Why a simple WordPress plugin edit broke everything
A client asked for one small change to a meme shortcode plugin, but its 2,000-line class made every edit risky. Splitting it by responsibility fixed that.
Tag: Block Styles
Using the mediator pattern to untangle WordPress plugin code
A tangled inventory plugin had hooks and direct class calls everywhere. Treating the WordPress Plugin API as the mediator, with hooks in a dedicated subscriber class, keeps the core logic clean and testable.
Stop writing messy WP_Query arrays. Do this instead.
Got a call from a client running a huge WooCommerce store. They wanted a “related products” feature that was… ambitious. It needed to show products…
My no-BS MacBook setup for WordPress development
A new junior dev joined my team last week, and I had to get them set up. I figured I’d just send them my list…
Why your WordPress fixes keep breaking other things
A one-line shipping tweak would have broken inventory reporting and a homepage shortcode. Tight coupling and low cohesion are why, and here’s how to structure the code instead.
Stop Nesting ‘if’ Statements: A Saner Way to Code
I got a call from a client running a pretty complex WooCommerce store. Their shipping logic was a mess. They had all these rules for…
Why Your WordPress Query is a Mess (And How to Fix It)
I got a call from a client running a decent-sized WooCommerce shop. They were in a panic. Their main shop page, which should have been…
How to Start Unit Testing Your Existing WordPress Code
Had a client call last week. They’ve got this huge, old WooCommerce plugin that’s been passed through three different dev teams. A new junior dev…
Why Your WordCamp Talk Got Rejected (And How to Fix It)
A junior dev on my team looked crushed. “They rejected my talk,” he said, staring at his laptop. He’d just gotten the canned ‘thanks but…
Generate HTML in WordPress without the mess
A client wanted a shortcode to highlight reader comments, but the inherited code crammed all the HTML into the shortcode function. Moving it into a dedicated generator class and a separate template file keeps the markup out of the PHP.