WordPress has become very popular these days, and it is the most powerful website builder worldwide. If you have built your website using WordPress, you must know the power of plugins. A WordPress Plugin is a tool that adds features and functionalities to your WordPress website without coding. Hire a WordPress plugin developer if you are looking to enhance the website’s functionality.
A plugin can bring significant changes or minor tweaks to your existing website based on its features. Developing and using your plugins on your website are two different concepts. If you want to unravel WordPress plugin development, you’ve come to the right place. Creating your Plugin is a smooth process. However, it is essential to have an in-depth understanding of how plugins work and create.
The blog post covers all the essential aspects of WordPress Plugin development, including the crucial elements and how they function together. Let’s look into the WordPress development process in detail.
Introduction of WordPress Plugin Development
WordPress Plugins allow you to improve or enhance your website’s functionality. You can add numerous features to your website that are unavailable in the core WordPress Platform without altering the code.
Developing your plugins allows you to add customized functionality to your site.
Plugin development is easier to learn, more flexible and cost-effective than hiring a developer to add more features to your website.
You don’t have to be an experienced programmer or coder to create your WordPress Plugins. If you have the basic knowledge of plugins, you can create your own.
A WordPress Plugin Development Tutorial
Let’s focus on the steps required in WordPress plugin development.
- Select a Plugin Name.
- Develop your Plugin Folder and PHP File.
- Add Your File Header.
- Program Your Plugin and Include Functions.
- Compress Your Plugin Folder.
- Activate the Plugin on Your WordPress Site.
Step1: Select a Plugin Name
One of the foremost steps in WordPress or custom WordPress plugin name is to find an official name for your Plugin. You will choose a unique and relevant name for your Plugin.
Ensure to check the WordPress Plugin Directory and search Google to find out that there shouldn’t be other plugins with the name you’re thinking about. It is to be noted that you must use the official plugin name for your Plugin’s folder and PHP file as well.
Ensure to select a plugin name that can be abbreviated easily to craft a distinct identifier.
Step 2: Develop a Plugin Folder and PHP File
Now, your Plugin needs to live somewhere. So, you have to decide on a name for your Plugin, and the next step is to create a folder.
To begin, go to the wp-content/plugins folder of WordPress installation. Develop a new folder and name it using hyphens to separate words.
Once you have set up your plugin folder, create a PHP file. No, use the same naming convention.
Step 3: Add Your File Header
Once you’ve developed your primary Plugin, include the file header. It is a PHP block comment that mentions metadata about your Plugin.
Include the following code inside the file:
Now, you want to replace the above information with the details related to your Plugin. Moreover, your plugin directory contains multiple PHP files. So be sure to include a header to one of them.
This header must include your Plugin’s name. You can also use this space to fill in details about the author, license and more.
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Once you’re done, save the changes. Your Plugin must be added to your site. To confirm the case, check the WordPress admin dashboard and go to Plugins.
You must check your new Plugin mentioned on the screen.
Step 4: Program Your Plugin to include More Functions
You have created the basic framework structure for your Plugin. What do you have to do now? Program your Plugin with the essential elements.
Ensure you make separate files for your Plugin. For instance, create separate files for CSS, JavaScript, images, etc. The different files are helpful for systematic organization if your Plugin is responsible for doing many things. If multiple files are needed, you must create a compressed folder before uploading them to your website.
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Step-5 Compress Your Plugin Folder
The Plugin will automatically be included on your site after adding a PHP file to the WordPress plugin directory. Using a text or code editor while writing your PHP file and plugin code is crucial. This is one of the most useful WordPress Development tools available.
Convert your Plugin to the zip format before uploading it to your WordPress site. Compress the plugin folder after including all the code you want to add. How do you do that?
Click on the folder and choose Compress.
Step-6: Activate and Run the Plugin
Switch to your WordPress site after creating the first draft of your Plugin. If you’ve missed including it on your WordPress installation, upload it via the plugin directory.
If the available Plugin is in the .zip folder on your system, add it to your WordPress dashboard: Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin> Choose File:
If the Plugin is already available in your WordPress directory, go to the Plugins screen and click the Activate link.
If you’re working with plugins for the first time, think about using a WordPress boilerplate. This will offer you a strong base for WordPress Plugin development. It provides you with great help during the creation process. Hire a WordPress developer in India if you are looking for custom WordPress plugin development.
