Customization

Understanding the Error The “undefined function” error in PHP and WordPress indicates that a function has been called but not defined prior to the call. Typically, this means that the file containing the function definition has not been properly included or loaded before attempting to invoke the function. Some common examples of undefined function errors…

The Problem with Default URLs Automatically generated URLs for custom post types and taxonomies in WordPress can often be long, ugly, and unreadable. The default rewrite structures include the post type or taxonomy names, such as /product-category/ or /books/, which clutter up URLs. Additionally, the default structures do not allow much customization or control over…

The Problem of Numbering Posts Visually WordPress allows bloggers and site owners to easily organize content into posts and pages. However, the default display lacks visual hierarchy and organization around numbering these pieces of content. Without clear numbering and sequencing, readers may struggle to understand relationships between posts. By default, WordPress displays posts by date…

The Problem of Uneditable Functions in Parent Themes A common challenge when building a child theme is overriding functions that are defined in the parent theme’s functions.php file. Since a child theme is unable to directly modify the parent’s functions.php code, these functions cannot be edited directly. For example, say your parent theme shows post…

The Problem of Duplicate Slugs When changing the permalink structure for custom post types in WordPress, such as removing the post type slug from the URL, it can unintentionally create duplicate slugs across different post types. For example, both a post and a page may end up with the slug “sample-post” after changing permalinks. This…

Many WordPress sites need to update small pieces of data without reloading the entire page. This provides a faster, more responsive user experience. However, the traditional WordPress setup requires a full page load to save any data. This can create a clunky user experience if trying to update pieces of information like counts, ratings, statuses,…

Why Replace Files from the Parent Theme? Customizing the visual design and functionality of a WordPress site without editing the parent theme files directly is critical for site owners wishing to retain compatibility with future parent theme updates. Creating a child theme enables site owners to override specific template files, style sheets, and script files…

When building a WordPress website for a client, choosing the right plugins, themes, and custom functionality is key to matching the site to their business goals and brand. As a developer, optimization for site speed and performance is also vital. This comprehensive guide explores practical tips and best practices for tailoring WordPress installs to meet…

Targeting the 3rd Post with CSS Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) provide powerful selectors that can target specific posts in WordPress based on their position in the loop. We can leverage these selectors to apply custom styling rules that will style every 3rd post differently than the rest. Understanding WordPress Loop Behavior When WordPress outputs blog…

Getting Post Meta Outside WordPress The get_post_meta() function is widely used within WordPress to retrieve custom fields and metadata associated with a post. However, this function relies on the WordPress environment and will fail if attempted to be called from an external PHP script. When called in a direct PHP file outside of WordPress, get_post_meta()…