When I first started contributing to projects on GitHub, I had a difficult time with keeping my work and the original project in sync. Eventually, I found a way that works for me. Step 1: Fork the Repository I do this with the GitHub fork button. As an example, if I wanted to contribute to […]
Solving a Rubik’s Cube
I’m a big fan of the Rubik’s cube and the mystery surrounding them. I can remember messing up a Rubik’s Cube and then handing it off to my grandfather who would take it home, solve it, and return it to me a few days later. How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube There are a few […]
Genesis Starter Theme
As a WordPress developer, when I’m building a WordPress theme my strong preference is to build on the Genesis Framework. I’ve written about Why the Genesis Framework is Great. Pre-Made Genesis Child Themes The Genesis Framework is a parent theme that needs a child theme to go with it (Genesis does the heavy lifting and […]
wp_localize_script Explanation
A long time ago a WordPress programmer wanted to use a PHP value in their JavaScript. No problem they said, I’ll add this in my PHP theme code. Using a PHP Value in JavaScript – version 1 <?php $my_php_value = ‘Hello World’; echo ‘<script>’; echo ‘alert( “‘ . $myPHPValue . ‘” );’; echo ‘</script>’; ?> […]
Why I Mark Email as Spam
While I recognize email marketing is an important tool, in general I am not interested in receiving it. Why You Don’t Want Me to Mark You as Spam As you may know, it is important to avoid recipients marking your email as spam. Many email services take note of emails where recipients click the spam […]
Test Credit Cards
The following is a reference I’ve created for myself for test credit card numbers when dealing with different payment Gateways. Note: These test numbers only work when the transactions are submitted in Stripe’s testmode (or to the sandbox for Authorize.net). More information on: Authorize.net sandbox Stripe Test Mode Authorize.net Test Card Brand Number American Express […]
WordPress Development Editor
Recently, the question came up about a good editor for WordPress development. The Editor You Know is the Best Editor WordPress development does not require any specific editor. If you already have an editor you know and like, I suggest sticking with it. If your editor is extensible through plugins or configuration, I would look […]
.gitignore for WordPress
Originally when I started using Git with my WordPress projects, I checked in all the files (WordPress core, plugins, themes, and even uploads). Over time I’ve found that to be less than ideal. My preferred .gitignore file appears below and it ignores everything by default. This allows me to whitelist only those plugins and themes […]
Why I Don’t Provide Support via Email
You’re probably reading this email because you contacted me with a support question regarding one of my open source projects. I’m glad to hear you are finding my project useful and I hope I can help you with your issue. However I don’t provide free support for these non-commercial projects via email. It is likely […]
Why Capitalize the P in WordPress?
In the WordPress community, I’ve found there is an over-emphasis on capitalizing the P in WordPress, to the point where there is a function in WordPress to correct the lower-case p (see capital_P_dangit() ). While all this fuss over the size of “P” may seem pedantic and silly to you, it is still worth taking […]