I’ve become a big fan of Local by Flywheel for local WordPress development (i.e. running websites on my Mac). One thing I do find frustrating is the need to SSH into my Local by Flywheel website when I want to run a WP CLI command. Thanks to some great work by Morgan Estes with his Continue reading
When command line “which” gives the wrong result
There is a very useful command line tool called which. This tool determines which file will be executed when you type it. Unfortunately, this command can sometimes provide the wrong answer. Background The PATH environmental variable is a list of directories to check for an executable when it is entered. This means that an executable Continue reading
Using Vim to View Git Commits
This tweet blew my mind. $ git log | vim -R –Now press <K> on a commit hash. — Luke Diamand (@LukeDiamand) February 21, 2018 I spend a lot of my time in Vim and Git and this is an amazing combination of the two. While I love this command, I think we can do Continue reading
Install Multiple WordPress Plugins with WP CLI
At a recent WordPress meetup we were discussing WP CLI and the comment came up, “When setting up a site, it would be nice to install a bunch of plugins with a single command.” Fortunately a WordPress meetup is a great place to bounce ideas off of smart people and find a solution. Solution 1: Continue reading
Git Delete Merged Branches from Remote
When I’m working on a project using Git, I’m good about deleting local branches that I don’t need anymore. However, I often forget about my remote branches after they are merged. While it is convenient that most of the Git hosting I use makes it easy to show only unmerged branches, this also makes it Continue reading
Make Your WordPress Plugin Easy to Extend
As a WordPress developer it is a painful (and all too familiar) feeling of angst, when I find a plugin that does almost exactly what I want but the author has left no way for me to modify the behavior without changing their code. Don’t Hack Core (or plugins) A popular refrain in WordPress developer Continue reading
Overridable Templates in Your WordPress Plugin
There are many WordPress plugins that allows you to provide your own template in your theme that overrides the default template (e.g. WooCommerce). I’d like to look at how you can add this functionality to your own plugin. Default Template For demonstration purposes I’ve created a WordPress plugin called the Raptor Button plugin. This plugin Continue reading
Make Your Plugin Translatable
As we watch the number of non-English WordPress installations grow faster than English installations, the value of making your plugin “translation ready” grows as well. In order to make your plugin translatable (this is also know as Internationalization or I18n), there are three things you need to do. 1. Use Translation Functions Whenever you use Continue reading
Delete Transients on Plugin Deactivation
When I was a child, my mother often reminded me to clean up after myself. While I’m pretty sure she was talking about the kitchen, this is great advice for plugin authors as well. When someone deactivates your plugin, it is good form to remove anything you added to the database. The most common place Continue reading
Why I prefer CMB2 over ACF
When working in WordPress, it is common to extend the platform with Custom Fields that go beyond the default functionality. Two popular choices are Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and CMB2. My Preference My personal preference is CMB2. At the same time, there are many developers I know and respect who prefer ACF and use it Continue reading