marcusquinn
c7b590870c
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122 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
122 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
# Usage Instructions
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This guide provides instructions for using and customizing the WordPress Plugin Starter Template for your own plugin development.
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## Basic Usage
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The WordPress Plugin Starter Template is designed to be a starting point for your WordPress plugin development. It provides a well-structured codebase that you can customize to create your own plugin.
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### Template Structure
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The template follows a modular structure:
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- `wp-plugin-starter-template.php`: Main plugin file with plugin headers
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- `includes/`: Core plugin functionality
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- `plugin.php`: Main plugin class that initializes everything
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- `core.php`: Core functionality class
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- `updater.php`: Update mechanism for multiple sources
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- `admin/`: Admin-specific functionality
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- `lib/`: Admin classes
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- `css/`: Admin stylesheets
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- `js/`: Admin JavaScript files
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- `languages/`: Translation files
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- `.github/workflows/`: GitHub Actions workflows
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- `.ai-workflows/`: Documentation for AI assistants
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- `.wiki/`: Wiki documentation templates
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### Customizing for Your Plugin
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1. **Rename Files and Update Namespaces**:
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- Rename `wp-plugin-starter-template.php` to your plugin name
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- Update the namespace from `WPALLSTARS\PluginStarterTemplate` to your own
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- Update text domain from `wp-plugin-starter-template` to your own
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2. **Update Plugin Headers**:
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- Edit the plugin headers in the main PHP file
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- Update GitHub/Gitea repository URLs
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3. **Customize Functionality**:
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- Modify the core functionality in `includes/core.php`
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- Add your own classes as needed
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- Customize admin interfaces in the `admin/` directory
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4. **Update Documentation**:
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- Update README.md and readme.txt with your plugin information
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- Customize wiki documentation in the `.wiki/` directory
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## Advanced Usage
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### Adding Admin Pages
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The template includes a structure for adding admin pages to the WordPress dashboard. To add an admin page:
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1. Uncomment the `add_admin_menu` method in `admin/lib/admin.php`
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2. Customize the menu parameters to match your plugin
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3. Create the corresponding render method for your admin page
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4. Create template files in an `admin/templates/` directory
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### Adding Settings
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To add settings to your plugin:
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1. Create a settings class in `includes/settings.php`
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2. Register settings using the WordPress Settings API
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3. Create form fields for your settings
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4. Handle settings validation and sanitization
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### Adding Custom Post Types or Taxonomies
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To add custom post types or taxonomies:
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1. Create a new class in `includes/` for your post type or taxonomy
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2. Register the post type or taxonomy in the class constructor
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3. Initialize the class in `includes/plugin.php`
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### Internationalization
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The template is ready for internationalization. To make your plugin translatable:
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1. Use translation functions for all user-facing strings:
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- `__()` for simple strings
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- `_e()` for echoed strings
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- `esc_html__()` for escaped strings
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2. Update the text domain in all translation functions
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3. Generate a POT file for translations
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### Update Mechanism
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The template includes an update mechanism that supports multiple sources:
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- WordPress.org
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- GitHub
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- Gitea
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To configure the update mechanism:
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1. Update the plugin headers in the main PHP file
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2. Customize the `updater.php` file if needed
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3. Ensure your repository follows the required structure for updates
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## Building and Releasing
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The template includes scripts for building and releasing your plugin:
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1. **Building the Plugin**:
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```bash
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./build.sh <version>
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```
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2. **Deploying to a Local WordPress Installation**:
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```bash
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./scripts/deploy-local.sh
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```
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3. **Creating a Release**:
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- Tag a new version in Git
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- Push the tag to GitHub
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- The GitHub Actions workflow will create a release
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## Next Steps
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After customizing the template for your needs, refer to the [Architecture Overview](Architecture-Overview) to understand the plugin's structure in more detail.
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