WordPress.org

1. baysoftware
   Member
   Posted 2 years ago #

   Hi everyone,

   I'm trying to add a component I wrote to WordPress as a plugin/widget. I've been going through the Codex and so far everything seems pretty straightforward...define the PHP header, define the functions, and then hook them in using add_filter or add_action. I followed the instructions and managed to install and register my basic, functionless widget. At this point, however, the Codex just stops dead.

   The actions listed don't include a awful lot of detail; the parameters are *very* briefly mentioned (what about type? sample data?), return data is often not mentioned at all, and all of the actions/filters link to a blank page ("There is currently no text in this page.") In some cases, it's almost impossible to figure out what they're supposed to do (e.g. function parameter is "array of comment information structures" ... what is this? where is it documented?)

   Obviously people are writing plugins and widgets, but where are they getting the information to do this? I downloaded a few widgets and tried to look up the actions/filters they hook into and, in about 60% of the cases, the search on WordPress.org returned no results (even a number of the "typical request" actions listed on the Action Reference -- http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Action_Reference -- don't seem to exist anywhere on WordPress.org).

   What am I missing?

   Thanks for your help!

2. plug_n_author
   Member
   Posted 2 years ago #

   The codex is near worthless for authoring plugins. Hopefully you know how to use the command line. Under Windows, I use 'findstr /sic:"somethingtosearchfor" *' (without the surrounding quotes) to search the entire WordPress source code for something along the lines of what I'm looking for. You really end up winging it. Obviously, you will come to the same conclusion I have - WordPress is a hack and is a miracle it works at all. Unfortunately, WordPress is the best blogging software out there. That says to me there is significant room for improvement and is still really anyone's game.

   No one really wanders this forum - you're lucky I came along.

   As far as plugin authoring, you really are on your own. You have to have pretty in-depth PHP skills and former plugin authoring experience with other, more documented products, to author a plugin for WordPress that isn't riddled with security holes. The plugin infrastructure in WordPress qualifies as decent - not the worst, but hardly the best.

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