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Langara Outlines

WMDD4840 Outline (2019)

WMADD 4840 Content Management Systems
Credits: 3 Room: B015 (Mac Lab)
Contact Info:
Kevin McMillan
Office A248
604.323.5941		 Days & Times:
Spring 2019
Mondays: 930 – 1230
find my office Office Hours
Tuesdays 130-430

SKIP to Class Content

This class will cover Content Management Systems, specifically WordPress—by far, the most popular CMS in the world. Here are a few lists of major sites running WordPress as well as a bunch of WP statistics.

Like anything in life, this outline is subject to occasional changes.

Throughout the term, I will add links to additional supporting content.

I want to make as much of your learning task-based, so nearly every week there will be problem-solving exercises to be completed in class or over the week.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to

  • install a Content Management System (CMS) framework on a production web server
  • configure a local testing environment with the same CMS
  • evaluate, install and configure appropriate CMS themes, modules, widgets, and plugins
  • create content, media, menu structures & content types
  • create and restore data and system backups
  • identify and implement appropriate security and anti-spam measures (user accounts, permissions, patches, etc.)
  • customize themes
  • write basic themes

Textbook / Reference Material

There is no textbook for this course: we will use primarily online sources.

Lynda.com Videos
Installing and Running WordPress: MAMP  (chapters 1 & 2 )
WordPress: Essential Training (all chapters)
WordPress: Building Themes From Scratch Using Underscores
WordPress: Developing Secure Sites

How to Login To Lynda.com With a Langara ID

WordPress References
The WordPress Codex
WordPress Developer Resource
Codex: Stepping into Template Tags
Codex: Template Tags List
Codex: Conditional Tags

WordPress Cheat Sheets
WP Mega Cheat Sheet
WP Developer Super Cheat Sheet

Course Structure

The class schedule is detailed below.

Techniques learned in one assignment or exercise will always be the starting point for subsequent ones. Be assured, therefore, that no lectures or required video viewings can be easily missed.

It is your responsibility to make sure that you do not miss any announcements or course materials given in any class. Any additional announcements will be made via email to your mylangara accounts.

Assessments
Main Assignment: Theme Project 30%
Quizzes 15%
Lab Exercises 15%
Midterm 20%
Final 20%

Final Assignment Description

Note, also, that dates listed can change in response to class progress. 

Image Downloads

I’m putting these here, because we will use them in a number of classes:

Week 1: Jan 07 ( Intro to Content Management )

  • CMS vs Static Sites / WordPress.com vs WordPress.org models
  • Setup of Local Testing Environment: MAMP
  • WP Dashboard
  • WP Editing Area
  • Media / Galleries
  • Embeds
  • Posts
  • Pages

Weekly Videos

Resources

Lab Exercises / Howework

Week 2: Jan 14 ( Site Configuration )

  • Posts vs Pages Review
  • Settings / Customizer
  • Menus
  • WP Importer
  • Intro to WordPress CSS
  • Permalinks
  • Comments
  • Classic Editor

Weekly Videos

Lab Exercise / Homework

Week 3: Jan 21

  • Quiz Number 1
  • User roles
  • Security pt 1
  • Automated Backup
  • Hacks
  • Midterm Preparation

Weekly Videos

Lab Exercises (Homework: Due at the Start of Next Class)

Week 4: Jan 28 ( Moving a Site )

  • Duplicator plugin
  • Fresh install on host class demo
  • Transferring a locally-created site to a remote host class demo

Weekly Videos

Resources

Lab Exercises

Week 5: Feb 04 ( Midterm )

  • For the midterm, you will be given content, and asked to configure a particular theme and plugin(s).
  • This is a bit early for a midterm, but I wanted more class time to focus on theme building.

Weekly Videos (Watch by Next Class)

  • Lynda.com: Building Themes From Scratch Using Underscores
    Chapters 2.1, 2.2, 2.3

Weekly Reading (Read by Next Class)

Week 6: Feb 11 ( Introduction to Theming )

  • The Template Hierarchy
  • The Loop
  • Basic Template Tags
  • WordPress CSS Structure
  • Time Permitting: get_template_part

Weekly Videos

Resources

Lab Exercises

Week 7: Feb 18 (Reading Week)

  • College is open, but there are no classes

Week 8: Feb 25 ( Underscores Introduction )

  • Underscores SASS Setup
  • The Loop in Underscores: get_template_part
  • functions.php: menus
  • enqueue_style
  • enqueue_script

Weekly Videos

Lab Exercises

Resources

Week 9: March 04 ( Underscores 2  )

  • WP Template Hierarchy 2
  • Leveraging WordPress CSS
  • Underscores and Gutenberg Editor

Resources

Lab Exercise

Week 10: March 11 ( Underscores 3)

  • get_template_part()
  • wp conditions
  • wp_query: multiple loops
  • more WP CSS & underscores SASS

Resources

Weekly Videos

Lab Exercise

Week 10: March 18 ( Underscores 4 )

  • nested loops
  • custom post types
  • custom fields

Weekly Videos

Lab Exercise

Week 11:  March 25 ( Underscores 5 )

  • Custom Meta Data
  • Custom Post Types

Weekly Videos

Lab Exercise

Week 12: April 02 ( Work Day )