WordPress can be considered a three-legged stool of code: core, themes, and plugins. The recommended split of duties is to have WordPress core provide the database and content (don’t hack core!), to have themes provide the look and feel, and to have plugins provide functionality. If you’re interested in digging deeper into the plugins part of this trinity, there’s no better source than the expertise available from Pippin Williamson.
Pippin Williamson is one of the plugin team reps for the WordPress.org open source project. He is also a founder of Easy Digital Downloads, a well known e-commerce WordPress plugin. (Easy Digital Downloads is an option you’ll find in the Add-On menu of CyberChimps’ Theme Options.) Safe to say, he knows a thing or two about plugins.
Pippin has put together a long list of tutorials that cover a wide variety topics at various levels of plugin development. If you’re just beginning with plugin development, try searching for “101” to discover several beginner tutorials including a great place to start Introduction to WordPress Plugin Development 101. You’ll find short videos where Pippin walks you through the topic. You may be asked to register to see some videos, as some are only available to members, but there’s a free option for that so don’t let it scare you away. (Just so you know, the most expensive premium package is $60/year.) There are, of course, more advanced tutorials as well. Search by the subject you’re interested in and something is sure to turn up.
If you’re looking into developing your own plugins, or just wondering how they work, you haven’t done your homework until you’ve visited the Pippin’s Plugins website.
