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Langara Outlines

WMDD4840 Outline (2020-02)

WMDD 4840Content Management Systems
Credits: 3Online
Days & Times:
Summer 2020
Monday: 930 – 1230
Exam Period: August 04 – 15

For Zoom URLs, see Brightspace Course
Office Hour (via Zoom)
Friday 9-10
To get in touch with me, please email to my Langara.ca address or send email via BrightSpace.

PDF of Official Outline

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.

LinkedIn learning can be logged into from the college website.

LinkedIn Learning Videos
Installing and Running WordPress: MAMP  (ch 1 & 2 )

WordPress 5 Essential Training (all chapters)
WordPress 5 Essential Training: Site Admin (all chapters)

WordPress: Developing Secure Sites (all chapters)

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.

Main Assignment:
Group Theme Dev With WMDD4835 & Project 1		30%
Quizzes15%
Lab Exercises20%
Midterm15%
Final Exam20%

Final Assignment Description

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

Important Dates

List of dates for withdrawals, refunds, etc. 

Image Downloads

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

WMDD Server Space Application

In order to host your project web site, you will need to get some space on the WMDD instructional server, To do that please have one member of your team download this form, fill it out and send it to Denis Bilette via email.

Week 1: May 04 (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
  • Gutenberg Editor
  • The best keyboard shortcut ever …

Weekly Videos (links for all videos are above)

  • Installing and Running WordPress: MAMP
    (Windows users can also use WAMPServer or Xampp)
  • WordPress 5.0 Essential Training, Chapters 1 – 5

Resources

Lab Exercises / Homework

Week 2: May 11 (Site Configuration 1)

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

Weekly Videos

  • WordPress 5.0 Essential Training: Site Admin (Chapters 1-5)

In Class Exercise

Lab Exercise / Homework

Week 3: May 18 (Holiday)

  • There is no class this week, due to the Victoria Day Holiday May 18, but an exercise is due, and there is new homework.

Lab Exercises / Homework

Weekly Videos

  • WordPress—Developing Secure Sites (all chapters)
    Next week’s quiz will be on the content of this video.

Week 4: May 25 (Site Configuration 2 / Security 1)

  • Quiz Number 1 (On Secure Sites Video Course)
  • Themes
  • Plugins
  • Backup
  • Transferring a Site
  • Security Considerations with Live Sites

Lab Exercises / Homework

Resources

Week 5: June 01 Midterm

  • For the test, you will be given content, and asked to configure a particular theme and plugin(s).
  • You will have approximately three hours to complete the test.

Week 6: June 08 ( PHP Intro / Theme Dev 1 )

  • WP Template Hierarchy
  • The Loop
  • Basic Template Tags
  • get_template_part
  • WP CSS

Lab Exercises

Weekly Reading (Read by Next Class)

Resources

Homework

  • Redo entire WP Theming Exercise (all four parts)
  • Once you have functions.php setup, style the entire site
    Due June 15 at 930am.
    Hand in the theme only to studentshare (myfiles).

Week 7: June 15 (WP Theme Dev 2: functions.php)

  • functions.php
  • menus
  • enqueueing scripts & styles

Lab Exercises

Week 8: June 22 (WP Theme Dev 3: Conditions, More Practice )

  • DRY development via Conditions
  • SASS / Build Tools

Resources: GULP
(We might use LiveSassCompile instead)

Resources: SASS

Homework due at Start of Next Class:

Week 9: June 29 (WP Theme Dev 4: Multiple Loops)

Resources

Lab Exercise / Homework

Week 10: July 06 (Practice Week)

  • Quiz No 2 (WP Theming)

Lab Exercise / Homework

Week 11: July 13 (Extending WP)

  • custom post types
  • custom fields

Lab Exercise

Resources

Week 12:  July 20 (Transfer of Site / Automated Backup)

  • Review: Transferring dev site to WMDD Server
  • Automated Backup
  • Project Work

Week 13: July 27 (Work Day)

Presentations for Project 1

Final Exam: Aug 07, 630pm

The final exam will involve writing a WordPress theme within three hours.

I will give you the content.