You don’t need to learn how to code to create a website using WordPress.
However if you want to customise your own site or even start developing WordPress websites for others then you will need basic coding skills and an understanding of how WordPress works.
Although I’m not a professional Web designer or developer I have created many Websites in HTML,PHP and WordPress over the last 14 years.
During which time I have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge not only to create and maintain my own sites but also to make basic modifications like
- Creating Templates
- Creating Child themes
- Create Shortcodes
- etc
My hope is that this guide will help you do the same.
Coding Skills Required
WordPress is a PHP web application and uses the following languages.
- HTML -See Starting HTML
- CSS -See Starting CSS
- PHP -See Starting PHP
- JavaScript -See Starting JavaScript
You should note that to start you don’t need to be an expert in any of these coding languages.
How WordPress Works
The following tutorials will guide you through the most important aspects.
- How WordPress Works
- Beginners Guide to the WordPress Loop
- The WordPress Load Process-Beginners Guide
- Beginners Guide to WordPress Templates
- Creating New Custom WordPress Page Templates
- Understanding The WordPress Query
External Resources and references:
Slide show covering the WP_Query object for developers. This is a video of the slideshow which makes understanding the slide show easier.
Other Resources
- Adding scripts and css files to WordPress– cover wp_emqueue
- WordPress Coding Standards article
- WordPress Coding Standards Codex