Jonathan Bossenger 7:03 am on March 8, 2023

Introduction to WordPress Development: A proposed learning path

One of the Training Team goals for 2023 is to “release a roadmap of new content (that isn’t tied to WP releases/features)”. To do this, we need to look at how we can plan out specific Learn WordPress content that is curated in a way that creates a learning journey for the user.

Last year, I started thinking about what skills and knowledge a WordPress developer should have. That list turned out to be quite long, but what did become clear was that defined pathways of learning are needed, in order to plot developer-focused content for Learn WordPress.

After spending a few months creating content for Learn WordPress, I’ve started narrowing down these learning paths for the new WordPress developer. In my estimation, there are generally three “levels” of knowledge and experience, namely beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

What defines the beginner level?

The beginner level can be defined as the fundamental knowledge that a new WordPress developer should know, from having no knowledge to being able to develop with and extend WordPress.

To put it another way, if you could send someone to a WordPress university for a three-year period of study to earn a degree in Developing with WordPress, what is the fundamental knowledge you would want them to have learned by the end of their first year?

It should be noted that there are two types of developers that this definition could apply to.

The primary audience for this content is developers who are new to extending WordPress. Perhaps they have built blogs and sites using no-code tools, and now they want to broaden their knowledge of how to build and extend WordPress. They may have some coding experience elsewhere, but they have never coded specifically for WordPress.

The secondary audience for this content is developers who are experienced in other development platforms. They could have come from building websites and web-based apps using other programming languages, content management systems, or frameworks. They already understand much of the foundational knowledge needed, and now merely need to learn the WordPress way.

What does the beginner-level learning path look like?

With all this in mind, this is my proposal for the content needed to create a learning pathway for the beginner-level WordPress developer:

A brief overview of how WordPress works
- The WordPress file system
- Creating basic things like posts, pages, and users, and changing settings
- Permalinks, and how they work with the rewrite module on both ApacheApache Apache is the most widely used web server software. Developed and maintained by Apache Software Foundation. Apache is an Open Source software available for free. and NginxNGINX NGINX is open source software for web serving, reverse proxying, caching, load balancing, media streaming, and more. It started out as a web server designed for maximum performance and stability. In addition to its HTTP server capabilities, NGINX can also function as a proxy server for email (IMAP, POP3, and SMTP) and a reverse proxy and load balancer for HTTP, TCP, and UDP servers. https://www.nginx.com/.
- How a dashboard page request loads
- How a front-end page request loads
The programming languages of WordPress
- HTMLHTML HTML is an acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is a markup language that is used in the development of web pages and websites.
- CSSCSS CSS is an acronym for cascading style sheets. This is what controls the design or look and feel of a site.
- JavaScriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/.
- PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. http://php.net/manual/en/intro-whatis.php.
- MySQLMySQL MySQL is a relational database management system. A database is a structured collection of data where content, configuration and other options are stored. https://www.mysql.com/.
WordPress development fundamentals
- Setting up a local development environment
- Action HooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same. and FilterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output. Hooks
- The WordPress database
- WordPress coding standardsWordPress Coding Standards The Accessibility, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, etc. coding standards as published in the WordPress Coding Standards Handbook. May also refer to The collection of PHP_CodeSniffer rules (sniffs) used to format and validate PHP code developed for WordPress according to the PHP coding standards.
- Enabling the debug.log
An introduction to developing WordPress themes
- Classic themes vs blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. themes
- Theme requirements
- Templates and template parts
- The WordPress Template Hierarchy
- Classic themes – Template tags and conditional tags
- Block themes – patterns
- Block themes – theme.jsonJSON JSON, or JavaScript Object Notation, is a minimal, readable format for structuring data. It is used primarily to transmit data between a server and web application, as an alternative to XML.
- Enqueuing CSS and JavaScript
- Custom functions
An introduction to developing WordPress plugins
- 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 requirements
- Creating custom post types and taxonomies
- Using post metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress.
- Enqueuing CSS and JavaScript
- Introduction to developing plugins securely
- Preventing common vulnerabilities
An introduction to Roles and Capabilities
- How to create and apply user roles
- How to create/modify/remove capabilities
- How to check user capabilities
An introduction to the WordPress REST APIREST API The REST API is an acronym for the RESTful Application Program Interface (API) that uses HTTP requests to GET, PUT, POST and DELETE data. It is how the front end of an application (think “phone app” or “website”) can communicate with the data store (think “database” or “file system”) https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/.
- Using the WordPress REST API
  - How to make an APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. request, differences between GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE
- Interacting with the WordPress REST API
  - available endpoints, schema, authentication, creating, updating, and deleting data
- The WordPress REST API under the hood
  - overview of how the REST API works, detail about design decisions
- Extending the WordPress REST API
  - creating custom routes and endpoints
An introduction to developing WordPress blocks
- Using JSX vs vanilla JavaScript
- Setting up the block development requirements
- Building your first simple block
An introduction to 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.
- Setting up a Multisite network
- Managing a Multisite network
- Building plugins and themes that support multisite
- The differences between developing for multisite vs single site
Debugging in WordPress
- Enabling the built-in WordPress debugging options
- Examining the state of your PHP code using error_log and print_ror vardump
- Examining the state of your JavaScript code using the console object
- Popular debugging plugins
  - https://wordpress.org/plugins/debug-bar/
  - https://wordpress.org/plugins/query-monitor/

Next Steps

My next steps would be to review the content we already have on Learn WordPress, as well as those items in production, against this list, to see what is already there, and what still needs to be created.

However, I’d first like to get some feedback from the Training team and the wider WordPress development community. Does this list cover the fundamental knowledge the new WordPress developer needs? Are there items here that might not be necessary? Are there any items that you might consider more important than others?

Please leave your feedback in the comments before Tuesday 21 March 2023.

Stewart 10:04 am on March 8, 2023

👍
Jonathan Bossenger 12:59 pm on March 8, 2023

+make.wordpress.org/core/
+make.wordpress.org/plugins/
+make.wordpress.org/themes/
- Courtney Robertson 6:12 pm on March 8, 2023
  
  +make.wordpress.org/marketing/
Zach Tirrell 2:25 pm on March 8, 2023
A few things that jump out to me as missing:
- introduction to accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility)
- introduction to translations / internationalization
- setting up a basic development environment
While all three of these can be explored deeper in intermediate and advanced approaches, each deserves some introduction.
- Jonathan Bossenger 11:54 am on March 9, 2023
  @zbtirrell great additions. Thanks.
  
  1. Would you agree that introduction to accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) would fall under the item HTMLHTML HTML is an acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is a markup language that is used in the development of web pages and websites. in the The programming languages of WordPress topic. IMO Accessibility is not a WordPress function, but a function of coding HTML correctly.
  
  2. “Introduction to translations / internationalization” Yes! I’m rather annoyed I missed this one. For this topic what do you feel are the high level items that should be covered. My thoughts are:
  - An introduction to some of the commonly used Internationalization Functions
  - A brief overview of the Internationalization Guidelines
  Localization is probably something that can be covered at level 2/intermedate
  
  3. You’ll note I already have this under 3.WordPress development fundamentals
  - Zach Tirrell 4:18 pm on March 9, 2023
    
    1. yeah, I think it would fit nicely in there. Honestly, the training in those areas is pretty significant in itself, might be worth calling out the critical topics
    2. agreed on all points
    3. totally missed it – nice!
bkjproductions 3:10 pm on March 8, 2023

I would wonder about putting debugging last, seems like that should be further up. True, the debug.log is listed in #3 where the local development environment is mentioned, but the different strategies for troubleshooting would be good to introduce early on.
- Jonathan Bossenger 11:56 am on March 9, 2023
  
  Good question. Besides the top 3 items in this list, I don’t see the other 7 as less or more important than each other, so I don’t consider Debugging as last. Also, this is not a list for a possible future course, just the list of required knowledge. I’d argue that Items 1-3 should be completed first as prerequisites for items 4-7, but 4-7 could be completed in any order.
Stephen Page 3:25 pm on March 8, 2023

I heartily second accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) and internationalization.

Since you are setting up a dev environment and covering debugging – something like XDebug is far superior to a var_dump so an intro/mention/link would be good.

SVNSVN Apache Subversion (often abbreviated SVN, after its command name svn) is a software versioning and revision control system. Software developers use Subversion to maintain current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentation. Its goal is to be a mostly compatible successor to the widely used Concurrent Versions System (CVS). WordPress core and the wordpress.org released code are all centrally managed through SVN. https://subversion.apache.org/. – specifically around submitting/updating on /plugins and /themes
- Nick 7:44 pm on March 8, 2023
  
  Xdebug is by far the most important tool available for WP development. Its not even close. There should be very detailed instructions for how to get it set up and use it.
- Jonathan Bossenger 12:09 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  While I agree that Xdebug is very important, my suggestion would be that this is something that would be covered at the intermediate level. The main reason I’d suggest this is due to the terminal knowledge/experience required to install and configure Xdebug. For most folks learning to code, setting up Xdebug and configuring it is more trouble than it’s worth vs just using the debug.log. However, when it comes to debugging existing code to find where a bug is, which is usually given to more experienced developers, then I fully agree that Xdebug is worth the effort.
  - Nick 10:09 pm on March 11, 2023
    
    Well, xdebug is included in the popular (though slow) Local by Flywheel. It’s also included in devilbox, which I mentioned elsewhere.
    
    Moreover, I strongly argue that xdebug is the most useful tool available for LEARNING php. A beginner, by definition, knows nothing at all. So debugging, let alone developing, isn’t possible. So, rather than groping around in the dark, with xdebug you can literally step through the code and see what each line does, see how an array differs from an object, how classes and hooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same. work, etc… You can start with a breakpoint wherever you’re immediately interested, but then can start working your way forward or backward through the entire page load process.
    
    Just imagine writing css without something like the browser inspector! Likewise for JavaScriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/. step debugging in the browser.
    
    To the extent that it can be a bit tricky to get started, all the more reason to create some quality training materials to make it easy and accessible to everyone. I’d be happy to contribute to this effort.
  - Chris Kindred 1:32 pm on March 20, 2023
    
    I second that xdebug should be a beginner-level item and early in the lessons/training at that. When hiring new developers, I find that getting xdebug set up and working is one of the best learning tools out there for WordPress. Being able to step through the code brings a tremendous amount of value. One of the first steps when working with or mentoring a Jr. Developer for me is always showing them how the WordPress lifecycle works, and there is no better tool than being able to step in and out of methods and functions while seeing the values of the variables at the same time.
    
    It is important enough for us that we have added questions during our interviews about how users debug PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. http://php.net/manual/en/intro-whatis.php. to identify how much time it will take for us to onboard them with the right tools for efficient development.
Ben Meredith 4:22 pm on March 8, 2023

First, I love the initiative in general, and think it’ll go a long way toward helping aspiring developers to “level up.”

I can’t help but think that one achilles heel of the whole initiative is the lack of clear and written-down direction for where the project is going. Without a clear roadmap, it feels a bit like guesswork to know “____ will be critical for a WP developer to know in 2030”

I’m not under the delusion that we can fully map out where things will go, but stated and clear direction would help me to evaluate the relative merit of each of the above categories.

OK, on to more constructive and less “yelling at clouds” items:

I wonder about “tacking on” 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. to this discussion. That might be my own unfamiliarity with Multisite, but it feels like a significantly different beast altogether, and essentially should be treated like an “elective.”

The other thing I wonder is what exactly we mean by “WordPress Developer” and how that’s shaping the entire conversation. Off the top of my head, there are at least 3 categories that fall under the banner “WordPress developer”
1. Staff developer: This is the 1 person at the company that “handles the website” for an other-wise not tech-forward organization. They are by necessity a generalist, able to troubleshoot themes, plugins, server/hosting conflicts, caching and performance issues, etc.
2. Product developer: They make and maintain a single product or suite of products. Some “generalist” knowledge is nice, but what will really help them excel is to learn best practices around Quality assurance, version control, working as a part of a team, and code standards, etc.
3. Agency developer: This is a solo (or part of a team) of folks who create bespoke solutions as a service. They create (and potentially maintain) sites for others. They also benefit from more of a generalist approach, and less deep product knowledge of any particular solution.

I wonder if it’s helpful to have separate tracks for each of these 3 (and perhaps other) categories?
- Jonathan Bossenger 12:14 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  I wonder about “tacking on” 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. to this discussion. That might be my own unfamiliarity with Multisite, but it feels like a significantly different beast altogether, and essentially should be treated like an “elective.”
  
  My counterpoint here would be that in my first year as a WordPress developer, I both had to consider how to build a 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 that would work on both single and multisite installs, due to the nature of the plugin, and I had to work on a couple of multisite child themes, for an educational institution which used Multisite for every single internal and externally facing site they managed, which was a lot. So from my perspective, having this information easily at hand would have been extremely valuable.
  
  The other thing I wonder is what exactly we mean by “WordPress Developer” and how that’s shaping the entire conversation. Off the top of my head, there are at least 3 categories that fall under the banner “WordPress developer”
  
  That’s an interesting discussion, and one we can definitely have when we start talking about learning pathways for intermediate and advanced levels. However, I consider this in the same way as one might consider studying the field of law or medicine. There is a multitude of different disciplines in both fields, however, there are certain fundamental lessons that all these disciplines will have to learn in their first year. This is my attempt to discern these fundamental lessons for the WordPress developer disciplines, the foundational knowledge that all WordPress developers must know.
Jonathan Bardo 6:42 pm on March 8, 2023

I think we would also go a long way teaching an overview of all the available WordPress APIs (settings APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways., rewrite API, etc). Will would go a long way in learning not to re-invent the wheel as I’ve seen newcomers do many times (like for example do their own HTTPHTTP HTTP is an acronym for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. HTTP is the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web and this protocol defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. call using Curl). It would certainly help in a track focused on creating custom plugins.
- Jonathan Bossenger 12:17 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  I agree, I think a section on an Introduction to the Common WordPress APIs would probably be a good addition. Maybe not a deep dive into each one, but an overview of the different APIs, and where to find information on how to use them.
Jonathan Bardo 6:44 pm on March 8, 2023

Another thing I would like to see is some love for advanced subject like wp-cliWP-CLI WP-CLI is the Command Line Interface for WordPress, used to do administrative and development tasks in a programmatic way. The project page is http://wp-cli.org/ https://make.wordpress.org/cli/ and the fundamentals of database migrationMigration Moving the code, database and media files for a website site from one server to another. Most typically done when changing hosting companies. in WordPress context.
- Jonathan Bossenger 12:19 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  I agree, but I also agree with the fact that you’ve referred to them as “advanced”, as I feel these topics would be included in the level 2/intermediate or level 3/advanced roadmap.
  
  However, before we can define levels 2 and 3, we need to define level 1, which is the aim of this post.
  - Jonathan Bardo 4:01 pm on March 9, 2023
    
    Make sense!
baohx 7:16 pm on March 8, 2023

I have the unpopular opinion that anyone working in WP should be at least mid-level in PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. http://php.net/manual/en/intro-whatis.php. knowledge (be able to do things without any framework) and know about the plethora of security concerns involved in working on any web/api backend service regardless of framework or language.

My main comment on the above list would be to move the permalink stuff from the first section down since it’s going to be drilling into webserver config (which would probably end up being a section of its own).

I would also echo that wp-cliWP-CLI WP-CLI is the Command Line Interface for WordPress, used to do administrative and development tasks in a programmatic way. The project page is http://wp-cli.org/ https://make.wordpress.org/cli/ needs to be part of the curriculum.
- Jonathan Bossenger 12:25 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  I have the unpopular opinion that anyone working in WP should be at least mid-level in PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. http://php.net/manual/en/intro-whatis.php. knowledge (be able to do things without any framework)
  
  .
  
  I would not consider that unpopular, in fact it’s part of the reason the The programming languages of WordPress section exists in this list.
  
  plethora of security concerns
  
  Also why the Introduction to developing plugins securely and
  Preventing common vulnerabilities items exist in this list.
  
  move the permalink stuff from the first section down
  
  The goal here would simply be to explain how the default WordPress rewrite rules work, for folks who do not understand how pretty permalinks work under the hood. But I agree that a topic on webserver config would make a great addition to either level 2/intermediate or level 3/advanced.
Nick 7:43 pm on March 8, 2023
I’m thrilled to see this coming to fruition!

As I said in my detailed feedback 8 months ago, I would strongly recommend putting a strong emphasis on non/pre-WordPress things
- Conceptual introduction to how a website even works (interplay between htmlHTML HTML is an acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is a markup language that is used in the development of web pages and websites., css, php, js, mysqlMySQL MySQL is a relational database management system. A database is a structured collection of data where content, configuration and other options are stored. https://www.mysql.com/.)
- setting up dev environment (ESPECIALLY Xdebug – which is by far the most useful tool available for learning about and working in PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. http://php.net/manual/en/intro-whatis.php.. It makes all of the tools mentioned in the roadmap above mostly obsolete).
- VS Code + Xdebug + Remote SSHSSH Secure SHell - a protocol for securely connecting to a remote system in addition to or in place of a password. for developing on your server.
- Local dev environment tools. Perhaps including WSL2 + Devilbox, which is by far the best option for local development on Windows, with Laragon being a distant second.
As for technical/dev stuff:
- AJAX vs REST APIREST API The REST API is an acronym for the RESTful Application Program Interface (API) that uses HTTP requests to GET, PUT, POST and DELETE data. It is how the front end of an application (think “phone app” or “website”) can communicate with the data store (think “database” or “file system”) https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/.. Various ways to use AJAX – jquery vs fetch.
- Form submission – I found this to be very confusing at first, even for something extremely simple.
- Hosting – shared vs managed vs VPS. Control Panel options – free and paid Cloud Panels, host-provided panels, etc…
Useful external resources to leverage/point to/borrow from:
It is unlikely that I’ll have time to actually produce materials for this effort, but I’d be more than happy to help map it out and provide feedback.
joshuahammer 7:54 pm on March 8, 2023

In section six I recommend adding verbiage about principle of least privilege if not in the section at least in the class about the section.

and in section 5 ease of upgrade should be mentioned again either in section or in the class about the section

beyond that looks good, though you may want to think about the title rather then beginner to novice as to me a beginner is a person that is just using plugins and tools to create a site (while they may think of themselves as a developer of websites)

so 4 stages
beginner (new user learning the platform no coding knowledge at all) novice (where beginner is at now)
- Jonathan Bossenger 12:37 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  principle of least privilege
  
  That’s a good point, I’ve made a note to include this principle when creating that content.
  
  ease of upgrade I’m not sure what you mean here, could you clarify? Do you mean that 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 developers should make it easy for users to upgrade?
  
  title rather then beginner to novice
  
  At this stage, the title is arbitrary, as this is mostly a list of the required knowledge, not specifically a plan for a course or series of classes. This is why I’ve referred to it as a “learning pathway” and not a “course” or “series of study”
David Perez 9:04 pm on March 8, 2023

Awesome guide to start development! I can help with any of this sections!
rickg 9:37 pm on March 8, 2023

Interesting outline. I’d change a few things.

1-4 seem foundational to me. At that point it branches out. Someone might develop websites, including custom themes and never need to develop a 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, so section 5 feels like a new branch. So does section 7 about the REST APIREST API The REST API is an acronym for the RESTful Application Program Interface (API) that uses HTTP requests to GET, PUT, POST and DELETE data. It is how the front end of an application (think “phone app” or “website”) can communicate with the data store (think “database” or “file system”) https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/.. Both feel intermediate vs beginner.

I’d thus group things like this:

1-4, 6 and 10 in a Foundations group and add accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) and i8n there with WP specific issues noted (this isn’t the place to teach everything about accessibility, but people should get an intro to it).

5, 7 and 8 would be covered in an Next Steps group. Fold in accessibility/i8n under, e.g. #8, developing blocks so that we’re teaching people that it’s important to create those things in an accessible manner.

Finally, I would preface the entire thing with a “you need to know these things to start” introduction. This isn’t the place for basic questions about HTMLHTML HTML is an acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is a markup language that is used in the development of web pages and websites. or CSSCSS CSS is an acronym for cascading style sheets. This is what controls the design or look and feel of a site. and if someone isn’t at least reasonably conversant in those and ideally a bit in PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. http://php.net/manual/en/intro-whatis.php., they’re jumping into WP development too soon. Or rather, they CAN learn these things as they learn WP but I’d make clear to them that they’re likely going to have to read up on topics that the course won’t be covering like semantic HTML, etc. Ideally, point to good guides.
- Jonathan Bossenger 12:41 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  Thanks for the input. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, this is not a proposal to create this as a course, where you do lesson 1, then 2, then 3 etc. It’s mostly trying to create a list of the required knowledge. How it ends up being bundled in courses or lessons later on is still to be determined, if it all.
  
  I generally view 1-3 as the only truly foundational stuff here, and everything else is a possible branch. For example, it’s perfectly possible to develop either a 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 or a theme, and never have to worry about roles and capabilities, depending on the theme or plugin’s functionality.
  
  In a perfect world, all this content exists in some form on Learn WordPress, and then folks can pick and choose where they to fill in their own gaps, and consume that content.
Meher Bala 10:23 pm on March 8, 2023

Maybe start off with a small introductory chapter on how servers work and different domain extensions. I know this topic is not exactly WordPress but it is the base of developing a WordPress website.
- Jonathan Bossenger 12:43 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  That’s an interesting idea. I actually agree that it makes sense to add a short introduction to how a web server works in the A brief overview of how WordPress works section. Thanks, @meher
caraya 3:32 am on March 9, 2023

To me, the phrase *should know* equates to this is what people whould bring with them before they take this course.
Is there a minimal set of skills that people should have before taking this course?

I agree that all the information in the list is necessary for a developer but not all information is necessary for an entry-level dev.

Here are some specific observations

How much of each language should a developer know? Would this be dependent on what type of content the developer is working with? For example, I would assume a much higher proficiency level in HTMLHTML HTML is an acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is a markup language that is used in the development of web pages and websites., CSSCSS CSS is an acronym for cascading style sheets. This is what controls the design or look and feel of a site., and JavascriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/. when working on classic themes or with headless WordPress than when working with blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. themes

Why should a beginner developer know SQL and the mySQLMySQL MySQL is a relational database management system. A database is a structured collection of data where content, configuration and other options are stored. https://www.mysql.com/./MariaDB database?

Should ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/. be included in the languages you cover? It’s based on Javascript but it’s not the same.

In WordPress development fundamentals, you should be specific as to what kind of development you’re referring to since there are language-specific coding standards (https://developer.wordpress.org/coding-standards/wordpress-coding-standards/), accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) coding standards (https://developer.wordpress.org/coding-standards/wordpress-coding-standards/accessibility/), and documentation standards (https://developer.wordpress.org/coding-standards/inline-documentation-standards/).
- Shilpa 7:27 am on March 9, 2023
  
  Brilliant list. Maybe adding something around coding standards, naming conventions and automated testing or testing tools might be a good idea too for beginners?
- Jonathan Bossenger 12:50 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  To me, the phrase *should know* equates to this is what people whould bring with them before they take this course.
  
  I feel I should point out that this post is not a proposal for a specific course, merely a proposal for a list of content that we might create for Learn WordPress, for the new to WordPress developer.
  
  but not all information is necessary for an entry-level dev.
  
  I agree, and as I’ve commented elsewhere on this post, in an ideal world, all this content exists on Learn WordPress, and then folks can pick and choose to fill in the gaps that are missing in their own knowledge. Some will have more gaps than others.
  
  How much of each language should a developer know?
  
  The way I look at the section The programming languages of WordPress, each item would be an introduction to that language, with links to trusted resources for further reading, like the language’s manual, MSDN etc. We should not recreate technical educational content for the programming languages if it already exists elsewhere.
  
  Why should a beginner developer know SQL and the mySQLMySQL MySQL is a relational database management system. A database is a structured collection of data where content, configuration and other options are stored. https://www.mysql.com/./MariaDB database? I think a familiarity with the fact that this is the database that WordPress uses, and how to perform simple queries using a MySQL tool will be useful, if only to understand how the data is stored under the hood.
  
  Should ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/. be included in the languages you cover? It’s based on JavascriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/. but it’s not the same.
  
  My opinion here is that React is a JavaScript framework, so including a link to the React docs in the JavaScript-related content would be useful, especially given that the blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor is developed mostly using React, even though React is not specifically required.
  
  Here I used the term “WordPress Coding StandardsWordPress Coding Standards The Accessibility, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, etc. coding standards as published in the WordPress Coding Standards Handbook.
  May also refer to The collection of PHP_CodeSniffer rules (sniffs) used to format and validate PHP code developed for WordPress according to the PHP coding standards.” to refer specifically to the WordPress Coding Standards.
  - caraya 7:10 pm on March 10, 2023
    
    My opinion here is that ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/. is a JavaScriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/. framework, so including a link to the React docs in the JavaScript-related content would be useful, especially given that the blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor is developed mostly using React, even though React is not specifically required.
    
    It’s not just the block editor that uses React.
    
    React is required when building custom blocks and Editor components so if we’re including the languages of WordPress, React should be part of it
    - caraya 7:13 pm on March 10, 2023
      
      Granted, using ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/. is not the only way to create blocks, but it offers more flexibility and power than doing it with a 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 or a no-code solution.
      - Jonathan Bossenger 6:18 am on March 11, 2023
        
        An introduction to developing WordPress blocks
        
        While it’s not explicitly listed, I had intended to include an overview of the JS libraries WordPress uses in the JavaScriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/. section of the Languages of WordPress topic. So that could include introductions to jQuery, Backbone.js, and ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/..
        
        It then makes sense to include an Introduction to React in the An introduction to developing WordPress blocks topic, before the Using JSX vs vanilla JavaScript item.
        
        caraya 6:10 am on March 12, 2023
        
        The use of ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/. is very different than the use of jQuery, Backbone, or any other library bundled with jQuery or with a 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.
        
        You could get away with developing without jQuery and Backbone. You could not get away with not having React to develop, particularly if you’re working with custom blocks
        
        Jonathan Bossenger 2:34 pm on March 12, 2023
        
        particularly if you’re working with custom blocks
        
        . This is only a requirement if you are planning to develop custom blocks though, which is why I’m suggesting including the bulk of any ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/.-specific content in the An introduction to developing WordPress blocks topic. For example, if you are a what @benmeredithgmailcom has described as a staff developer you may never need to touch React for your first few years.
        
        caraya 8:45 pm on March 17, 2023
        
        That’s fair but if this is a developer learning path then it should be present, more so than jQuery or backbone.
        
        Making that type of assumption is dangerous. We’re not targeting staff developers in this learning path, are we? If we want to use the learning path as a way to prepare developers to work with WordPress we shouldn’t assume what they are and are not going to do because we don’t know
        
        Jonathan Bossenger 9:00 am on March 20, 2023
        
        I’d like to clarify, do you feel that in my earlier suggestion of
        
        including the bulk of any ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/.-specific content in the An introduction to developing WordPress blocks topic
        
        is not enough?
Sandeep Raman 5:42 am on March 9, 2023

It’s a good list to start with, some points to cover will be best practices:
1) About security – escaping of input / output
2) Caching / auto loading – When creating options – when to auto load or not of variables
3) Basics of Software Design Patterns – Creational Patterns (Plugins use factories, Singletons, WP coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. uses the event observer patterns). This will help beginners understand & appreciate why Plugins or Core has been coded in a specific way.
Matt Cromwell 9:00 am on March 9, 2023

I love the initiative! My first thought was to go back to when I was a total n00b and ask “what helped me level up in WP dev in the beginning?”

For me, it was the very practical aspects of plugins and themes for building out a website. That was the gateway drug into the more esoteric stuff like permalinks and file management. Questions like, “how are pages structured with PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. http://php.net/manual/en/intro-whatis.php.?” or “How can I add javascriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/. to a specific page?” are the beginner questions that unlock a lot of possibilities. I think starting there is helpful since it exposes a lot of how WordPress works as a platform.

Bottom line, when educating, lead with the meaty exciting stuff to whet their appetite for more and then get into the deeper dive stuff later.
- Jonathan Bossenger 1:21 pm on March 9, 2023
  
  That’s where it gets interesting. To be able to whet their appetite with the meaty stuff, one also needs to have the deeper dive stuff available, should they want to do so.
  
  That’s why this list is “my proposal for the content needed to create a learning pathway for the beginner-level WordPress developer” and not “my proposal for a specific learning pathway for the beginner-level WordPress developer”.
  
  In an ideal world, all this content exists on Learn WordPress, and then folks can pick and choose to fill in the gaps that are missing in their own knowledge.
Jonathan Bossenger 7:28 am on March 22, 2023

Thank you to everyone who shared their feedback, I’ll post the updated list in a new blog post on this blog during the course of this week.
Jonathan Bossenger 2:42 pm on August 25, 2023

I would like to take this opportunity to invite everyone who commented on this post to read through the Looking for feedback: Learning pathway outlines post, as it includes the learning pathways for intermediate and advanced developer learning pathways.