Programming is a programming methodology that makes use of objects, strategies and lessons to group code collectively and make it simpler to increase. That is in distinction to practical programming which treats features as separate entities.
Choices
An choice is one thing you’ll be able to change about your WordPress website that isn’t a part of a submit, web page or another content material kind. As a substitute, it pertains to the positioning settings or plugin or theme configuration. Choices are additionally known as settings.
Your entire website’s choices are saved within the wp_options desk within the database, the one desk not linked to another tables.
Web page
A web page is a submit kind that comes as default with an ordinary WordPress set up. Use it for static content material that you just don’t have to record in your weblog web page or elsewhere on the positioning. Frequent makes use of embrace the house web page, an ‘About’ web page or a contact web page.
Some websites are primarily based totally round pages as an alternative of posts. These usually use a hierarchical construction, with mum or dad and youngster pages.
Plugin
A plugin is a set of code that provides additional performance to your WordPress website. This could possibly be so simple as altering the login brand or as complicated as including e-commerce performance.
You put in plugins through the Plugins web page in your admin screens. You possibly can both write your individual, purchase them from a plugin vendor or set up them from the plugin listing.
Do not forget that plugins are for performance whereas themes are for show. So if you end up writing quite a lot of practical code into your theme, you is likely to be higher off separating it out right into a plugin. That is higher observe and means you should use the code once more in different websites operating totally different themes.
Publish
That is the place issues can get complicated. A submit is a submit kind, however can be used to check with all submit varieties. For customers the time period ‘Publish’ usually means the submit kind you utilize to create weblog posts, articles, updates and so forth. For builders it may be used to explain all posts contained within the wp_posts desk, together with posts, pages and extra. Right here I’ll concentrate on the primary that means.
So as to add a brand new Publish you utilize the submit modifying display in WordPress. Posts are distinct from pages in that they’re listed in archive pages and your fundamental weblog web page. For those who’re a blogger, posts would be the lifeblood of your website.
Publish Format
Publish format is a taxonomy that you should use to show your posts in several codecs. By creating template information for various submit codecs you’ll be able to present issues like video, quotes, pictures and textual content in a different way.
Publish Kind
Publish varieties are various kinds of content material that you just use for various functions. WordPress comes with numerous submit varieties out there to you by default. These are:
Posts
Pages
Attachments
Navigation menu gadgets
Revisions
Hyperlinks (in the event you’re utilizing the blogroll function)
You too can add your individual by registering a customized submit kind. To do that, use the register_post_type() operate, which you add to your individual operate defining the arguments on your submit kind akin to its identify and the way it behaves.
Many plugins create customized submit varieties for bespoke content material akin to merchandise for e-commerce websites, types so as to add type performance and galleries for displaying pictures.
Property
In Object Oriented Programming, a property is a variable you utilize with strategies to retailer and output information.
Question
WordPress runs a question each time it entry the database and fetches content material to output. So each web page in your website will likely be populated by a question, which is coded through the loop.
WordPress mechanically queries the right content material relying on what’s being considered. So in the event you’re a single submit, the code within the loop will fetch that submit, whereas in the event you’re an archive web page the loop will run over and over till it’s output all of the posts it must on that web page.
You too can add customized queries to pages to show additional posts, or you’ll be able to alter the primary question to alter what’s displayed. Discover out which strategies it is best to (and shouldn’t) use to do that in our information.
Revision
A revision is a model of a submit (or web page and so forth.) that’s saved within the database in case you could revert to it at a later date. This may be helpful in the event you unintentionally delete some content material on your submit or one thing else goes improper.
Publish revisions are listed within the submit modifying display
WordPress mechanically saves revisions for you at set time intervals however you additionally create a revision each time you replace your submit or save a draft.
Function
A consumer position defines what that consumer is ready to do in your website. The default roles that include WordPress are:
Tremendous Admin – can handle a Multisite community of web sites (solely related if Multisite has been activated).
Administrator – can handle a single website in an ordinary WordPress set up or a website inside a Multisite community..
Editor – can publish and handle posts together with different folks’s posts. They will’t handle website settings.
Creator – can write, publish and handle their very own posts however no-one else’s.
Contributor – can write and handle their very own posts however can’t publish them. They submit them for an Editor or Administrator to assessment and publish.
Subscriber – can’t add content material however can view content material you’ve restricted to subscribers or make feedback if that’s restricted too.
Every position has a set of capabilities which outline precisely what the consumer can do. You possibly can edit a consumer position by including or eradicating capabilities, or you’ll be able to create new roles utilizing the add_role() operate.
SALT Keys
SALT keys are added to your wp-config.php file so as to add a layer of safety to your website. These are secret keys with out which WordPress gained’t work. There are 4 of them: AUTH_KEY, SECURE_AUTH_KEY, LOGGED_IN_KEY, and NONCE_KEY.
These work by stopping hackers from accessing the cookies that retailer information about your website (akin to login credentials). You need to refresh them frequently – roughly each two months. Our safety plugin like Defender makes this simple.
Sanitization
Sanitization is the method of cleansing enter information earlier than it’s saved. For instance, in the event you add a meta field within the submit modifying display with a textual content field, you use a sanitization operate to make sure any textual content enter to it is saved within the right format.
So in the event you’re saving an electronic mail deal with, sanitization will make sure that it’s saved accurately and can come out of the database as an electronic mail deal with when it’s output elsewhere.
Sanitisation follows validation, which is about checking that inputs have been entered accurately.
Settings
Settings are the configurations you make to your website or to plugins to get them working the way in which you need them to. There are a selection of settings screens in WordPress, and plugins and themes could add their very own settings screens too (though a contemporary theme is extra possible to make use of the Customizer).
You entry your website settings screens through the Settings menu within the admin. They’re additionally known as choices.
Shortcode
A shortcode is a few textual content inside sq. brackets that you add to your posts, which then outputs or runs some code. Shortcodes can enclose textual content you add ([myshortcode]Enclosed textual content[/myshortcode]), they will stand alone ([myshortcode]), or they will have parameters ([myshortcode number=”10″]).
To create your individual shortcodes, write a plugin utilizing the Shortcode API.
Stylesheet
The stylesheet is a theme file which incorporates all the CSS styling for the theme. It additionally accommodates important info on the theme akin to its identify, writer and model. It’s one of many two information each theme should include.
Tag
Tag is a built-in taxonomy inside WordPress. Use it to determine posts on particular subjects, in additional element than you’d with classes. You wouldn’t usually use tags to construction your website however as an alternative you’d use a tag cloud widget to let guests discover posts with a given tag.
Tags aren’t hierarchical to allow them to’t have mum or dad or youngster tags.
Taxonomy
A taxonomy is a classification of your posts (of no matter submit kind). WordPress comes with 4 built-in taxonomies:
Classes
Tags
Publish codecs
Hyperlink classes (which apply to hyperlinks within the blogroll in the event you’re utilizing it).
You too can add your individual customized taxonomies, which you’ll apply to current submit varieties akin to posts, pages our attachments, or to new customized submit varieties that you just register. You do that utilizing the register_taxonomy() operate.
Taxonomies can behave in several methods. Some (e.g. classes) are hierarchical, so every taxonomy time period can have a mum or dad. Others (e.g. tags) are non-hierarchical so their phrases are in a flat construction. Once you register a taxonomy you’ll be able to specify whether or not or not it’s hierarchical.
Template File
A template file is a file inside your theme that’s used to output content material on a web page of your website. Each theme should embrace one template file: index.php. Most themes additionally embrace template information for particular content material varieties, like web page.php, archive.php and single.php.
WordPress decides which template file to make use of to show content material on a given web page in response to the template hierarchy.
Template Hierarchy
The template hierarchy is the system WordPress makes use of to determine which template file to make use of when displaying a given web page on a website. Some template information are extra particular to particular person content material varieties than others: WordPress will work via them in descending order of specificity till it finds one in your theme. Because of this in case your them doesn’t have a template file for a particular content material kind, it is going to fall again to a extra generic file, in the end defaulting to index.php.
So, for instance, in the event you open the archive of all posts with the time period canine in a taxonomy known as animal, WordPress will work via the template hierarchy on this order, utilizing the file it finds first:
taxonomy-animal-dog.php
taxonomy-animal.php
taxonomy.php
archive.php
index.php
Template Half
A template half is a theme file that accommodates the code for only one a part of a template file. You utilize this to retailer code that you just wish to use in a number of template information, such because the header (header.php), sidebar (sidebar.php) and footer (footer.php). You possibly can name every of those with get_header(), get_sidebar() and get_footer() respectively, in your template information.
You too can use a template half in different places in a template file, for instance to tug within the code for the loop. To do that you utilize the get_template_part() operate. Doing this makes your code extra environment friendly as you’re not repeating the identical code in a number of template information.
Template Tag
A template tag is a type of operate designed for use in theme template information. It usually fetches and shows information, akin to the positioning identify or description.
Time period
A time period is an merchandise in a taxonomy. So in the event you’ve added some classes to your posts, every of these classes is a time period within the class taxonomy.
You possibly can add taxonomy phrases by going to the taxonomy modifying display (e.g. Posts > Classes) or by including them once you’re modifying a submit.
Theme
A theme is a set of information that WordPress makes use of to output content material. It is going to all the time embrace at the very least two information: fashion.css and index.php. The stylesheet is critical because it contains important details about the theme and in addition provides styling to your website. The index.php file contains code such because the loop which is used to fetch information from the database and show it on the web page, plus template tags and different features which can output different information and media in addition to including interactions.
Most themes embrace lots extra information: the header.php, sidebar.php and footer.php template components which output components of the web page which are widespread to each web page, plus different template information for particular content material varieties akin to archives, pages and single posts. WordPress chooses which one to make use of with regards to the template hierarchy.
Widget
A widget is one thing you’ll be able to add to a widget space in your website (e.g. within the sidebar or footer) with out writing any code. You are able to do this by going to Look > Widgets within the admin or through the Customizer.
Validation
Validation is the method of checking that information is legitimate earlier than it’s saved to the database. You add validation features everytime you’re coding some form of enter akin to a textual content field.
For instance, if the consumer is required to enter an electronic mail deal with, validation will verify that it seems to be like an electronic mail deal with, i.e. that it’s within the right format. If it isn’t, it gained’t be accepted and the consumer will see an error message. As soon as information is validated it must be sanitized.
Is That The whole lot?
WordPress has lots of of phrases that you could be or could not have to get to journeys with relying on the way you’re utilizing it. Right here I’ve tried to incorporate the whole lot that almost all of individuals might want to know.
If there’s something that’s stumped you permit a observe within the feedback and if sufficient folks ask for one thing I’ll add a definition!
Subscribe to MarketingSolution.
Receive web development discounts & web design tutorials.
Now! Lets GROW Together!