PHP & MySQL: The Missing Manual by Brett McLaughlin My rating: 3 of 5 stars This intro to PHP was informative but not as engaging as Head First PHP & MySQL. It's written for those who know HTML, CSS, and some JavaScript. It uses a basic web app as the example project throughout the book, […]
I use the WP-DBManager plugin to keep my WordPress databases clean. I like things neat and tidy, so it annoys me when I see unnecessary tables in my WordPress databases. These are often left over from deleted plugins. Some plugins delete their data from the database, but many don't, preserving your data in case you […]
PHP for the Web: Visual QuickStart Guide by Larry Ullman My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book introduces PHP through well-explained, realistic examples. After exploring the basic concepts and syntax of PHP, it shows how to work with files and databases. It’s not as straightforward as Head First PHP & MySQL, but it definitely […]
Head First PHP & MySQL by Lynn BeighleyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars At OptimWise, I build websites with WordPress, and currently focus on front-end development (HTML and CSS). I’ve tweaked PHP, but I want to get better at modifying WordPress themes and plugins, which requires working with PHP and MySQL. This book was very […]
You can never be too security-conscious with WordPress, so let's look an excellent security plugin: WP Security Scan. I found out about this plugin from the WordPress 3: Developing Secure Sites course on LinkedIn Learning. This plugin does several things, but I especially like the initial scan, permissions scanner, and database prefix changer. Initial Scan […]
WordPress All-in-One For Dummies by Lisa Sabin-Wilson, Cory Miller, Kevin Palmer, Andrea Rennick, Michael Torbert My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the broadest, most comprehensive WordPress book I’ve read so far. It covers more than WordPress for Dummies, because it deals with everything from administration to design to development. I skimmed the first […]
Note: IDrive for WordPress is no longer available. Use ManageWP, Solid Backups, or another solution. I have a new WordPress backup plugin recommendation: IDrive for WordPress. I previously recommended the Backupify plugin, but my backups have been failing, and Backupify told me its plugin is no longer supported. I've used IDrive for backing up PCs […]
Head First WordPress by Jeff Siarto My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book is short and very high-level, dedicating only 1 or 2 pages to most topics. It's best for beginners or intermediate WordPress users. It covers styling a theme, managing users, managing categories and tags, embedding video, podcasting, security, and performance. I liked […]
Note: Backupify is no longer available for WordPress. Use ManageWP, Solid Backups, or another solution. You know it's important to back up your WordPress sites. Backupify gives you 2 GB of storage for free, and the Backupify plugin backs up your site files and database. You can back up multiple WordPress sites into a single […]
I used the Export and Import tools in WordPress to move this site to new web hosts, twice. In the process, many of the images were broken. They didn't appear in the page, and I could see that the links all pointed to file names ending in 1, such as picture1.jpg, picture1.png, and picture1.gif. My […]
Teach Yourself VISUALLY Web Design (Teach Yourself VISUALLY by Rob Huddleston My rating: 2 of 5 stars Absolute novices may benefit from this book's introduction to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and SQL, but it's so elementary that it's useless for anyone with any web design experience. Only the essentials of each technology are covered, so […]
These are 10 free, popular WordPress plugins that I've found useful for most WordPress sites. I presented this list at the Kalamazoo/West Michigan WordPress Users Group on Dec 9, 2010. Please add your feedback and favorite WordPress plugins in the comments! Akismet Chap Secure Login Contact Form 7 FD Feedburner Plugin Google Custom Search Plugin […]
