With the advent of “Premium Themes” the concept of a wordpress plugin is blurred. However, this article aims to explain what plugins are, how they are made and how they are typically used to extend your wordpess experience. In the process, we will explain the different between a plugin and theme including how these features may work together seamlessly.
WHAT IS A PLUGIN
its an extension of the wordpress codebase, allowing a developer to add custom php coding. Its one of the biggest reasons why WordPress is now popular. Leveraging the blog features necessary for SEO and simple communication with readers today, developers can add special capabilities that you need for success.
A plugin can be a single file. It takes only a few lines of PHP code declaration to create a plugin. It can also be a complex library comprising of hundreds of thousands of lines of code. Like any web based application, it can become whatever.
A plugin is limited in many ways to how WordPress works. For a plugin to be useful, it must perform within the confined of WordPress to prevent conflicts. A great example would be the fact that WordPress will launch its version of javascript (jQuery) for front end user interaction. If your plugin does the same, it will cause a conflict.
HOW ARE PLUGINS MADE
Plugins come from dreams. The are the solution for an issue. Through the use of php standards, a developer uses code to facilitate a solution for that particular issue. Some plugins accept information, some just showcase information, some just collect information. If you need a developer contact us about hiring our BePro Software Team
To release it to a directory like wordpress.org, you will need your plugin to meet their standards. These standards confirm that your plugin is designed to work within the confines of wordpress. With very few and realistic requirements, you can quickly have anything from a single page plugin to whatever size customers will accept.
DO I NEED A PLUGIN
If you purchased a premium wordpress theme which comes with lots of features, maybe that theme has everything you need to be successful. Chances are, some of those features are facilitated by plugins and you are probably limiting yourself to the built in options. That’s never been a good idea since the advent of commercial software
With thousands of plugins available, there is probably a solution to your specific need available. There is also probably a fast up and coming competitor with new features which promise to help you be more successful at your business. There are lots of good that can come from plugins and its concept has attracted everything from single developers to entire companies developing solutions for you.
NEGATIVES OF USING PLUGINS
With every positive there is a negative. It seems to be a concept which keeps the world going. The ones and zeros can be seen on multiple levels of life and Plugins are no different. One thing we have consistently noted throughout this article, is that these plugins are created by humans. This means someone had to spend time or be financially compensated to create this plugin. There is also no posted standard of the level of developer which created most plugins. As you can imagine, this creates a potential problem. This isn’t like buying videos games for your game console, this could be one guy in his free time.
Unlike wordpress which received constant attention from a community of developers, plugins often times do not provide any guarantee of support or standard of development. Many popular plugins eventually stop being supported because of these weak support structures.
In the age of online security concerns reaching every user in the modern world, you should invest in your online infrastructure. I bet you do not have a habit of seeking out free locks for the house on your door. For something to be successful, a profit must be generated to sustain it. WordPress.org is profitable via wordpress.com and other avenues. If a plugin isn’t setup to be funded, it will be abandoned at some point. Developers are real people and real financial needs. Its not default that a paid plugin solution will be perfect, but its more likely to have someone with a vested interest in keeping customers happy
CONCLUSION
Plugins are a useful feature for extending the core WordPress features. Blogs are necessary in today’s world of SEO, however its typically not enough on its own to keep customers happy in today’s internet. Plugins allow you to interact with visitors to your blog in whatever ways your can imagine. WordPress provides a few barriers to keep the thousands of plugins working well together. Like any software, choose plugins wisely as its likely to have an affect on your business, positive or negative.
