The best-practices tag has no wiki summary.
145
votes
3answers
37k views
When should you use WP_Query vs query_posts() vs get_posts()?
It seems like half the tutorials in the codex and around the blogosphere use query_posts() and half use WP_Query. What's the deal?
73
votes
37answers
7k views
Objective Best Practices for Plugin Development? [closed]
Starting a community wiki to collect up objective best practices for plugin development. This question was inspired by @EAMann's comments on wp-hackers.
The idea is to collaborate on what objective ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
don't publish custom post type post if a meta data field isn't valid
I have a custom post type (CPT) called event. I have a meta box for the type with several fields. I would like to validate some fields before publishing an event. For example, if an event's date is ...
12
votes
2answers
448 views
How to remove a filter that is an anonymous object?
In my functions.php file I would like to remove the below filter, but I'm not sure how to do it since it's in a class. What should remove_filter() look like?
add_filter('comments_array',array( ...
32
votes
6answers
2k views
Best-of-Breed Features of a High-End WordPress Web Host? [closed]
I'm posting this as a community wiki because I'd like to get a collaboratively edited list of features for a high-end WordPress webhost.
For example, if you are running a high-traffic ...
14
votes
5answers
4k views
Conditionally Loading JavaScript/CSS for Shortcodes
I released a plugin that creates a shortcode and requires a JavaScript file and a CSS file to load on any page that contains that shortcode. I could just make the script/style load on all pages, but ...
9
votes
2answers
3k views
Best practices for localizing WordPress content?
A client asked for a blog that will have localized content (i.e. en.blogname.com for English content, fr.blogname.com for French content, etc). Being new to building such a blog, we recently ...
28
votes
3answers
2k views
Opinions and recommendations on the best barebones base theme [closed]
Preamble
I'm finding myself building more and more WP sites "from scratch" as it were (ie: ignoring any theme designs out there and just creating a design wireframe purely on the needs of the client. ...
35
votes
8answers
7k views
Is moving wp-config outside the web root really beneficial?
One of the most common security best practices these days seems to be moving wp-config.php one directory higher than the vhost's document root. I've never really found a good explanation for that, but ...
10
votes
4answers
1k views
Plugins in symlinked directories?
When I develop plugins I test them on multiple versions of WordPress by symlinking my plugin directory in the different wp-content directories. This is great since I only have to edit the files once, ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Return $post_id when DOING_AUTOSAVE?
I see the following pattern over and over, on this site and on other places:
add_action( 'save_post', 'wpse14169_save_post' );
function wpse14169_save_post( $post_id )
{
if ( defined( ...
6
votes
2answers
584 views
Use wp init hook to call other hooks?
I want to know if it is a good practice according to WordPress theme or plugin development.
add_action('init','all_my_hooks');
function all_my_hooks(){
// some initialization stuff here and then
...
7
votes
1answer
115 views
Shared functionality in plugins and themes
I recently started to develop plugins and themes and I found that I need to use several functions of on both.
Sometime I think about to check if function / class exist before declared as said on this ...
4
votes
2answers
618 views
What are the current recommended best-practices for comments.php?
I'm getting ready to submit a theme to the .Org repo and wanted to make sure that everything is in ordnung. One of the biggest holes left in my design is the comments template.
I've taken a look at ...
39
votes
7answers
3k views
Best collection of code for your .htaccess file [closed]
We have the Best Collection of Code for your functions.php file thread, so I thought that it might be useful to create a thread for our .htaccess files.
AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO ADD ANY OF YOUR OWN ...
12
votes
2answers
335 views
In Which Contexts are Plugins Responsible for Data Validation/Sanitization?
I want to make sure all of the data in my plugins/themes is handled securely before entering the database and before being output to the browser. My problem is that there are situations where the API ...
7
votes
2answers
3k views
How do i best handle custom plugin page actions?
I'm constantly running into the same annoyance, so i thought i'd see if there's any ideas or experience out there...
I've created a plugin that uses it's own admin page. It has to. Now that i sorted ...
7
votes
3answers
215 views
Getting a peer review for my new plugin?
What is the best way to get an experienced WordPress developer take a look at my plugin and give constructive criticisms? I have written code to solve some of my questions on this site, and I think ...
12
votes
2answers
1k views
Best Practices for Regression Testing WordPress Websites?
Hi all,
I'd like to hear what others who are delivering complex non-blog solutions to clients with WordPress as a platform what they are using for automated Regression Testing?
For those not ...
12
votes
4answers
563 views
Why have <?php and ?> on every line
I've seen this convention pretty much everywhere, and, at times, it comes close to driving me nuts:
<?php //The loop ?>
<?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>
<?php ...
3
votes
1answer
101 views
Optimize shortcode callbacks
I created a plugin to add some shortcodes in my WordPress site. But I'm a PHP newbie, so I believe it may have some errors or ways to optimize it.
It's working fine, and apparently there are no ...
4
votes
2answers
974 views
Making $ globally accessible with jQuery.noConflict()
The Codex promotes this method of using $ inside a plugin/theme JavaScript file:
jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
// $() will work as an alias for jQuery() inside of this function
});
But ...
5
votes
2answers
545 views
Pitfalls when Distributing Plugins that Access SOAP Web Services?
I'm wondering what pitfalls (if any?) developers here have run into when distributing WordPress plugins via the WordPress plugin repository that embed a SOAP client for accessing SOAP web services for ...
2
votes
1answer
799 views
get_template_directory() vs bloginfo( 'template_directory' ) vs TEMPLATEPATH
I was reading this article: Common WordPress Development Mistakes and How to Fix Them, and in it, they author says:
Getting the theme location: If you are using TEMPLATEPATH or bloginfo(
...
2
votes
1answer
291 views
When to check if a function exists
I've just started developing a WP plugin, and i've been reading some code from other plugins as a way to get started. I've seen a couple of plugins that wrap all or some of their functions in the ...
1
vote
2answers
60 views
Failed to invoke other hook from the init hook
Related to this question (Use wp init hook to call other hooks?) but not the same.
Sometimes, I found that the hook will failed to run when I place inside the init hook, e.g.
Not Work:
...
0
votes
2answers
364 views
TwentyTen: Overloading template.php files vs. get_template_part
I'm studying TwentyTen, under the assumption that it contains the best practices for writing themes and modifying them using child themes.
I'm noticing what looks like a really redundant practice, ...
