WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) based
on PHP and MySQL.[5] WordPress is installed on a web server, which either is part of an Internet
hosting service or is a network host itself; the first case may be on a service like WordPress.com,
for example, and the second case is a computer running the software package WordPress.org.
[6]
An example of the second case is a local computer configured to act as its own web server
hosting Wordpress for single-user testing or learning purposes. Features include a plugin
architecture and a template system. WordPress was used by more than 26.4% of the top 10
million websites as of April 2016.[7] WordPress is the most popular blogging system in use on
the Web,[8] at more than 60 million websites.[9]
It was released on May 27, 2003, by its founders, Matt Mullenweg[1] and Mike Little,[10] as
a fork of b2/cafelog. The license under which WordPress software is released is the GPLv2 (or
later) from the Free Software Foundation.[11]and fauntion
Themes[edit]
WordPress users may install and switch between themes. Themes allow users to change the
look and functionality of a WordPress website and they can be installed without altering the
content or health of the site. Every WordPress website requires at least one theme to be present
and every theme should be designed using WordPress standards with structured PHP,
valid HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Themes may be directly installed using the
WordPress "Appearance" administration tool in the dashboard or theme folders may be uploaded
via FTP.[12] The PHP, HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS code found in themes can
be added to or edited for providing advanced features. WordPress themes are in general
classified into two categories, free themes and premium themes. All the free themes are listed in
the WordPress theme directory and premium themes should be purchased from marketplaces
and individual WordPress developers. WordPress users may also create and develop their own
custom themes if they have the knowledge and skill to do so. If WordPress users do not have
themes development knowledge then they may download and use free WordPress themes from
wordpress.org.
Plugins[edit]
WordPress's plugin architecture allows users to extend the features and functionality of a website
or blog. WordPress has over 40,501 plugins available, [13] each of which offers custom functions
and features enabling users to tailor their sites to their specific needs. These customizations
range from search engine optimization, to client portals used to display private information to
logged in users, to content management systems,[14] to content displaying features, such as the
addition of widgets and navigation bars. But not all available plugins are always abreast with the
upgrades and as a result they may not function properly or may not function at all. [15]
Mobiles[edit]
Native applications exist for WebOS,[16] Android,[17] iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad),[18][19] Windows
Phone, and BlackBerry.[20] These applications, designed by Automattic, allow a limited set of
options, which include adding new blog posts and pages, commenting, moderating comments,
replying to comments in addition to the ability to view the stats.[18][19]
Other features[edit]
WordPress also features integrated link management; a search enginefriendly,
clean permalink structure; the ability to assign multiple categories to articles; and support
for tagging of posts and articles. Automatic filters are also included, providing standardized
formatting and styling of text in articles (for example, converting regular quotes to smart quotes).
WordPress also supports the Trackback and Pingback standards for displaying links to other
sites that have themselves linked to a post or an article. WordPress blog posts can be edited in
HTML, using the visual editor, or using one of a number of plugins that allow for a variety of
customized editing features.
Multi-user and multi-blogging[edit]
Prior to version 3, WordPress supported one blog per installation, although multiple concurrent
copies may be run from different directories if configured to use separate database tables.
WordPress Multisites[21] (previously referred to as WordPress Multi-User, WordPress MU, or
WPMU) was a fork of WordPress created to allow multiple blogs to exist within one installation
but is able to be administered by a centralized maintainer. WordPress MU makes it possible for
those with websites to host their own blogging communities, as well as control and moderate all
the blogs from a single dashboard. WordPress MS adds eight new data tables for each blog.
As of the release of WordPress 3, WordPress MU has merged with WordPress. [22]
Migration/wp-config.php[edit]
WordPress makes migration from one server to another relatively simple due to its use of a
configuration file (wp-config.php, usually located in your root). This file controls the base settings
for a WordPress website including (but not limited to) your database connection settings. [23] Due
to the use of a configuration file, migrating from one server to another can be accomplished by
the following basic steps:[24]
Download a copy of the WordPress files/folders (e.g. via FTP).
Download a copy of the associated database (view the 'DB_NAME' row in the wpconfig.php for the associated database to back up).
Upload the files/folders to the new server.
Create a new database on the new server and import the sql backup.
Update the wp-config.php database fields to reflect.
History[edit]
b2/cafelog, more commonly known as b2 or cafelog, was the precursor to WordPress.
[25]
b2/cafelog was estimated to have been installed on approximately 2,000 blogs as of May
2003.[26] It was written in PHP for use with MySQL by Michel Valdrighi, who is now a contributing
developer to WordPress. Although WordPress is the official successor, another
project, b2evolution, is also in active development.
WordPress first appeared in 2003 as a joint effort between Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little to
create a fork of b2.[27] Christine Selleck Tremoulet, a friend of Mullenweg, suggested the
name WordPress.[28][29]
In 2004 the licensing terms for the competing Movable Type package were changed by Six Apart,
resulting in many of its most influential users migrating to WordPress. [30][31] By October 2009 the
Open Source CMS MarketShare Report concluded that WordPress enjoyed the greatest brand
strength of any open-source content management system.
As of January 2015, more than 23.3% of the top 10 million websites now use WordPress. [32]
As of February 2016, WordPress is used by 59.1% of all the websites whose content
management system we know. This is 25.8% of all websites.
