4. Plugin Development

This module teaches the plugin patterns that keep WordPress behavior portable across themes.

Lessons

• Plugin Files, Headers, and Activation Hooks — create a safe plugin entry point
• Settings Pages, Shortcodes, and Admin Hooks — expose plugin behavior to editors and admins
• Plugin Architecture and File Organization — scale beyond one-file plugins without overengineering

Plugin Rule

If the feature should survive a theme change, make it a plugin.

What's Next

• Continue to 5. Data Validation and Security