The WordPress Plugin Starter Template provides a solid foundation for developing WordPress plugins. It incorporates best practices, modern coding standards, and a comprehensive structure that makes it easy to get started with plugin development.

This template is based on the experience gained from developing the "Fix 'Plugin file does not exist' Notices" plugin and other successful WordPress plugins.

Key Features

Object-Oriented Architecture: Well-structured, maintainable code using OOP principles
Namespace Support: Modern PHP namespacing for better organization and avoiding conflicts
Comprehensive Documentation: Detailed documentation for both users and developers
Testing Framework: PHPUnit setup for unit testing
Internationalization Ready: Full support for translation and localization
Update Source Selection: Choose between WordPress.org, GitHub, or Gitea for plugin updates
AI Workflow Documentation: Detailed guides for AI-assisted development
Wiki Documentation: Ready-to-use wiki structure for comprehensive documentation

How to Use This Template

Clone or download this repository
Important: Begin by reading the STARTER-PROMPT.md file for detailed instructions
Add the .ai-assistant.md file and .ai-workflows/ directory to your AI IDE chat context (pin them if possible)
Use the prompt in STARTER-PROMPT.md to guide the AI in customizing the template for your plugin
Rename files and update namespaces to match your plugin
Customize the functionality for your specific needs
Update documentation to reflect your plugin's features
Build and test your plugin

AI-Assisted Development

This template includes comprehensive documentation for AI-assisted development:

.ai-assistant.md: Guide for AI assistants to understand the project structure
.ai-workflows/: Detailed workflow documentation for common development tasks
STARTER-PROMPT.md: Comprehensive prompt for AI tools to help customize the template

Important: For the best AI assistance, add the .ai-assistant.md file and .ai-workflows/ directory to your AI IDE chat context. In most AI IDEs, you can pin these files to ensure they're considered in each message.

Installation

Clone or download this repository
Read the STARTER-PROMPT.md file for detailed instructions
Add the .ai-assistant.md file and .ai-workflows/ directory to your AI IDE chat context
Use the prompt in STARTER-PROMPT.md to guide the AI in customizing the template
Rename files and update namespaces to match your plugin
Customize the functionality for your specific needs
Update documentation to reflect your plugin's features
Build and test your plugin

Usage

Getting Started

To get started with this template, follow these steps:

Clone this repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/wpallstars/wp-plugin-starter-template-for-ai-coding.git

Open the STARTER-PROMPT.md file and follow the instructions to customize the template for your plugin.
Add the .ai-assistant.md file and .ai-workflows/ directory to your AI IDE chat context.
Use an AI assistant like GitHub Copilot, Claude, or ChatGPT to help you customize the template by providing the prompt from STARTER-PROMPT.md.

Using with Git Updater

If you've installed this plugin from GitHub or Gitea, you'll need Git Updater to receive updates:

Install the Git Updater plugin from git-updater.com/git-updater/
Go to Settings > Git Updater > Remote Management
Click the "Refresh Cache" button to ensure Git Updater recognizes the latest version
Updates will now appear in your WordPress dashboard when available

Choosing Your Update Source

This template includes functionality that allows users to choose where they want to receive updates from:

In the Plugins list, find your plugin
Click the "Update Source" link next to the plugin
Select your preferred update source:
- WordPress.org: Updates from the official WordPress.org repository
- GitHub: Updates directly from the GitHub repo
- Gitea: Updates directly from the Gitea repo
Click "Save" to apply your preference

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I customize this template for my plugin?

See the STARTER-PROMPT.md file for detailed instructions on customizing this template for your specific plugin needs. Make sure to add the .ai-assistant.md file and .ai-workflows/ directory to your AI IDE chat context for the best results.

What files do I need to update with my plugin information?

The main files you need to update include:

Main plugin file (rename and update header)
README.md
readme.txt
CHANGELOG.md
composer.json
languages/pot file
.github/workflows/
.wiki/
.ai-assistant.md
includes/plugin.php
includes/core.php
admin/lib/admin.php

How do I build and test my plugin?

Use the included build.sh script to create a deployable version of your plugin:

./build.sh {VERSION}

This will create a ZIP file that you can install in WordPress.

How do I add custom functionality to my plugin?

Customize the includes/core.php file to implement your core functionality and the admin/lib/admin.php file for admin-specific functionality.

Support & Feedback

If you need help with this template, there are several ways to get support:

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Fork the repository on GitHub or Gitea
Create your feature branch: git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
Commit your changes: git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature'
Push to the branch: git push origin feature/amazing-feature
Submit a pull request

Developers

AI-Powered Development

This repository is configured to work with various AI-powered development tools. You can use any of the following AI IDEs to contribute to this project:

Augment Code - AI-powered coding assistant
Cursor - AI-first code editor
v0 - AI-powered design and development tool
Windsurf - AI coding assistant
Cline - AI terminal assistant
Roo Code - AI pair programmer
Loveable - AI development environment
Bolt - AI-powered code editor
Cody - Sourcegraph's AI coding assistant
Continue - Open-source AI coding assistant

The repository includes configuration files for all these tools to ensure a consistent development experience.

Git Updater Integration

This template is designed to work seamlessly with the Git Updater plugin for updates from GitHub and Gitea. To ensure proper integration:

Required Headers: The plugin includes specific headers in the main plugin file that Git Updater uses to determine update sources and branches:

* GitHub Plugin URI: wpallstars/wp-plugin-starter-template-for-ai-coding
* GitHub Branch: main
* Primary Branch: main
* Release Branch: main
* Release Asset: true
* Gitea Plugin URI: https://gitea.wpallstars.com/wpallstars/wp-plugin-starter-template-for-ai-coding
* Gitea Branch: main

Tagging Releases: When creating a new release, always tag it with the 'v' prefix (e.g., v0.1.2) to ensure GitHub Actions can create the proper release assets.
GitHub Actions: The repository includes a GitHub Actions workflow that automatically builds the plugin and creates a release with the .zip file when a new tag is pushed.
Update Source Selection: The template includes a feature that allows users to choose their preferred update source (WordPress.org, GitHub, or Gitea).

For more information on Git Updater integration, see the Git Updater Required Headers documentation.

Changelog

0.1.3

Added: Improved AI IDE context recommendations in documentation
Enhanced: STARTER-PROMPT.md with guidance on pinning .ai-assistant.md and .ai-workflows/
Updated: README.md and readme.txt with AI IDE context recommendations
Improved: Documentation for AI-assisted development

0.1.2

Added: STARTER-PROMPT.md with comprehensive guide for customizing the template
Updated: Documentation files with improved instructions
Added: Additional AI workflow files for better development guidance

0.1.1

Updated: LICENSE file with correct GPL-2.0 text

0.1.0

Initial release with basic template structure
Added: Core plugin architecture with OOP approach
Added: Admin interface components and styling
Added: Update mechanism with multiple source options
Added: Documentation templates for users and developers
Added: AI workflow documentation for AI-assisted development
Added: GitHub Actions workflows for automated tasks
Added: Wiki documentation templates

View full changelog

License

This project is licensed under the GPL-2.0+ License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Credits

This template is based on the experience gained from developing the "Fix 'Plugin file does not exist' Notices" plugin by WPALLSTARS.