WordPress is much more than a blogging platform. As this practical guide clearly demonstrates, you can use WordPress to build web apps of any type-not mere content sites, but full-blown apps for specific tasks. If you have PHP experience with a smattering of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you...ll learn how to use WordPress plugins and themes to develop fast, scalable, and secure web apps, native mobile apps, web services, and even a network of multiple WordPress sites.

The authors use examples from their recently released SchoolPress app to explain concepts and techniques throughout the book. All code examples are available on GitHub.

  • Compare WordPress with traditional app development frameworks
  • Use themes for views, and plugins for backend functionality
  • Get suggestions for choosing WordPress plugins-or build your own
  • Manage user accounts and roles, and access user data
  • Build asynchronous behaviors in your app with jQuery
  • Develop native apps for iOS and Android, using wrappers
  • Incorporate PHP libraries, external APIs, and web service plugins
  • Collect payments through ecommerce and membership plugins
  • Use techniques to speed up and scale your WordPress app