10 things You Must Know to Start WordPress Development

Are you diving into WordPress development but feeling overwhelmed by the vast array of features and functionalities? Fear not! Here’s a comprehensive guide to the essential elements you need to grasp to kickstart your journey into WordPress development.

1. Database Structure Understanding the database structure of WordPress is crucial for effective development. Familiarize yourself with the core tables and their relationships to efficiently query and manipulate data. Create a fresh WordPress installation and then log in to PhpMyAdmin and go through each table and column. Just get an idea of how WordPress saves its data.
   You can know about complete database structure form here. 
2. Custom Post Type Custom post types allow you to create and manage different content types beyond just posts and pages. Mastering custom post types allows you to develop WordPress to fit a diverse range of content needs.
3. WP Query WP Query is the powerhouse behind fetching content from the WordPress database. Learn how to construct queries to retrieve precisely the content you need, efficiently and effectively.
4. Hooks (Actions and Filters) Hooks are the backbone of WordPress’s extensibility. Understanding actions and filters enables you to inject or modify functionality at specific points in the WordPress execution lifecycle.
5. Page Templating Page templates control the layout and presentation of individual pages on your WordPress site. Learn how to create custom page templates to achieve unique designs and functionalities.
6. WP Ajax Operations Ajax enables you to perform asynchronous requests to the server without reloading the entire page. Mastering WP Ajax operations allows you to create dynamic and interactive user experiences.
   
   WordPress has its own Ajax functions to handle AJAX operations. Master it for best execution.
7. File Uploading to WP Media Learn how to handle file uploads and integrate them into the WordPress media library seamlessly. Understanding file uploading is essential for managing multimedia content on your site.
8. WP Mail Sending and SMTP Config Effective communication is vital for any website. Learn how to configure and customize WordPress email functionality, including SMTP setup for reliable email delivery.
   
   There are lots of plugins available for SMTP setup. But it’s always best to manage it from coding.
9. Custom User Avatar Personalization enhances user engagement. Explore how to implement custom user avatars to allow users to express their identity visually on your WordPress site.
   
   WordPress uses Gravatar for Profile Pictures. But it might not work in many cases. For that, learn how to add Profile Pictures to WordPress users manually using hooks.
10. Language Setup WordPress is a global platform, and catering to different languages and locales is essential. Learn how to configure language settings and translate your WordPress site to reach a broader audience.

By mastering these essential aspects of WordPress development, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle diverse projects and unleash the full potential of the world’s most popular content management system.

Bonus: WP Multisite For those looking to manage multiple WordPress sites from a single installation, understanding WP Multisite is invaluable. Explore its capabilities for centralized management and scalability.

Now that you have a roadmap to guide your WordPress development journey, dive in, experiment, and don’t hesitate to explore further to unlock even more possibilities!