2025-10-29

WordPress CMS Overview

  • WordPress is a content management system where all content is stored in a database, not in files [1]
  • WordPress uses 12 unique database tables to store content, users, permissions, and settings [2]
  • Content is retrieved through database queries based on the URL in the address bar [3] [4]
  • When a page is requested, WordPress runs a query and fetches the appropriate content from the database [5]

WordPress Theme Structure

  • Theme files contain structure but no actual content [5] [6]
  • Key theme files include:
    • header.php: Contains DOCTYPE, head section, opening body tag [7] [8]
    • footer.php: Contains closing elements and final scripts [9] [10]
    • index.php: Contains the main loop that processes queries and displays content [11] [12] [13]
    • style.css: Contains styling and theme identification [14] [15]
    • functions.php: Extends WordPress functionality [15] [16]
  • PHP functions are used to fetch content from the database (e.g., bloginfo()) [17] [18]

WordPress Navigation and Menus

  • Menus are created in the WordPress admin and stored in the database [19] [20]
  • WordPress automatically generates HTML structure (UL, LI, anchors) for menus [21]
  • WordPress adds helpful CSS classes to menu items for styling [22] [23]
  • Special classes like current-menu-item identify the active page [24]

Content Creation in WordPress

  • Pages are static content; Posts are chronological/blog content [25]
  • The block editor lets content creators add different content blocks [26]
  • Markdown shortcuts can be used to format content [27] [28]
  • Content is stored in the database with unique IDs [29]

User Roles and Permissions

  • WordPress has a hierarchy of user roles: Admin, Editor, Author, Contributor, Subscriber [30] [31]
  • Contributors can create content but cannot publish it [31] [32]
  • Draft content can be previewed before publishing [33] [34]

Club Website Plans

  • The team agreed to simplify the WordPress theme to focus on more straightforward HTML/CSS [35] [36] [37]
  • Current theme is complex with many template parts and components [38] [39]
  • A simpler approach will make it easier for club members to understand and modify [37] [40]

Action Items

  • [ ] Send out WordPress logins for club members to start creating content [41]
  • [ ] Implement a simpler WordPress theme with more straightforward HTML/CSS structure [42] [37]
  • [ ] Meet again on November 12th [43]