The developers created WordPress as a weblogging<\/strong> (blogging<\/a>) system. A blog<\/a>, as defined in the Codex Glossary<\/a>, is \u201can online journal, diary, or serial, published by a person or group of people\u201d. Many blogs<\/em> are personal in nature, reflecting the opinions and interests of the owner. But, blogs<\/em> are now important tools in the world of news, business, politics, and entertainment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blogs<\/em> are a form of a Content Management System (CMS)<\/a>, which Wikipedia<\/a> calls “a system used to organize and facilitate collaborative content creation.” Both blogs<\/em> and Content Management Systems<\/em> can perform the role of a website<\/a> (site<\/strong> for short). A website<\/em> can be thought of as a collection of articles and information about a specific subject, service, or product, which may not be a personal reflection of the owner. More recently, as the role of WordPress has expanded, WordPress developers have begun using the more general term site<\/strong>, in place of blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The term Word<\/strong> in WordPress refers to the words used to compose posts<\/a>. Posts<\/em> are the principal element (or content<\/a>) of a blog. The posts<\/em> are the writings, compositions, discussions, discourses, musings, and, yes, the rantings of the blog’s owner and guest authors. Posts<\/em>, in most cases, are the reason a blog exists; without posts<\/em>, there is no blog! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Integral to a blog are the pictures, images, sounds, and movies, otherwise know as media<\/a>. Media<\/em> enhances, and gives life to a blog’s content. WordPress provides an easy to use method of inserting Media<\/em> directly into posts, and a method to upload Media<\/a> that can be later attached to posts, and a Media Library<\/a> to manage those various Media<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An important part of the posting<\/a> process is the act of assigning those posts to categories<\/a>. Each post in WordPress is filed under one or more categories<\/em>. Categories<\/em> can be hierarchical in nature, where one category acts as a parent to several child, or grandchild, categories. Thoughtful categorization<\/em> allows posts of similar content to be grouped, thereby aiding viewers in the navigation, and use of a site. In addition to categories, terms or keywords called tags<\/a> can be assigned to each post. Tags<\/em> act as another navigation tool, but are not hierarchical in nature. Both categories and tags are part of a system called taxonomies<\/a>. If categories and tags are not enough, users can also create custom taxonomies<\/a> that allow more specific identification of posts or pages or custom post types<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In turn, post categories and tags are two of the elements of what’s called post meta data<\/a>. Post meta data<\/em> refers to the information associated with each post and includes the author’s name and the date posted as well as the post categories. Post meta data<\/em> also refers to Custom Fields<\/a> where you assign specific words, or keys, that can describe posts. But, you can’t mention post meta data<\/em> without discussing the term meta<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally, meta<\/a> means “information\nabout”<\/strong>; in WordPress, meta<\/em> usually refers to administrative<\/strong>-type\ninformation. So, besides post meta data<\/em>, Meta<\/em> is the HTML<\/a> tag used to describe\nand define a web page to the outside world, like meta tag keywords<\/em> for\nsearch engines. Also, many WordPress-based sites offer a Meta<\/em> section,\nusually found in the sidebar<\/a>, with links to login or register at that site. And,\ndon’t forget Meta Rules<\/a>: The rules defining the general protocol to follow in\nusing this Codex, or Meta,<\/em> as in the MediaWiki<\/a> namespace<\/a> that refers to\nadministrative functions within Codex. That’s a lot of Meta<\/em>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n After a post\nis made public, a blog’s readers will respond, via comments<\/a>, to that post, and in\nturn, authors will reply. Comments<\/em> enable the communication process,\nthat give-and-take, between author and reader. Comments<\/em> are the\nlife-blood of most blogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, WordPress also offers two other content management tools<\/a> called Pages<\/a> and custom post types<\/a>. Pages<\/em> often present static information, such as “About Me”, or “Contact Us”, Pages<\/em>. Typically “timeless” in nature, Pages<\/em> should not be confused with the time-oriented objects called posts<\/em>. Interestingly, a Page<\/em> is allowed to be commented upon<\/a>, but a Page<\/em> cannot be categorized<\/a>. A custom post type<\/a> refers to a type of structured data that is different from a post or a page. Custom post types allow users to easily create and manage such things as portfolios, projects, video libraries, podcasts, quotes, chats, and whatever a user or developer can imagine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A WordPress\nTheme<\/em> is the overall design of a site and encompasses color, graphics, and\ntext. A Theme<\/em> is sometimes called the skin<\/strong> or template, but it\nisn’t really. A skin and template are really website paint jobs. A WordPress\nTheme is where code meets design, allowing a site to change based upon specific\nconditions set by the site administrator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Installation of WordPress Themes is made easy with the Themes Menu<\/a> on the Administration Screens. Simply search for a new Theme from within the official WordPress Theme Directory<\/a> and activate it with a few clicks. You can also preview your site before installing and activating the Theme to see what your site will look like with that WordPress Theme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The flexibility<\/em> of WordPress is apparent when discussing terminology related to the design<\/a> of a WordPress site. At the core of WordPress, developers created a programming structure named The Loop<\/a> to handle the processing of posts. The Loop<\/em> is the critical PHP<\/a> program code used to display posts<\/em>. Anyone wanting to enhance and customize<\/strong> WordPress will need to understand the mechanics of <\/a>The Loop<\/a><\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with The Loop, WordPress developers have created Template Tags<\/a> which are a group of PHP functions that can be invoked by designers to perform an action or display specific information. It is the Template Tags<\/em> that form the basis of the Template<\/a> Files. Templates (files)<\/em> contain the programming pieces, such as Template Tags<\/em>, that control the structure and flow of a WordPress site. These files draw information from your WordPress MySQL<\/a> database<\/a> and generate the HTML<\/a> code which is sent to the web browser. A Template Hierarchy<\/a>, in essence the order of processing, dictates how Templates<\/em> control almost all aspects of the output, including Headers<\/a>, Sidebars<\/a>, and Archives<\/a>. Archives<\/em> are a dynamically generated list of posts, and are typically grouped by date<\/a>, category<\/a>, tag<\/a>, or author<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As the\ncapabilities of WordPress have improved, developers have added tools that allow\nusers to easily manage a site’s look and functionality: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Plug<\/a>i<\/a>ns<\/a> are custom functions created to extend the core functionality of WordPress. The WordPress developers have maximized flexibility and minimized code bloat by allowing outside developers the opportunity to create their own useful add-on features. As evidenced by the WordPress Plugin Directory<\/a>, there’s a Plugin<\/em> to enhance virtually every aspect of WordPress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Plugin management tool<\/a> makes it extremely easy\nto find and install Plugins directly from the official directory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another set of terms to examine are those involving the Administration<\/a> of a WordPress site. A comprehensive set of Administration Screens<\/a> enables users to easily<\/strong> administer and monitor their blog. A WordPress administrator has a number of powers which include requiring a visitor to register in order to participate in the blog, who can create new posts, whether comments can be left, and if files can be uploaded to the blog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the main administrative responsibilities of a WordPress blog involve adding, deleting, and managing Registered Users<\/a>. Administering users means controlling Roles and Capabilities<\/a>, or permissions. Roles<\/strong> control what functions a registered user<\/em> can perform as those functions can range from just being able to login at a blog to performing the role administrator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another chief concern for the blog administrator is Comment Moderation<\/a>. Comments<\/a>, also called discussions<\/a>, are responses to posts left for the post author by the visitor and represent an important part of “the give and take” of a blog. But Comments<\/em> must be patrolled<\/a> for Spam<\/a> and other malicious intentions. The WordPress Administration Comments Screen<\/a> simplifies that process with easy-to-use screens which add, change, and delete Comments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And not to be forgotten is the obligation for an administrator to keep their WordPress current to insure that the latest features, bugs, and security fixes are in effect. To accommodate administrators, WordPress has a simple Upgrade Screen<\/a> to download and install the latest version of WordPress. There’s no excuse to not upgrade! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The final set of jargon<\/em> relates to helping<\/strong> you with WordPress. First and foremost is the hanging Help tab that is displayed under each of the Administration Screens<\/a>. That contextual help describes the function and use of the current screen and provides links to other help topics. And, there are other help<\/em> resources available to WordPress users; Finding WordPress Help<\/a>, Troubleshooting<\/a>, and WordPress FAQ (frequently asked questions)<\/a> are good starting points. Also Getting Started with WordPress<\/a> will jump-start<\/strong> readers into the world of WordPress and the excellent WordPress Lessons<\/a> provide in-depth tutorials<\/strong> on many of the aspects of using WordPress. Among the most important resources is the WordPress Support Forum<\/a> where knowledgeable<\/strong> volunteers answer your questions and help solve any problems related to WordPress. And, of course, this Support site which is filled with hundreds of articles designed to make your WordPress experience a success! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Terminology Introduction The developers created WordPress as a weblogging (blogging) system. A blog, as defined in the Codex Glossary, is \u201can online journal, diary, or serial, published by a person or group of people\u201d. Many blogs are personal in nature, reflecting the opinions and interests of the owner. 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Design Terminology <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Administrative Terminology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Help Terminology <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
More Information\nand Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
See Also<\/h3>\n\n\n\n