Next, our custom post type needs further options to be configured, such as the menu icon and archive. Let’s walk through the different options.
Labs
Labs are hands-on coding projects that you build along with Tonya as she explains the code, concepts, and thought processes behind it. You can use the labs to further your code knowledge or to use right in your projects. Each lab ties into the Docx to ensure you have the information you need.
Each lab is designed to further your understanding and mastery of code. You learn more about how to think about its construction, quality, maintainability, programmatic and logical thought, and problem-solving. While you may be building a specific thing, Tonya presents the why of it to make it adaptable far beyond that specific implementation, thereby giving you the means to make it your own, in any context.
Configuring the Custom Post Type Feature Supports
Out-of-the-box, when you register a custom post type, the feature supports are title and editor. That’s it. Hum, what if there are additional supports that you want, such as SEO or other custom ones from other plugins? If you have the Genesis framework installed, then it adds 3 feature supports. If you are using Yoast SEO, then it adds 1 feature supports. How do you specify these features when you build your plugin? You use the configuration code that you wrote in Exclude Post Type Features episode, as part of the Custom Post Type Basics lab. That code is reusable […]
Configuring the Custom Post Type Labels
The arguments for registering a custom post type are configurable to customize the experience and implementation for your needs. Part of that configuration are the labels. The labels are in the back-end. By default, they will use ‘Post.’ Hum, that will not make sense for the user, content strategist, and anyone who is in the back-end adding, editing, or managing the content. Our job is not just to write code. Nope, you are building experiences. It’s our job to make sure what we build is self-documenting, user-friendly, and draws people in to want to use it. Configuring the labels customizes […]
Build the Basic FAQ Custom Post Type
Let’s build the basic FAQ custom post type. We need to simply register the post type with WordPress. You already did this task in the Custom Post Type Basics lab. Right? Therefore, you have the basic boilerplate code that you can reuse. Let’s copy the code from this lab, which you can find in this GitHub repository. Then we’ll adjust it for our needs. Let’s also talk about how to make this code work within the module, i.e. so that it’s reusable for the plugin that it’s embedded into it. How can we make the text domain reusable? Let’s talk […]
Module Architecture
Let’s think about the architecture for this module. How are we going to break up the code into sub-modules, feature sets, and sub-functionality? In this episode, you and I are walking through how to break this module down into its components and keep it centered on a single intent or purpose. How do you break things up and architect your plugins, frameworks, applications, etc.? Focus on the intent and purpose. List out the big buckets of what you’re going to build. Then group the like items together into a logical order where each one supports the single intent of the […]
Planning it Out
Let’s talk through what we are building together. Start with the Scope of Work, i.e. the big green box on the lab’s landing page. You’ll build the following: A custom post type called ‘faq’ A custom taxonomy for it to give us the grouping topics Add the page attributes to the custom post type to give us the ordering feature An archive page and custom loader We’ll use the SQL and $wpdb from the Advanced SQL lab. Then we’ll modify it for our needs. A shortcode with two different processes We’ll build it in that order, step-by-step. You are building […]
Lab Introduction
Let’s talk about what you are going to do and build in this lab. We’ll talk about why. Why are we adding this FAQ feature? We’ll talk about what you’ll learn and the expertise you will gain after doing this lab with me. This lab is awesome. It has advanced plugin development concepts and processes. It will help you to move forward in your plugin development career. Don’t worry. I’m going to walk you through the entire process, sharing how I’m thinking about it, why we’re going in a particular direction, and alternative strategies. Ready? Let’s get to work.
Commit Changes & Wrap
Let’s commit our changes to the GitHub repository. Congratulations!
Change the Icon
This is our last task. We need to change the icon when clicking on the visible message. You’ll use the jQuery.data() construct to grab the data attributes off of the icon element. Hum, we originally coded those attributes onto the visible message. Let’s rethink that. It makes more sense to put them onto the icon element. Why? It’s easier for us to get the values in our script. Then you and I will work through the rest of the change icon function. And you get to learn that JavaScript doesn’t wait for functions to get done before running the next […]
Animate the Hidden Content
Okay, now it’s time to talk about the sliding animation. You learned the basics of .slideUp() and .slideDown() in Episode 7 of the Introduction to jQuery lab. Let’s explore the options and see what these constructs do to the inline CSS for the elements.
