WordPress: Visual QuickStart Guide - Pearsoncmg

Posts can be further categorized by tags. Posts can be read sequentially orbrowsed in archives by date, category,or tag.Design and layout are dictated by apredefined template or theme; changes tothe theme affect the look and feel of thesite but do not affect content (making iteasy to modify a site’s look). Anatomy of aWordPress BlogWhile blogs can vary widely in layout, mostcontain these six basic segments. We’reusing the default WordPress theme as anexample of a typical blog layout A. Thebasic segments are: Header: This section usually includesthe blog’s name and a graphic such asa logo. Tagline (optional): The tagline or sloganoften gives the reader a better idea ofwhat the blog is about. The WordPressdefault tagline is “Just anotherWordPress weblog.”Navigation: This consists of internallinks to the different sections of the site,such as Archives, About, and Home.Content: This section changesdepending on what section of the blogis being viewed; for example, on thehome page the content may be anoverview of the latest posts, while thecontact page would include informationand perhaps a form for getting in touchwith the blog’s author.Sidebar: Additional navigation may belocated here, as well as snippets ofcode known as widgets, which maycontain information such as the author’slatest Twitter posts, polls, an overviewof recent comments, or photos recentlyposted to Flickr.Footer: This section usually containscopyright and design information.HeaderTaglineNavigationContentSidebarA A typicalFooterviiiIntroductionWordPress bloglayout, with aheader, tagline,navigation,sidebar, content,and footer.

In addition, each post’s page containsinformation specific to the post, such as thetime and date of posting, the author, thecategories and/or tags, and (if commentsare enabled) a place for readers tocontribute their thoughts.What’s New inThis EditionWordPress regularly releases updates toits core platform, debuting new features,security fixes, and stability increases incontrolled bursts. After WordPress 2.1,the development team began releasingupdates on a regular schedule, roughlyevery three to four months. Major updatesare named after famous Jazz artists.WordPress 3.0 (named after TheloniousMonk) saw a major overhaul of theWordPress platform, merging WordPressMU (Multi User) with the WordPress coreand making it possible to manage multipleinstallations of WordPress from one maininstallation. It also included many newfeatures, such as: Custom menus Custom headers Custom backgrounds Contextual help Since the 3.0 update, WordPress hascontinued to evolve, and has added morenew features: Internal linking The admin bar Post formats A full-screen editor A refreshed administrative UI Improved revisions New audio/visual APIsIn addition, the WordPress team hasdecided to release a new default themeevery year. These themes will takeadvantage of the latest WordPress featuresand have been named after the year inwhich they were released (Twenty Ten,Twenty Eleven, and the latest, TwentyThirteen). These default themes areincluded in core updates and are availableto both self-hosted WordPress users andusers on WordPress.com.Support for custom post types andcustom taxonomiesIntroductionix

WordPress.org VersusWordPress.comThere are two distinctly differentversions of WordPress: the downloadable,open source version found atWordPress.org A and the hosted versionat WordPress.com B.The self-installed version of WordPress,WordPress.org, is the most common. Youinstall it on your own Web server (mostlikely on a hosting account), and you havefull access to both the source code and thedatabase where your information is stored.WordPress.com is a free, hosted blogservice (meaning you can use it without ahosting account). Setup, upgrades, spamprotection, and backups are all taken careof by the WordPress.com service, but youdo not get FTP or shell access and cannotmodify your site’s PHP. WordPress.comalso has some content restrictions (forexample, paid or sponsored post content isnot allowed).A WordPress.org is the open-source, self-hostedvariety of WordPress.B WordPress.com is a free, hosted blog service.x Introduction

Here’s a handy reference table so youcan quickly see the difference betweenWordPress.org and WordPress.com.At first glance, a blog hosted onWordPress.com is similar to the selfhosted version. Like other hosted bloggingservices, such as TypePad and Blogger,WordPress.com allows basic themecustomization (from a preapproved setof themes) and lets users add pages,sidebars, and widgets. The free accounttakes only seconds to set up. Free usersare given a subdomain at [yourname].wordpress.com and currently get 3 GBof storage for images and media. Suchoptions as theme styling, suppression ofWordPress text ads, and a custom domainname are available for a fee. It’s a goodsolution for beginners looking to have anonline presence without owning a domainname or paying for Web hosting.If you’re an advanced user, a Webprofessional, or someone using WordPressfor a business, however, you need to beable to modify and customize your siteto create a unique brand experience.That’s where the self-hosted version ofWordPress from WordPress.org comes in.With it, you have full control over everyaspect of your site. You’ll be able to buildyour own theme, install plug-ins, and easilymodify your design. This is particularlyimportant if you want to use WordPress asa lightweight content management system(commonly referred to as a CMS) ratherthan “just a blog.”With a self-hosted WordPress installation,you can create a full-featured site thatfunctions in whatever way you want it to,limited only by your imagination (and yourknowledge of theme building).If you’re still not sure which version ofWordPress is right for you, sign up for a freeaccount at WordPress.com to give the hostedservice a test drive. Even if you don’t end upusing your WordPress.com blog, a WordPress.com account can be used to tie in with somefun plug-ins for the self-hosted version ofWordPress, like Jetpack. We talk more aboutinstalling the Jetpack plug-in in Chapter 15,“More Ways to Customize WordPress.”Table I.1 Comparison of WordPress.org and WordPress.comWordPress.orgWordPress.comFree to useInstalled on your own Web server or Web-hostingaccountAds are not included by default (although you maychoose to run your own ads)Thousands of plug-ins and themesFully customizableUnlimited user accountsNo content restrictionsRequires setup and maintenanceAnalytic statistics offered by plug-insFree to use basic versionHosted on WordPress.comAds may be displayed on your blogLimited selection of plug-ins and themes Features may be extended by paying for premiumservicesNumber of users is limitedContent restrictions apply Requires no setup aside from choosing theme andentering contentBuilt-in analytic statisticsIntroductionxi

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4Managing AccountsWordPress user accounts allow people toaccess your site and its content in differentways. Administrators have full access toall parts of your site, including theme andplug-in settings and user management. Youcan set up Author and Editor accounts tolet your users post articles, and Subscriberaccounts make commenting a breeze. Youcan even restrict access to certain portionsof your site to registered users.In this chapter, we’ll give you the lowdownon all the account types and how to usethem. We’ll also show you how to configureyour own account to get the most out ofyour WordPress experience by enablingand disabling such features as the Admintoolbar and the Visual Editor.In This ChapterConfiguring Your Account52Managing User Accounts55Putting It All Together60

ConfiguringYour AccountMake your WordPress installation asunique as you are. You can customizeeverything from the way your name isdisplayed to the color scheme for youradmin screen.To access your account information:1. Click your username on the top right ofany area in your Admin toolbar (where itsays “Howdy, username”) A.or2. Click Users Your Profile in the sidebar.A Click your username to edit your account information.52Chapter 4

To set up your profile:1. From the Profile page, choose amongthe Personal Options B. You canchoose to disable the Visual (WYSIWYG)Editor when writing and choose a colorscheme for your admin dashboard, plusyou can enable keyboard shortcuts formoderating comments. You can alsochoose whether to display the Admintoolbar when viewing your site.2. In the Name section of the profile page,change or enter your full name anda nickname, and then choose yourpreferred display name from the dropdown menu C. This name will displayin the “Howdy, username” salutation atthe top of the admin screen and also onyour posts and comments.continues on next pageB Profile options in the admin screen.C You can change anything except your username, and you can choose a preferrednickname from the drop-down menu.Managing Accounts53

3. If you want to provide additionalcontact information, do so in theContact Info section. You can changethe email address associated withyour username, and you can addother contact information, such as theURL for your website and your instantmessaging identities D.4. In the About Yourself section, addbiographical information if you like.Some themes display this publicly on thesite. The About Yourself section is alsowhere you can update your passwordE. You’ll use this password to log in tothe site, so be sure to choose somethingyou will remember! WordPress will letyou know whether your password isstrong or weak in the Strength indicator.When you’re choosing a password,WordPress recommends using upper- andlowercase letters, numbers, and symbols (! “ ? % &) to keep hackers from accessingyour account.D Update your email address and add other contact info here.E The Strength indicator will tell you whether you have chosen a password thatwould be difficult for a hacker to guess.54Chapter 4

Managing UserAccountsWhether your WordPress site is a soloaffair or a group effort, user accounts makeit easy to see who has access to what. Youcan add new user accounts manually orallow prospective users to add themselves(at an account level that you havespecified). You can get rid of troublesomeor outdated accounts with just a few clicks.Subscribers vs. VisitorsAnyone on the Internet can visit yoursite once it is live. If you’ve enabledcommenting, your visitors have theability to leave comments on your site,which can sometimes be a problem ifyou get targeted by a spambot or findyourself fielding hostile anonymousmessages.One way to cut down on spam andadd a degree of accountability isto require that visitors sign up assubscribers before they can comment.(See the “Discussion Settings” sectionin Chapter 3, “Settings,” for details.)A Subscriber account is a WordPressuser type that gives commenters theability to read your site and to fill out theirown profile. Subscribers can commentand edit their own profiles, but theycannot add new content to your site.Another added bonus of requiringsubscriber accounts for commenters: Ifsomeone is posting hostile or harassingcomments, you can simply delete thatperson’s account. As a visitor the personstill can view your posts, but no longerwill be able to comment on them.continues on next pageManaging Accounts55

To add a user account:1. Click Users in the sidebar menu toaccess the list of current user accountsfor your WordPress site A. You’ll betaken to the Users page B.2. Click Add New to add a new user. You’llbe taken to the Add New User screen C.3. Enter a username, email address, andpassword for your new user (the userwill have the option of changing thepassword when he or she logs in). Youcan select whether you want to sendlogin information (including the passwordyou’ve chosen) to the new user by email.A Click Users toaccess the list ofcurrent user accounts.4. Set the user’s first and last name and Website address here, and select the newuser’s role from the drop-down menu D.B Current users and their roles are listed here.C The Add New User screen lets you manuallyadd a new user.56 Chapter 4D Fill out these fields to create a new user.

5. Click Add User to create the new useraccount. You’ll return to the Usersscreen, where you’ll see a confirmationmessage at the top of the page E.If you don’t select the “Send thispassword to the new user by email” check boxin the Add New User screen, you’ll need tonotify the user of the login information yourself.The default user role for new users can be setor changed in Settings General.To change user roles:1. On the Users page, select the checkbox next to the username of the userwhose role you want to change.2. From the “Change role to” drop-downmenu, choose the new role F.The More, The Merrier:Multiple AuthorsIf you plan to have more than oneperson writing on your site, you can takeadvantage of Author accounts. Authorscan write, manage, and publish their ownposts without being able to edit anyoneelse’s. Each post will be associated withthe author’s name. You can even set upauthor profile pages that display eachauthor’s bio, a link to their personal websites, and a list of the articles they havepublished on your site.To learn how to create author pages, seeChapter 15, “More Ways to CustomizeWordPress.”3. Click the Change button when youhave made your selection to apply thenew role to the selected account(s). Amessage saying “Changed role(s)” willappear at the top of the screen G.F Choose a user and change roles usingE You’ve successfully created a new user!the drop-down menu.Role changed from Subscriberto EditorG Success! You’ve changed a user’s role.Managing Accounts57

Breakdown of User Account TypesAccount types in WordPress are also referred to as roles, and they’re broken down as follows:. Super Admin: When multi-site features are enabled in WordPress, a Super Admin canaccess the site network administrative features, as well as all other features available toan Administrator (see the section “Administering a Blog Network” in Chapter 14, “OneInstallation, Multiple Blogs”). Administrator: This is typically the most privileged account type used for a single site, withaccess to all administrative features, including theme editing and user management. Editor: Editors can publish and manage their own posts and pages as well as those of otherEditors, Authors, and Contributors. Author: This role gives users the ability to write, manage, and publish their own posts andpages. Contributor: A Contributor can write and manage his or her own posts, but cannot publishwithout approval from an Editor or Administrator. Subscriber: This type of user can read and comment on posts and receive notification whennew articles are published.To edit user profiles:1. On the Users page, click a username toopen the user’s profile.Edit the user’s profile. As the adminyou can assign user roles in addition tosetting general profile information H.2. After making changes to a user’sprofile, click Update User at the bottomof the screen.A confirmation will appear at the top ofthe page I.H The User Profile editing screen.I The message UserUpdated lets you knowthat your changeshave been saved.58 Chapter 4

To delete user accounts:1. On the Users page, select the checkboxes next to the name of the user(s)you wish you delete J.2. From the Bulk Actions drop-downmenu, select Delete K. Click Apply togo to the Delete Users page.J Choose users to delete from this list.3. You can either delete all of the postsand links associated with the usersyou’re deleting, or you can assign themto another user, such as the adminaccount L. Click Confirm Deletion.Back on the Users page, you’ll see aconfirmation message at the top ofthe screen telling you how many userswere deleted M.If the user you’re deleting hascontributed content to your site that youwant to keep, you can assign those posts andlinks to another user. If you’re deleting a userbecause of inappropriate or abusive postsor comments, choosing the Delete All optionis best.K Click Apply to continue.M You’ll see amessage telling youhow many users weredeleted.L Choose an option and confirm deletion.Managing Accounts59

Putting It All Together1. Experiment with your profileoptions. When you enter biographicalinformation, is it displayed on your site?2. Create an alternate user account.When you set up a new user, canyou use the same email address youalready used for your administratoraccount?3. Experiment with user roles. Changethe alternate user account you createdin step 2 to a contributor account. Ifyou log in as that user, how does theDashboard change? Can you createnew posts?4. Try to delete the alternate account youcreated above. What happens to anyposts that you created with that user?60 Chapter 4

IndexSymbolsB: (colon), 169; (semicolon), 169{ } (brackets), 172* (asterisk), 218/* */ (comment tags), 168, 185backgroundschanging color of, 170custom, 79, 80using custom images for, 177, 180backing up, 248–252before editing themes, 158data, 248–249.htaccess file, 216preventing theme loss while updating by, 258site files, 250–252WordPress site, 214best practices, 235–254backing up data and files, 248–2

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