What areas to learn to feel comfortable with WordPress

  • Gibbon355

    (@gibbon355)


    7 years, 8 months ago

    I run several WordPress sites that I have no problem managing. However, with a new WordPress/Woocommerce store, various plugins, and the exchange of money/products, I feel that I want to be able to handle problems should they arrive, because a store can be a big responsibility.

    I’m familiar with Html and CSS but will learning Javacript, which can take about 100 hours to get comfortable with, be a good enough base that I don’t have this feeling that I am not 100% comfortable with whatever complexities or contingencies arise? I realize that there is Angular, Redux, etc too but does a good base in Javascript make you feel more like a developer, which I don’t feel at all with just html and css?

    • This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Gibbon355.
    • This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Andrew Nevins.
    • This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Jan Dembowski.
Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
  • catacaustic

    (@catacaustic)

    7 years, 8 months ago

    What you learn depends on what you want to modify/fix.

    HTML, CSS and JavaScript are all client-side. They are used to make the site look the right way, and do a few things in the users browser.

    PHP is the back-end languagte that WordPress is written in. All plugins and themes are also written in PHP, so you need to know this to extend WordPress.

    As for “which can take about 100 hours to get comfortable with”, I’d say a very big “maybe” to that. 100 hours can be used in different ways, and to be honest woud only give you a very brief overview of things without much substance or understanding. It takes a whole lot more to get good enough to think about being a developer (I’ve been doing this for 15 years now, and I don’t feel like I know enough!)

    I don’t say this to discourage you, but to hopefully help you to manage your expectations. While you can learn what you need, it will take time, and you won’t jsut “get it” straight away. But, keep on working at it, and you’ll get there, and it will all be worth it.

    Thread Starter Gibbon355

    (@gibbon355)

    7 years, 8 months ago

    Thanks, Catacaustic. My main goal is to not be reliant on paying anyone to fix my store if it has a problem and so that I would be the sole “developer” of the site. I’m looking for basic skills that I can learn spending 2 solid hours a day for the next year or more.

    I watched a few videos on what to learn to be a web developer(I’m a pro illustrator. I just want developer skills, not a job.) and they say html, css, and Java script but you say they are mainly for the look and not back-end functionality that programmer needs? If I learned Php and Javascript, maybe 1200 hours over the course of 2 years, would it be enough to handle the back-end of a woocommerce store with confidence?

    For example, I know Maya, 3Dsmax, Zbrush, Pshop, Blender, After effects, and on and on. I’m a pro artist. No doubt. But I wouldn’t even begin to say I’m a web programmer or could handle a web store and all the potential issues that can arise with a lot of customers. Eventually I would pay someone but I want to learn enough of the skills that I would later pay someone to do, in order to manage the store initially and trouble shoot whatever arises.

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Gibbon355.
    • This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Gibbon355.
    catacaustic

    (@catacaustic)

    7 years, 8 months ago

    The best thing to do is learn the basics, and expand from there as you need to. Think of what you want to change, and see how to go about that. Start small, learn how to do that, and move on to the next challenge. I persoanlyl learn more and better if I have a set goal and have ot get to that point instead ofjust reading through some tutorials.

    Thread Starter Gibbon355

    (@gibbon355)

    7 years, 8 months ago

    I’m trying to set an initial goal and it sounds like Javascript would be first over the next 3 months(2 hours a day), and then Php longer term.

    Andrew Nevins

    (@anevins)

    WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support

    7 years, 8 months ago

    Another way of getting more comfortable is by reading through the support topics here on WordPress.org. Look at the Resolved topics: https://wordpress.org/support/view/support-forum-yes/

    You can see problems and answers to those problems, learn common solutions and get a feel for best practices and paradigms specific to being a good developer on WordPress, that you may not get from learning PHP and JavaScript directly.

    Andrew Nevins

    (@anevins)

    WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support

    7 years, 8 months ago

    When you’re feeling a little more comfortable, there’s nothing better to help you on your way by getting yourself stuck into the solution to someone’s problem.
    https://wordpress.org/support/view/no-replies/

    Thread Starter Gibbon355

    (@gibbon355)

    7 years, 8 months ago

    Thanks, Andrew. I started to do that with simpler problems I could possibly encounter but as I learn more I’ll be able to relate to broader and more complex issues.

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