🔄 Development Workflow

This guide outlines the development workflow for WP LLM contributors and advanced users. It covers best practices, development processes, and how to effectively contribute to the project.

🎯 Development Philosophy

Core Principles

WordPress-First Approach - All generated code must follow WordPress standards
Security by Design - Security considerations are built into every component
Performance Optimization - Code should be efficient and scalable
Accessibility - Generated interfaces must be accessible to all users
Documentation - Comprehensive documentation for all features

Quality Standards

WordPress Coding Standards - Follow PSR-12 and WordPress-specific guidelines
Security Best Practices - Proper sanitization, validation, and nonce verification
Performance Guidelines - Efficient queries, caching, and asset optimization
Accessibility Standards - WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for frontend components

🛠️ Development Environment Setup

Required Tools

Ollama - For running WP LLM locally
WordPress Development Environment - LocalWP, XAMPP, or similar
Code Editor - VS Code with WordPress extensions
Git - Version control
Node.js - For block development and build tools

Local Development Setup

bash

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/artificialpoets/wp-llm-docs.git
cd wp-llm

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Set up WordPress development environment
# (Follow your preferred local development setup)

# Start Ollama with WP LLM
ollama serve
ollama pull wp-llm

VS Code Configuration

Recommended Extensions:

WordPress Snippets
PHP Intelephense
Ollama
GitLens
Prettier

Settings:

json

{
  "php.validate.executablePath": "/usr/bin/php",
  "php.suggest.basic": false,
  "wordpress.suggest.basic": true,
  "ollama.model": "wp-llm",
  "ollama.host": "http://localhost:11434"
}

🔄 Development Process

1. Planning Phase

Define Requirements:

Clear specification of what needs to be built
User stories and acceptance criteria
Technical constraints and considerations

Example Planning Template:

Feature: Custom Post Type Generator
- User Story: As a developer, I want to generate custom post types with meta fields
- Acceptance Criteria:
  * Generates proper post type registration
  * Includes meta boxes for custom fields
  * Follows WordPress coding standards
  * Includes proper sanitization
- Technical Considerations:
  * REST API support
  * Admin columns
  * Custom taxonomies

2. Development Phase

Using WP LLM for Development:

Start with a Clear Prompt:

bash

ollama run wp-llm "Create a custom post type for 'Products' with the following requirements:
- Must support: title, editor, thumbnail, excerpt, custom-fields
- Include meta fields: price (number), sku (text), stock_status (select)
- Add proper sanitization and validation
- Follow WordPress coding standards
- Include REST API support"

Review and Refine:
- Check generated code for accuracy
- Verify security measures
- Test functionality
- Optimize performance

Iterate and Improve:

bash

ollama run wp-llm "Improve this custom post type code by adding:
- Admin columns for price and stock status
- Better error handling
- Additional meta field validation"

3. Testing Phase

Code Review Checklist:

Testing Procedures:

bash

# Test in WordPress environment
# 1. Activate plugin/theme
# 2. Test functionality
# 3. Check for errors
# 4. Validate security
# 5. Performance testing

4. Documentation Phase

Documentation Requirements:

Code comments and inline documentation
README updates
API documentation
Usage examples
Changelog entries

🎨 Block Development Workflow

Block Creation Process

Define Block Requirements:

json

{
  "name": "my-theme/hero-section",
  "title": "Hero Section",
  "category": "design",
  "attributes": {
    "title": { "type": "string" },
    "backgroundImage": { "type": "object" },
    "buttonText": { "type": "string" }
  }
}

Generate Block Structure:

bash

ollama run wp-llm "Create a Gutenberg block for 'hero-section' with:
- Background image support
- Editable title and subtitle
- Call-to-action button
- Responsive design
- Accessibility features"

Implement Block Files:
- block.json - Block configuration
- edit.js - Editor component
- save.js - Frontend render
- style.css - Styling
- index.js - Block registration
Test and Refine:
- Test in block editor
- Verify frontend rendering
- Check responsive behavior
- Validate accessibility

Block Pattern Development

Define Pattern Structure:

php

register_block_pattern(
    'my-theme/hero-pattern',
    array(
        'title' => __('Hero Section', 'my-theme'),
        'description' => __('A hero section with background image and call-to-action', 'my-theme'),
        'categories' => array('hero'),
        'content' => '<!-- wp:my-theme/hero-section -->...',
    )
);

Generate Pattern Content:

bash

ollama run wp-llm "Create a block pattern for a hero section that includes:
- Hero block with background image
- Heading and subtitle
- Call-to-action button
- Proper spacing and layout"

🔌 Plugin Development Workflow

Plugin Structure

my-plugin/
├── my-plugin.php          # Main plugin file
├── includes/              # PHP classes and functions
│   ├── class-plugin.php
│   ├── class-admin.php
│   └── class-api.php
├── admin/                 # Admin interface
│   ├── css/
│   ├── js/
│   └── views/
├── public/                # Frontend assets
│   ├── css/
│   ├── js/
│   └── views/
├── languages/             # Translation files
├── assets/                # Build assets
└── tests/                 # Unit tests

Development Steps

Generate Plugin Foundation:

bash

ollama run wp-llm "Create a WordPress plugin structure for 'Product Manager' with:
- Custom post type for products
- Meta boxes for product details
- REST API endpoints
- Admin interface
- Proper file organization"

Implement Core Features:
- Custom post type registration
- Meta box implementation
- REST API endpoints
- Admin interface
Add Advanced Features:
- Custom taxonomies
- Admin columns
- Import/export functionality
- Settings page
Testing and Optimization:
- Unit tests
- Integration tests
- Performance optimization
- Security audit

🎯 Theme Development Workflow

Theme Structure

my-theme/
├── style.css              # Theme information
├── index.php              # Main template
├── functions.php          # Theme functions
├── header.php             # Header template
├── footer.php             # Footer template
├── sidebar.php            # Sidebar template
├── single.php             # Single post template
├── page.php               # Page template
├── archive.php            # Archive template
├── search.php             # Search template
├── 404.php                # 404 error template
├── assets/                # Theme assets
│   ├── css/
│   ├── js/
│   └── images/
├── template-parts/        # Template parts
├── inc/                   # Include files
└── languages/             # Translation files

Development Process

Generate Theme Foundation:

bash

ollama run wp-llm "Create a WordPress theme structure with:
- Proper template hierarchy
- Theme functions and hooks
- Responsive design
- SEO optimization
- Accessibility features"

Implement Templates:
- Main template files
- Template parts
- Custom post type templates
- Archive templates
Add Functionality:
- Custom widgets
- Shortcodes
- Customizer options
- Theme hooks
Optimization:
- Performance optimization
- SEO improvements
- Accessibility enhancements
- Cross-browser testing

🔒 Security Development Workflow

Security Checklist

Input Validation:

Sanitize all user inputs
Validate data types and formats
Check for malicious content
Implement proper escaping

Authentication & Authorization:

Verify user capabilities
Implement nonce verification
Check user permissions
Secure admin interfaces

Database Security:

Use prepared statements
Validate SQL queries
Implement proper escaping
Check for SQL injection

File Security:

Validate file uploads
Check file types and sizes
Secure file storage
Implement access controls

Security Testing

bash

# Test for common vulnerabilities
# 1. SQL injection testing
# 2. XSS vulnerability testing
# 3. CSRF protection testing
# 4. File upload security testing
# 5. Authentication bypass testing

📊 Performance Development Workflow

Performance Optimization

Database Optimization:

Use efficient queries
Implement proper indexing
Optimize meta queries
Use object caching

Asset Optimization:

Minify CSS and JavaScript
Optimize images
Implement lazy loading
Use CDN for assets

Caching Strategy:

Object caching
Page caching
Fragment caching
Transient API usage

Performance Testing

bash

# Performance testing tools
# 1. Query Monitor (WordPress plugin)
# 2. GTmetrix
# 3. Google PageSpeed Insights
# 4. WebPageTest

🔄 Continuous Integration

CI/CD Pipeline

yaml

# .github/workflows/ci.yml
name: CI/CD Pipeline

on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Setup PHP
        uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
        with:
          php-version: '8.1'
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: composer install
      - name: Run tests
        run: vendor/bin/phpunit
      - name: Code quality check
        run: vendor/bin/phpcs

Automated Testing

Unit Tests:

php

class TestCustomPostType extends WP_UnitTestCase {
    public function test_post_type_registration() {
        // Test post type registration
        $post_types = get_post_types();
        $this->assertArrayHasKey('product', $post_types);
    }
}

Integration Tests:

php

class TestRESTAPI extends WP_Test_REST_TestCase {
    public function test_get_products_endpoint() {
        // Test REST API endpoint
        $request = new WP_REST_Request('GET', '/wp-json/product-manager/v1/products');
        $response = rest_do_request($request);
        $this->assertEquals(200, $response->get_status());
    }
}

📝 Documentation Workflow

Documentation Standards

Code Documentation:

PHPDoc comments for functions
Inline comments for complex logic
README files for projects
API documentation

User Documentation:

Installation guides
Usage examples
Troubleshooting guides
FAQ sections

Documentation Process

Write documentation alongside code
Include usage examples
Add troubleshooting sections
Keep documentation updated
Review and refine regularly

🚀 Deployment Workflow

Production Deployment

Code Review:
- Security audit
- Performance review
- Accessibility check
- Cross-browser testing
Testing:
- Staging environment testing
- User acceptance testing
- Performance testing
- Security testing
Deployment:
- Backup production environment
- Deploy to production
- Monitor for issues
- Rollback if necessary

Deployment Checklist

Ready to contribute? Follow this development workflow to ensure high-quality, secure, and performant WordPress code that follows best practices and standards.