developer.WordPress.org Specification

developer.WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/ is a new portal for WordPress developers. It will provide educational tools to teach people about WordPress development (in the form of handbooks) and a reference for the WordPress codebase (the code reference).

Goals

developer.WordPress.org has several goals:

• improve current resources for developers
• encourage best practices in WordPress development
• educate new developers

If the site succeeds at encouraging best practices in WordPress development, a potential side-effect is an improvement in users’ experience of third party plugins and themes.

Stakeholders

The primary team identified as a stakeholder is the docs team. However, three other teams are associated stakeholders and their input will be used in the development of the resources. They are: coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress., themes, and plugins. The net result of a successful implementation means improved documentation and educational information for new, intermediate, and experienced developers, ultimately affecting the entire project.

@siobhan has volunteered to own this project.

@samuelsidler will project manage and work with the above stakeholders (e.g., communicate with the team reps from each team).

Solutions

We’ve identified two features of the developer portal that will complete the goals of this project:

1. developer handbooks
2. code reference

To ensure we complete our goals, we’ll use the following metrics:

• stats from the both the code reference and handbooks to ensure they’re being used
• feedback from the development community by way of surveys, comments, and weekly meetings
• full testing of handbooks by amateur developers; they should be able to work through the handbooks and achieve the individual handbook’s goal by the end.

Components

developer.WordPress.org can be broken up into three components, each with their own specific tasks.

Design

Designs need to be created for:

• main landing page
• handbook landing pages
• individual handbook pages

Completed Steps:

• @saracannon agreed to take the lead on design
• mockup created for main landing page
• @saracannon created a design for the handbooks
• @saracannon created a design for main landing page (alternate version)
• public feedback on designs via relevant P2
• design adjustments from Sara (minor ones needed; to be done during theme creation)
• final approval of designs and hand off to @krogsgard

Next Steps:

• theme is built and implemented by @krogsgard (front page code lives here; handbook code lives here)

Handbooks

Two handbooks are currently in progress and are pivotal to the success of this project. Both are being spearheaded by @hanni.

• Theme Developer Handbook: @sewmyheadon as editor
• Plugin Developer Handbook: @hanni as interim editor

Other handbooks have been proposed, but are not required to complete this project:

• Introduction to WordPress Development
• Server Configuration for WordPress
• Building Networks with WordPress MultisiteMultisite Multisite is a WordPress feature which allows users to create a network of sites on a single WordPress installation. Available since WordPress version 3.0, Multisite is a continuation of WPMU or WordPress Multiuser project. WordPress MultiUser project was discontinued and its features were included into WordPress core.https://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network.

developer.WordPress.org should launch with the theme and pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party developer handbooks complete. More contributors are needed in this area to assist with writing, developing, editing, and testing the handbooks.

Next Steps:

• review current handbook content
• push handbooks to developer.wordpress.org with basic design (as seen on core contributor handbook); starting with theme dev handbook which is furthest along
• @hanni to draw up further plans

Code Reference

Development of the code reference is currently in progress.

Completed Steps:

• WP Parser built by @rmccue
• theme designed by @melchoyce (landing page, function page, deprecated function page, archive page, archive page with deprecated function) along with PSD versions (
• theme built by @georgestephanis
• @nacin to get alpha version online.
• @nacin to draw up list of code reference tasks. (on trac now)
• @Rarst & @toscho volunteered to help with development of reference
• possibly modify design based on overall developer hub design from @saracannon

Next Steps:

• theme creation by @krogsgard
• development work (see trac list)

The inline docs are going to be updated by the core team in 3.7 to ensure that we get a good output. Once the alpha is up and running we’ll need a team around making improvements to it. This will include:

• ongoing development of the parser
• extending the functionality (we’ll use meta.tracTrac Trac is the place where contributors create issues for bugs or feature requests much like GitHub.https://core.trac.wordpress.org/. for features, enhancements, bugs, so people can upload patches)
• testing the workflow to make sure that people can contribute explanations and examples
• moving relevant information from the Codex
• having a drive to get people to add information
• ongoing curation and moderation

#devhub, #projects, #spec