Introduction to Development Tools for WordPress Developers

Looking for the advanced tools and techniques WordPress developers use in their day-to-day operations? Keep reading for a thorough introduction to development tools and learn how to build high-quality websites.

Using IDEs for WordPress Development

Integrated Development Environment (IDE) do the heavy loading for you and helps you take your programming skills to the next level. They comprise features like coding, debugging, testing, and editing. Using IDEs for web development can also help with tasks like automation, customization, and visualization.

A Reddit thread from May 2024 discusses the use of IDE in web development. A user suggested Pinegrow — an editor for the web and a WordPress plugin. They called it an “entire environment with WP functions, actions and filter.”

Pinegrow is also directly integrated with VsCode (a popular web development IDE that accelerates coding). According to the Reddit user, Pinegrow web IDE made “WordPress development a breeze.”

Version Control with Git

In simpler terms, version control is a repository of changes made to a file over time. A web designer prefers to keep all versions handy. It helps them to:

• Restore required files/ project to the previous state

• Compare changes performed over some time

• Keep a check on who modified which detail and eliminate any bottlenecks

• Recovering important documents in case a device or software issue occurs
  

Many website developers commonly copy files from one location to another directory to keep a record. However, this practice is susceptible to errors. Users can copy files in the wrong location, write over existing files, or store unrequired documents.

An alternative option version control with Git is compatible with an extensive range of IDEs and operating systems. The Distributed Version Control System mirror the repository and includes the complete history of the document. Due to the multiple channels, versions can be copied without losing data and allow collaborations.

Using WP-CLI for Development

WordPress Command-Line Interface enables users to manage WP sites without a web browser. Using WP-CLI for development can handle essential tasks like managing WordPress plugins, themes, and databases. Hence, you can automate maintenance, handle multiple sites, and streamline management with the help of the command line interface.

Installing WP-CLI for Development

• On your hPanel, active SSH access

• Go to Advanced > SSh Access (available on the left sidebar)

• Select Enable (present in the SSH status)
  

Setting Up Local Development Environments

With the help of a local development WordPress environment, developers can set up multiple websites for free. It is an ideal option for testing and experimenting with new projects. The computer becomes the server during this process, and users can use tools to host websites. It eliminates the need to pay for WordPress hosting.

The setting up of local development environments depends on which tool you choose. Most of them are free, with a provision to create unlimited websites.

Using Debugging Tools

Debugging tools help uncover and resolve hidden issues, irrespective of how minor or complex they turn out to be. Therefore, these tools always work towards ensuring a seamless WordPress site performance and maintaining a user-friendly interface.

Using Debugging tools helps in error identification, performance optimization, ensuring plugin & theme compatibility, enhancing security, and improving user experience. Web developers can achieve this in many ways:

• Using wp-config.php

  
  

  You can enable the debugging function in WP using the wp-config.php file to gain control over the settings and analyze the potential issues in the website’s code
  

• Using WordPress admin dashboard

  
  

  Web developers sometimes prefer to manage site health using a graphical interface. In that case, debugging using the WordPress admin dashboard will activate the features without the need to edit the website code directly
  

• Using a WordPress debugging plugin

  
  

  WordPress plugins sometimes feel like the best invention ever. Web developers can access a wide range of features and enable debugging features without having a thorough knowledge of code
  

• Version control with Git

  
  

  Using version control with Git enables WordPress developers to collaborate efficiently, track changes seamlessly, and troubleshoot issues. It also provides a chronological record of past code modifications

  
  

• Using WP-CLI

  
  

  WordPress Command Line Interface can help web developers achieve command-line debugging in WP while providing a range of commands to identify and resolve issues. It designs a compatible environment for interactive debugging
  

• Browser developer tools

  
  

  With the help of Chrome DevTools or Firefox Developer Tools, developers can diagnose and deal with the frontend issues directly within the browser
  

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