We’ve compiled a list of fantastic resources for WordPress developers, from environments to plugin boilerplates. This is just a high level overview, we’ll explore each of these tools in our blog posts.
WP Engine DevKit
This has been my main development environment for coming close to a year. It uses Docker, in a similar manner to Wocker, however it’s not just tailored for WP Engine. I highly recommend this tool even if you don’t use WP Engine as a hosting provider, however it does have some features that make it excel with the WP Engine platform.
WordPress Plugin Boilerplate
I recently learned about the wp scaffold plugin CLI command to generate a plugin folder and create a basic setup for a new plugin, and you can even pass some parameters. This still requires a good deal of code setup though, and if you’re new to WordPress development then this may take a while. Fortunately, this boilerplate was created that sets up your folder structure. There’s also a plugin generator to accompany the project. The generator replaces the various strings and file names with your plugin’s information so you don’t have to do all this manually. Its a major head start. Before I found this I manually changed all the references of plugin-name, Plugin Name, plugin_name, and so on. It’s a bit tricky to use but once you understand how everything fits together it makes sense. You can find the generator at https://wppb.me/. Checkout WPPB on GitHub!
Varying Vagrant Vagrants
Using virtualization software and vagrant files, this is currently my favorite local environment to work in. With a simple vagrant up you can create an Ubuntu virtual environment that mounts your local filesystem so that you can code locally and test without having to rely on MAMP or other local software. Spin it up and down at your pleasure saving computer resources for when you need them. It includes WP CLI, PHP CodeSniffer + WordPress Coding Standards, and more. If you want to learn more check out their GitHub!
Wocker
Similar to VVV, Wocker uses Docker images to deploy localized containers for each of your sites. I haven’t gotten to properly explore it but it is worth mentioning for those that may prefer containers over entire virtualized instances like Vagrants. These docker images spin up in 3 seconds for a new installation. Check out their GitHub!