Free online courseAdvanced WordPress theme development

Course Description

The "Advanced WordPress Theme Development" course is a comprehensive training program designed to elevate your skills in WordPress theme development to the next level. Spanning over 17 hours and 34 minutes, this course is packed with advanced techniques and best practices for developing bespoke WordPress themes. With an average rating of 5.0 out of 5 stars, it stands out as a top-tier course in the Information Technology sector, specifically within the subcategory of Web Development.

From the very outset, the course delves into the complexities of WordPress theme development. The initial modules introduce you to advanced concepts, setting the stage for more intricate subjects. You'll explore the intricacies of directory structures, understand the importance of `get_header` and `get_footer` functions, and delve into the workings of `wp_head`, `wp_footer`, and `wp_body_open`. The course rigorously covers how to enqueue stylesheets and scripts, ensuring that you grasp the fundamentals of managing theme assets effectively.

As you advance, the curriculum guides you through incorporating Bootstrap into your WordPress themes, leveraging the `get_template_part` function to modularize your code. You'll gain proficiency in PHP namespaces, autoloading classes with `spl_autoload_register`, and utilizing traits and the singleton design pattern. The object-oriented programming (OOP) principles are carefully explained and applied, enriching your understanding of how to structure code within WordPress themes.

Beyond foundational PHP and WordPress skills, the course tackles specific theme support features such as adding custom logos and backgrounds, post thumbnails, creating dynamic navigation menus, and enhancing the template hierarchy. You will master the WordPress Loop, learn to manage blog page titles, and create grid layouts using Bootstrap.

The course also dives deep into WordPress customization, covering custom meta boxes, nonce verification, and manipulating post data such as titles, dates, and authors. You’ll learn techniques to customize excerpt lengths and add "Read More" buttons, as well as how to create and manage custom widgets and sidebars.

Further along, the curriculum emphasizes modern development tools and practices. You'll learn to set up Webpack and Babel for theme development and optimize CSS and JavaScript assets. There’s a strong focus on Gutenberg, WordPress’s block editor, where you'll learn to add support, create custom blocks, and use block patterns in theme development.

The latter sections explore advanced functionalities such as AJAX integration for infinite scroll, creating custom shortcodes, and conditional asset enqueuing. There’s an in-depth look at custom post types, taxonomies, and archives, equipping you with the skills to build highly customizable and performance-optimized WordPress themes.

Overall, this Advanced WordPress Theme Development course is an exhaustive yet accessible guide for anyone looking to specialize in WordPress theme development. Each topic is meticulously addressed, offering a well-rounded and deeply informative learning experience.