WP Smith

Creating WordPress & Genesis Websites Since 2010

SQL WordPress Plugins: Accessing the Database from within WordPress

In some sites more than others, I will find myself spending more time in the database or SQL side of the site as this makes for an incredibly efficient method to updating, restoring, or fixing data as opposed to using the WordPress admin interface. Sometimes you, too, may be forced to access the database directly, if you accidentally changed something like Home or Site URL (phpMyAdmin is awesome for this).

However, what if you have a client and they did not give you SQL access? What if your client does not have cPanel or phpMyAdmin? There are a variety of tools (i.e., WordPress plugins) available for you to do database stuff from WordPress (though not as fast per se).

Check out these plugins:

  1. MyWebSql: Allows editing/managing the WordPress database directly from within the admin panel, just like phpMyAdmin. Note, this needs the bcmath PHP extension as well as gmp & openssl extensions. If you don't have these extensions, try changing SECURE_LOGIN to false as directed here.
    WordPress SQL Plugin: MyWebSQL
  2. Adminer ([plugin_info slug="adminer" data="downloaded"]): [plugin_info slug="adminer" data="short_description"] (Thanks Jason!)
    WordPress SQL Plugins: Adminer
  3. Search and Replace ([plugin_info slug="search-and-replace" data="downloaded"]): [plugin_info slug="search-and-replace" data="short_description"]
    WordPress SQL Plugin: Search and Replace
  4. Search Regex ([plugin_info slug="search-regex" data="downloaded"]): [plugin_info slug="search-regex" data="short_description"]ort.
    WordPress SQL Plugin: Search Regex
  5. SQL Executioner ([plugin_info slug="sql-executioner" data="downloaded"]): [plugin_info slug="sql-executioner" data="short_description"]
    WordPress SQL Plugin: SQL Executioner
  6. Edit Any Table ([plugin_info slug="edit-any-table" data="downloaded"]): [plugin_info slug="edit-any-table" data="short_description"]
    WordPress SQL Plugin: Edit Any Table
  7. WP Clean Up ([plugin_info slug="wp-clean-up" data="downloaded"]): [plugin_info slug="wp-clean-up" data="short_description"]
    WordPress SQL Plugin: WP Clean Up
  8. ELI's SQL Admin Reports Shortcode and DB Backup ([plugin_info slug="elisqlreports" data="downloaded"]): [plugin_info slug="elisqlreports" data="short_description"]
    WordPress SQL Plugin: Eli's SQL Report
  9. Safe Search and Replace ([plugin_info slug="safe-search-replace" data="downloaded"]): [plugin_info slug="safe-search-replace" data="short_description"]
    WordPress SQL Plugin: Safe Search and Replace
  10. Find replace ([plugin_info slug="find-replace" data="downloaded"]): [plugin_info slug="find-replace" data="short_description"]
    WordPress SQL Plugin: Find and replace

Other Plugins include:

Limitations of a Core Functionality Plugin

I love working with Gary Jones (@garyj) of Gamajo Tech. Every time I talk with him, discuss any thing development related, I learn something. In a recent "conversation," he said:

I'm not keen on Core Functionality plugins—it's still one plugin that has many roles, all of which could (and therefore should) be separated out.

To me, this single comment caused me to think and analyze the role of the Core Functionality plugin. As I thought about my site and client sites I have created, I think he's identified a major weakness of a Core Functionality plugin.

As such, I believe it has two essential limitations:

  1. Difficult Post-Development Workflow
  2. Potentially, Poor Post-Deployment User/Client Experience

In development, as a developer my goal is to develop as quickly as possible for two reasons: more projects and better client experience. In doing this, it is great to place all the site's functionality into a single plugin that serves as a glorified functions.php file. To me, it also leads to less code bloat with the ability not to have to place functions and classes (e.g., Metaboxes) in each plugin wrapped in a conditional.

if ( function_exists( 'foo' ) ) {
function foo( $param ) {
echo $param;
}
}

So, using a single core functionality made it easy to rinse and repeat. However, using only a single core functionality plugin or a site-specific plugin, while having its advantages, can be problematic. As Gary specifically illustrated to me, generalizing his example, let's say you have a core functionality plugin (or a functions.php file run rampant) that contains several different custom post types and functionality extensions. Then something breaks with a single, specific custom post type or functionality extension that is developed within the core functionality plugin. This can cause a domino affect of issues within the site, maybe even the dreaded white screen of death.

One cannot simply disable the core functionality plugin in production/live site and begin to fix the issue in their staging or local development environments. Disabling the core functionality plugin essentially would remove some of their content (based on custom post types in the core functionality plugin) from visibility (not that it would be removed from the database), or even break the entire site. Instead, with a set of smaller plugins, only the specific plugin causing the issue needs to be disabled.

(Note: No developer would ever assure that their code will always work on the site forever as clients enable other plugins that may cause conflicts, change the code, current plugins become upgraded or even deprecated, and WordPress core is ever changing, growing, developing, and improving.)

As a result of using only a single core functionality plugin, the client now has a problem in identifying the issue and re-mediating the issue forcing them to hire someone else to fix the problem immediately.

Then, as Gary notes, the client is paying more because the developer has to take extra time to troubleshoot the code and find the issue, which is frustrating for developers.

Instead, not using only a single core functionality plugin, the client has options. This becomes very client-centric, which leads to loyal clients and more work. The client then can determine whether they need that functionality on their site (and I have seen clients rightly choose this may times over). Or, they can decide when they could fix it within their timeline and their cash flow. Simply, it creates a better post-production client experience.

Please do not get me wrong. I believe that the core functionality, site-specific plugin has its place, especially in extending a theme, a child theme, skinning a theme/child theme, or in creating a grandchild theme.

What are your thoughts? Do you see any other limitations or disadvantages?

Beginner Developer Series: From Nothing to Developing

Beginner Developer Series: From Nothing to Developing

As I have been involved over the last couple years in WordPress meetups, WordCamps, and blogging about WordPress, I have noticed that there is a definite need for beginner WordPress developers. This need spans from the extreme basic (I know how to turn on my computer) to the experienced PHP developer just needing to understand WordPress as a platform or framework for development. So in this series, I am going to span that gap from the very beginner to the beginner to intermediate WordPress developer. I may accidentally assume that the reader will understand and know some basic computer skills; however, it is my goal to talk about everything in a very elementary sense.

As a way of a roadmap and a high level scope, I will be talking about the following items:

  1. Setup on a Windows Computer
    1. Essential Programs & Tools
    2. Setting Up a Local Environment
  2. What's the Difference between WordPress.com v. WordPress.org?
  3. An Introduction to Hosting and DNS
    1. Introduction to WordPress Friendly Hosts
    2. Basic Review of Domain Purchasing & Setup
  4. Your Online Presence: Understanding Your Website with Social Media
    1. What Level of Social Media Integration Do You Need?
    2. Importance of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, & Google+
    3. Guidelines to follow while getting YouTube subscribers from a trusted company
    4. You Are a Small Business, So Do You Need to Blog?
  5. An Introduction to WordPress
    1. What Happens in WordPress
    2. Tour of the WordPress GUI
  6. An Introduction to WordPress Themes: What Are Themes?
    1. An Introduction to WordPress Themes Repository
    2. Surveying the Premium Themes Market
    3. What Are Child Themes & How Do You Make One?
    4. My Top WordPress Themes
  7. An Introduction to WordPress Plugins
    1. An Introduction to WordPress Plugins Repository
    2. Understanding the Place of Premium Plugins
    3. My Top WordPress Plugins
    4. Core Functionality Plugin and Multiple Mini-Plugins
    5. A Review of Hello Dolly
    6. Writing Your First Plugin
  8. Understanding Your Site's Content
  9. Your Site's SEO: A Basic Introduction to the Essentials
  10. An Introduction to WordPress as a Content Management System
    1. Understanding WordPress's Core Posts & Pages
    2. Tumblrizing WordPress: An Introduction to Post Formats
    3. A Basic Conceptual Review of Custom Post Types
  11. Scaling WordPress: Caching & Content Delivery Networks (CDN)
  12. The Extreme Importance of Securing Your Site

Of course, I am not limiting myself to this strictly and reserve the freedom to address any questions, comments, etc. in a full post. Also, as I progress through this outline, I may realize that I missed something, created a gap or something otherwise, to which I will address accordingly.

I Am Doing WordPress Full-time!

As of today, I am working as a WordPress consultant, developer and trainer full-time. What was originally only a hobby and then a part-time venture, is now my full-time job.

WP Full-time

So, as I set out in this new venture I have a few small goals, a long list of tasks, and a ton of ideas with not much time. So I would like to share some of these.

1. Blog more & more regularly
First and foremost, I will be blogging more and more regularly. It is my goal to be blogging on all things WordPress and Genesis. At least one day a week, I will write posts for beginner do-it-yourselfers (DIYers). My plan is to write for a beginner's point of view from the very beginning completing the series at a beginner developer point. And, on another day of the week, I will be blogging about my progress of starting, executing, and running WP Smith as a WordPress business.

Yet, I would love to hear what you would like for me to blog or write. What topics would you like to see me cover? What issues are you experiencing? What WordPress tutorials are hard to find in the blogosphere?

2. Release a few themes and plugins
I have contributed to a ton of plugins and have written a few myself. I have also released a few themes, but none of which I love. However, moving forward, it is my goal to release themes using the Genesis Sandbox Child Theme that I have created with Jonathan.

Recently, I released my Genesis Sandbox Featured Content Widget plugin, and I currently am developing another plugin that I hope to release as a premium plugin for Portfolios that was recently discussed via Twitter.

3. Get a new computer, maybe even a MacMac WannaBe
Currently, I am using my desktop from 2007 running on Windows 7 32-bit with only 2 GB of memory. When I begin using more than one program, or have multiple tabs open, the computer sounds like a plane getting ready to take off! So today, I upgraded it to Windows 7 64-bit, ordered a new fan and some RAM, which will max out at 6 GB. This will serve as a decent stop gap until I am able to store enough monies to buy a good laptop. While I would love to have a Mac, the business side of me says that is more of a pipe dream for me, a want, not a necessity, especially since I am half decent Windows user (though I must admit, I am not much of a fan of Windows 8 yet). I've always called myself a Mac wanna-be.
4. Complete my new logo and design
Probably the most important thing on my list of items is my branding. While I hope to have this accomplished by WordCamp Atlanta around the middle of March, I am not sure if this will happen entirely. I am completely open to any suggestions here and will be blogging about my progress on this.

I look forward to this new adventure! If you have any needs, services, or anything, please feel free to reach out to see if we can work together.