Lab exercise 7: Wordpress

Solution

Find the solution to this exercise here:

Solution

Related links

W3C Validator: validation tool:

W3C-validator

aXe DevTools: accessibility validation tool:

aXe DevTools

MDN Web Docs: HTML source:

MDN Web Docs

Google: we all use it:

Google

WordPress: CMS used:

WordPress

Goals of the exercise

The goals of the exercise are the following:

  • Configuring a new subdomain in Plesk and securing it with SSL/TLS.
  • Installing WordPress on our own hosting account.
  • Creating categories and posting messages in WordPress.
  • Implementing a working Contact form on a seperate page into the website.
  • Modifying WordPress settings.
  • Building and configuring a navigation menu in WordPress.
  • Personalising a WordPress website.
  • Understanding how the backend of a CMS functions (database, serverside, clientside).

Reflection

Easy

The easiest part about this assignment was creating te subdomain, adding encryption and installing WordPress. It was well documented in the theory course, lab assignment and WordPress documents.

Hard

At first sight it felt like WordPress was fairly easy to work with. The longer I worked with it, the more I was frustrated by the apparent lack of customisation. Sure you can modify a lot of things, but at the same time you can't modify (or you need custom CSS) some annoying details (transparancy of overlay page when using hamburger link?). My header/footer templates reset at some point and I have no idea why. Had to revert to an earlier version.

Unsure

I'm sure that some of my frustrations are due to having never worked with WordPress before, but I'm unsure/not entirely satisfied about this assignment. In time, it should become easier to work with. I probably could have modified the templates better and that would have saved me a lot of time.