How to Create Your First WordPress Theme
So I set out a while back to create my first WordPress theme. In doing so, I discovered a couple of really good resources that gave me an excellent head start and wanted to share them with the world.
To give you some background, I've been writing (X)HTML and PHP for quite some time and I've been a programmer even longer, so I know my way around code. Obviously, your mileage may vary with these tools depending on your comfort level with XHTML and PHP.
Now, to start, I thought it would be pretty easy to just sit down in an afternoon with my PSD mockup and throw together a WP theme in no time. So, I found this great tutorial on writing a WordPress theme from scratch and I was off to the races. Or so I thought. Turns out, this stuff is quite a bit of work! I went through the whole tutorial (inasmuch as my limited attention span would allow) and ended up with a lot of great background knowledge. I mostly knew what all that code meant, but I was still feeling a bit overwhelmed and unsure of what the heck I was doing. I needed something a bit simpler.
Enter Whiteboard, a fantastic "theme framework." At least, that's what they call it. It's a barebones WP theme that's easy to understand and edit. With the knowledge I gained from the aforementioned tutorial, I was able to take Whiteboard and turn it into the fully function WP theme of my dreams. Well, not exactly. But hey, it's my first try! I will say that my first-ever WP theme was for a client and they are very pleased with it. Now I'm thinking of entering this contest with a WP theme store.
Just for the heck of it, here's a little bonus content: From the same folks that brought you the WordPress theme tutorial, here are a few tips to help you secure your WP install: http://themeshaper.com/dont-get-hacked-wordpress-security-tips/
Enjoy!
97(ish) Awesome Logotypes
I recently came across a couple great blog posts with dozens of examples of great logotypes -- logos using only typography. It's amazing to see what's been done without the use of any images.
Why 97ish? Well, a few of them are used twice. Here are the links!
General Interface Helps You Build and Deploy Web Apps Faster
General Interface is the open-source, BSD-licensed version of TIBCO's General Interface. They describe it best:
...an open source Ajax toolkit and development environment that makes it faster and easier for you to build and deploy web-based applications that have the rich feel and functionality of desktop software.
General Interface's 'Builder' web app is itself built on the General Interface framework, and provides an experience very similar to designing Windows Forms applications with Microsoft Visual Studio. All in all, a very cool tool for developers who want to spend less time coding interface controls and more time on the actual functionality of their software.
Here are a few links to the project:
Enjoy!
Quote of the Day
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)
26th president of the United States
