NPM Run WordPress

Having to work with WordPress doesn’t require abandonment of developer joy, at least to a certain extent. Learn a modern and nimble WordPress workflow for theme/plugin development that uses Node’s package manager: NPM.

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Quicktip

Access Package.json Data via Gulpfile

Much of development seems to consist of wiring together files/data/languages/etc/etc. While trivially easy in many cases, learning how isn’t always obvious.

Here’s an example of how to access a json-key’s value from a package.json file inside of a gulpfile, useful for versioning shippable packages.

Package.json

{
  "version": "1.0.2",
  ...
}

gulpfile.js

// Variablize access to package.json by requiring it:

var packageJSON = require('./package.json')

// Now we can access any json-key value by calling
// packageJSON.key, where 'key' is the json key. 

// Here's one use case, adding a version number to a shippable package:

gulp.task('build', function() {
    ...
    .pipe(gulp.dest('../' + 'shippable-package-v' + packageJSON.version))
})

// This creates: shippable-package-v1.0.2

Linux Live USBs - Simple & Powerful Use Case

Linux live USBs are known as great tools for testing new distros, but they’re also handy for much more. Here’s one resourceful (and powerful) use case.

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How To Use NPM as a Build Tool with Hugo

Hugo is a fast and all-around awesome tool for creating website. NPM has build-tool superpowers that folks seem to just now be realizing. Combining the two makes for a sweet setup. Let’s learn how.

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The Developer Dip

Seth Godin articulates an important concept of “the dip” in his book The Dip. If you haven’t read it, think “learning curve” or “barrier of entry”. But it’s more than that. It’s the thing that separates the novices from the pros. It’s the thing standing between you and becoming “the best in the world” at whatever it is you’re aspiring to.

There’s a lot of value to unpack in Godin’s concept for those entering or already in the world of web development.

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How To Use Rsync for Deployment

Deployment options abound. This means that choosing one can be quite overwhelming. One simple yet effective approach is to use rsync, a handy command line utility.

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Beginner Friendly Linux Dev Setup

A developer’s operating system is akin to the cowboy’s horse. It should be chosen wisely. There’ll be lots of time spent on it. The better one knows it the more one can get from it. So do choose wisely.

Lots of web devs simply buy a Mac and go to town with OSX. Most of these folks would never think of leaving their land of milk and honey. But for those not yet initiated into the Mac-world but knowing there must be something better then their Windows reality, consider a beginner-friendly Linux setup.

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Birth of The Codestead

Here’s to the obligatory first post. The post to stake-out initial intentions and potential directions.

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