Semalt Expert: WordPress Plugin Guideline
Plugins are these PHP code snippets which add functionality to your website. For amateur coders, people utilize these codes to add features t their current theme without having to alter core code of the theme. Plugins help in the creating of custom posts, manage database entries, track your articles as well as adding items folders to a "CDN" server. For instance, persons running Amazon Affiliate eCommerce websites have the potential of benefitting from these features. In some situations, you may need a personal plugin to make you solve a unique need for your site.
As a theme modifies the layout and appearance of a site, plugins enhance their feature functionality. Themes carry out their functions in the functions.php file folder. With plugins, you can be able to put one in your plugins folder. A person with basic knowledge of the WordPress file system and PHP coding can be able to create a custom plugin. In this SEO article, you can learn how to make your plugin.
Andrew Dyhan, a leading specialist of Semalt, assures that to use a plugin, you need to upload and activate it first.
How WordPress plugins work
Plugins are simple PHP snippets. Just like themes, these are PHP files present somewhere within your website directory. To make a plugin, you need to navigate to your wp-content/plugins folder. From here, create a folder name and place a PHP file in it. All these items should possess a similar name. From here, you can be able to make your first WordPress plugin.
A plugin requires a header. A header is the first part of the plugin. It contains special information such as the author name, version, name, and description of the plugin. Using a text editor, you can be able to add codes and snippets to your WordPress website. For instance, assuming that our plugin is the name 'Our Sample Plugin,' you can use the code:
Plugin Name: Our Sample Plugin
Plugin URI: http:// Our-Sample-Plugin.com
Description: a plugin to test how it's done
Version: 1.2
Author: Mr. Plugin
Author URI: http://oursampleplugin.com
License: GPL2
This plugin is complete. Activating it on your website database can be possible. However, it does not contain any function on it. Consequently, it cannot achieve any feature. You need to add lines of a function of this plugin for it to work. In your backend programming, you can add code snippets to its body and make this plugin perform a specific role on your website. For example, you may want this plugin to be able to retrieve views. In this case, your plugin may look like:
<?php
/*
Plugin Name: Our Sample Plugin
Plugin URI: http:// Our-Sample-Plugin.com
Description: a plugin to test how it's done
Version: 1.2
Author: Mr. Plugin
Author URI: http://oursampleplugin.com
License: GPL2
*/function awepop_get_view_count() {
global $post;
$current_views = get_post_meta($post->ID, "awepop_views", true);
if(!isset($current_views) OR empty($current_views) OR !is_numeric($current_views) ) {
$current_views = 0;
}
return $current_views;
}>
This is a complete WordPress plugin which can be able to retrieve and show page views. There is no commands limit to the functions you can add to a plugin. Finally, you need to upload and install your plugin on WordPress. From here, you can activate your WordPress plugin.