The boilerplate includes React for building UI in wordpress admin dashboard, Composer to take advantage PHP ecosystem, and Docker to launch Wordpress easily.

Prerequistes

Make sure that Nodejs and Docker are installed on your system

1. Clone the git repository.

$ git clone https://github.com/engineerhead/Wordpress-Plugin-Boilerplate.git

2. You can change the Plugin Name, Namespace for PHP package and other details in rename.conf.json. After changing values, execute following in the cloned directory

$ node install.js --yes

OR

Simply execute the following command and provide the details on command prompt

$ node install.js

3. Use the following command to launch the docker compose stack

$ docker compose up -d --build

4. Once the docker command is finished, access the Wordpress instance at http://localhost, setup wordpress.

5. After the Wordpress is setup, acccess it at localhost:3000 to take advantage of live reload made possible by Browser Sync

Why Use Docker, Composer, and React Stack to Build a WordPress Plugin

Docker

• Environment Consistency: Ensures the plugin runs identically across all development, testing, and production environments.
• Isolation: Keeps dependencies and services separated, reducing conflicts with other projects.
• Easy Setup: Simplifies onboarding for new developers with a single command to start the environment.

Composer

• Dependency Management: Handles PHP library dependencies efficiently, ensuring compatibility and easy updates.
• Autoloading: Provides PSR-4 autoloading, reducing manual includes and improving code organization.
• Community Packages: Access to a vast ecosystem of reusable PHP packages.

React

• Modern UI: Enables building fast, interactive, and dynamic admin interfaces for plugins.
• Component-Based Architecture: Promotes code reuse and easier maintenance.
• Ecosystem Integration: Leverages modern JavaScript tooling and libraries for enhanced user experiences.

Combined Stack Benefits

• Streamlined Development: Each tool addresses a specific aspect of plugin development, from environment setup to dependency management and UI creation.
• Scalability: Facilitates building more complex, maintainable, and scalable plugins.
• Collaboration: Makes it easier for teams to collaborate, test, and deploy plugins efficiently.