I’ve covered adding custom fields to REST API responses before. While my original post from a few years ago is still largely valid, there are new improvements. I’d like to share what’s changed. When I wrote that post, the only way to add a custom field to a response was using register_rest_field and adding your own read, write and schema handlers. That method still works. But, you can also use register_meta(), which handles the callbacks for you. If your custom fields are stored using the WordPress object’s standard meta API, for example, user meta for users, then this new method […]

At this year’s WordCamp US, I was super excited by the possibilities that Gutenberg presented for WordPress. I came home and started making blocks. Having built a few custom block plugins, I’m even more excited. This isn’t a tutorial, instead, this is a reflection on what it’s like to develop for the WordPress of the future, as of Gutenberg version 1.9.1. Yes, I was skeptical when Gutenberg was first released as a “beta”. I think calling it a beta was a mistake as what we had to work with six months ago was not feature complete. Version 1.9 isn’t feature […]

In my last article for Torque, I wrote about why I think that for PHP code following the coding standards set by the PHP community make more sense than those set for WordPress core. These standards are based on serving the needs of an existing legacy code base, limited to language features that are 10 years old or later. When you start a new WordPress plugin, site, or app, there is no reason for you to make the same decision, when you’re circumstances are totally different. As a follow up to that article, I’d like to show you, technically how […]

My entry into the WordPress world started with support. It’s not an uncommon path to being a WordPress developer. Starting with support is a great way to learn development. But it’s also a great way to learn about your product by talking with the people who use it. Personally, I’ve always approached that process more conversationally then in a data-driven fashion. Talking to people is a great way to find out what they think, but it doesn’t scale. Early next year my friend Matt Cromwell, Head of Support and Community Outreach for GiveWP.com and WordImpress.com will be leading a webinar […]

When I started in WordPress development, I was very lucky that I found good quality tutorials by experienced developers such as Tom McFarlin and Pippin Williamson, who understood the ecosystem well. The more I learned, the more I came to value sticking to “The WordPress Way”. Since I learned plugin development by working as a support rep and developer for The Pods Framework, I learned first hand what happens when important guidelines we all agree to follow are violated. For example, a theme might replace the WordPress’ core jQuery, and work fine, but any plugins that assume that WordPress core’s […]

There are multiple places on the internet, where you can give me feedback on my plugin. I built some of these forms. I build an infinite edge case generator, and there will always be something wrong with it and it will never be feature complete. This could drive me insane, or I could continue to enjoy it. I’m actively choosing the latter option. It’s a work in progress, just like the plugin is. Sometimes when I see a bug in Caldera Forms, I still have to go through the whole self-doubt cycle that when not checked gets to “all of […]

While WordPress still supports PHP5, the PHP project continues to evolve. PHP 7.2 was recently released and while it is not a huge update like PHP 7.0 was, but there are some interesting new features and there are some important deprecations you should be aware of. In this article, I will share some important highlights of what is new, and what to look out for when you update your sites and code to PHP 7.2. If you’re still on PHP 5.6 or PHP 7.0, you will want to do so before the end of the year, when security support for […]

Because WordPress is so global, many developers work remotely. It’s so common in the communty, that Automattic closed its San Francisco office this year in favor of remote work. This article is about remote work and finding what’s best for you and how you work. Working remotely is very personal, and so I’ve shared how I work. I hope I can encourage you to think more about why remote work is beneficial for you and optimize your own remote work experience. Personal Space When I talk about personal space, I’m not really talking about being alone or at least sufficiently […]

Last month I spoke at WordCamp Los Angeles. Though I had given the same talk before, this time felt much more successful. Not only was I more relaxed, I learned a lot from the first time around. It got me thinking about what public speaking tips and tricks could be applied to giving WordCamp talks, but I’m in no way an expert, so learn by trial and error. I wanted to start thinking more about how to get better at this type of speaking, so I asked several of my WordPress friends for their best advice. Speaking at a WordCamp […]

One of the many ways we’ve talked about Gutenberg is comparing its usability to CMS’s like Medium. This comparison assumes that the primary reason that Medium is often a go-to for blogs is the quality of the interface. With this in mind, it’s logical to assume the reason people sometimes choose Medium over WordPress is the quality of their writing experience. I’m not arguing that Medium’s writing experience isn’t excellent. It is, and I enjoy reading the site lot. At the same time, people seem to be employing tweetstorms more and more. I know plenty, from personal experience,  about how […]