The WordPress.org community includes skilled people from around the world. They welcome new contributors to help out. Developers working with enterprise sites on the VIP Platform can offer valuable insights that benefit the entire WordPress project.
Understand WordPress Development
Before jumping in, it’s essential to have a good grasp of how WordPress works. Familiarize yourself with its architecture, themes, and plugins. By understanding the platform you love, you’ll be better equipped to contribute effectively.
4 Ways You Can Start Getting Involved with WordPress Development
If you’re a WordPress user and want to get involved as a budding developer, putting your own mark on the platform is a great idea! Since WordPress is open-source and managed by its community, contributing to its development is both easy and rewarding.
The best part? There are many ways you can help WordPress grow. As a developer, you might want to create your own plugin or build a new theme. But you can also make a difference by becoming a tester or contributing directly to WordPress core. No matter how you choose to get involved, your efforts can have a positive impact!
1. Beta Test New WordPress Releases
If you have little coding experience, a great way to start is by becoming a tester. Every new version of WordPress needs to be tested before it launches, and your help at this stage is really valuable for the platform.
Testing gives you a look at how development works and helps you understand the details of how WordPress functions behind the scenes. This knowledge can be useful later if you decide to create your own plugins or write code.
2. Try WordPress Plugin Development
Plugins are software tools you can add to your WordPress site to give it new features. You might already know this, but I want to clarify that plugins aren’t just made by expert developers. In fact, anyone with even a little coding experience can create a plugin. So, don’t be afraid to try making one yourself!
3. Start WordPress Theme Development
In many ways, WordPress themes are similar to plugins. Both can be added to your site to change how it looks and works. Creating your own theme is a great way to learn about WordPress development, and it’s not as hard as you might think.
A good way to start is by using a starter theme like Underscores. This theme includes just the basic elements you need, allowing you to style and modify it as you like. This makes the process easier, so you can focus more on the design and layout without getting stuck on the tricky parts.
4. Contribute to WordPress Core
The final step in WordPress development is contributing directly to WordPress core. This refers to the basic WordPress platform itself, without any plugins or themes.
To get started, you need to know that WordPress uses a project management system called Trac. This system allows users to log tickets, which are public tasks that anyone can help with. It might seem a bit confusing at first, but the WordPress Handbook has helpful information on how to navigate it.
Conclusion
WordPress thrives because of the volunteers who dedicate their time to enhancing the platform. This means that anyone who wants to can pitch in and contribute in various ways. Whether you’re a developer, a designer, or just someone who loves WordPress, there are many opportunities to help out!
