Ten years ago I taught myself to read and write html. All of these years later I’m fumbling my way through CSS, PHP and MYSQL. I’m learning as if I were plunked into a foreign country and made to learn their language by simply jumping in and struggling through misinterpretations and frustration.
I am not someone who thinks in any logical way about anything. I am completely lacking in common sense, and all of my educational background — to the tune of a student loan that is upwards of $100 grand — is in the arts. Therefore it seems kind of contradictory that I would love code.
But I do. Somehow.
It is the same impulse that had me taking apart an iPod once and putting in my own toilet. It is my favorite refrain from the forgotten David Mamet/Alec Baldwin/Tony Hopkins movie The Edge, “what one man can do another can do.”
Strength is one thing. If I CAN’T do it, I mostly won’t attempt it. But if it’s possible? If it’s just a matter of figuring it out? I feel that I am up to the challenge most of the time. Even if it means delivering a finished product that is half-assed.
WordPress and php are entirely fascinating. All code is fascinating to me but PHP is my new favorite thing. One thing I love about it is the magic you can create with it. It is remarkable that one little comma or semi-colon can throw the whole thing off, but if you get the code just right? And stuff actually works? Amazing.
WordPress has a wealth of resources for those of us who want to dive right in and get our hands dirty with code. The thing is, it is totally logical and follows a set of rules. It won’t confuse you once you understand the basics.
The Codex at WordPress will give you almost every little piece of info you need to hack your current WordPress theme. And if it isn’t easy to understand in Codex — because sometimes it isn’t; sometimes they leave off the simple stuff you need to know, like how to wrap a php command. They just give you the command and you have to figure out how to wrap it and where to put it. Nonetheless, it is fabulous.
If the Codex doesn’t have it, chances are another blogger does have it. So do a google search and then poke at it. Just make sure you always have the old code to return to once you fuck up the new one you’re playing around with.
There is nothing more satisfying, I’ll have you know, than figuring something out and having it work. I am still confused by CSS. CSS freaks me out on any number of levels, but it is one of my last challenges. I prefer the code that makes things work.
So, if you find yourself completely confused by how WordPress works, do yourself a favor and start diving in, hacking your theme, and figuring out how it all fits together. It will be a grand learning experience.
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