Permanent Tourist

by Mark Howells-Mead

Posts from the category WordPress

WordPress is a web-browser-based content management system, which started life as a spin-off of b2/cafelog before becoming the most widespread CMS in the world. I began giving support during the early development of WordPress’ predecessor b2/cafelog in 2001, and I’ve built personal and professional sites using WordPress for over sixteen years. I’m currently a partner and developer at Swiss WordPress agency Say Hello.

  • Working with multilingual theme options

    I’ve been using the Advanced Custom Fields plugin for WordPress for nearly five years, and it’s implemented in every project I’ve created or worked on since I began using it. At work, our WordPress Themes depend on Theme Options, which are set using custom fields created by the plugin. In order to make the technique…

  • Screenshot of the Sulzer Schmid website

    Technical case study: HTML5 video

    How I quickly implemented a splash page for Sulzer Schmid Laboratories, containing an autoplaying HTML5 video.

  • Speaking at WordCamp Lausanne

    I’m presenting at WordCamp Lausanne at the end of September. Come and hear me talk about user interfaces and usability, and get your questions answered too.

  • Integrating Mailchimp fields and interest groups to a Gravity Form

    I was recently set the task of integrating a Mailchimp mailing list to a WordPress website by way of a multi-step Gravity Form. The regular form fields were easy to link, but the interest groups needed a bit more research. Alongside regular list fields, you can add an interest group, so that subscribers can indicate…

  • Screenshot of the new Gutenberg editor for WordPress

    WordPress’ Gutenberg editor

    The major update of WordPress, scheduled for this year, will contain a brand-new and much-improved editor.

  • In Focus – an interview with cubetech

    An interview with me which first appeared on the cubetech website in June.

  • DSGVO der EU: Auswirkungen auf Schweizer Website-Betreiber

    Am WordPress Meetup in Bern am 17. April 2018 sprach Martin Steiger über die Auswirkungen der Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO) auf Schweizer Website-Betreiber.

  • Why the age of WordPress’ Core code doesn’t matter all that much

    Many developers complain that WordPress is an outdated system, relying on old code for the sake of the widest range of possible support. I see that as one of the advantages of WordPress.

  • The Day Job

    It was inevitable, I suppose, that I would, one day, have to start applying my experience to The Day Job instead of just my hours. Instead of just being the go-to-guy for programming, I’d have to take over a more responsible role and help other people to learn the craft and expertise of web development.…

  • Speaking at WordCamp Bern

    Through my participation of the regular and sociable “WordPress Meetup” in Bern, I was one of the volunteers who helped organize the WordCamp conference in Switzerland’s capital last weekend.

  • WordPress Switzerland

    As my working career moves towards being involved with WordPress 100% of the time in future, I’ve started to gradually invest a little more of my time and effort into the WordPress community. My aim is to work with friends and colleagues to coordinate our efforts in Switzerland into bringing WordPress even more to the…

  • A new role at WordPress agency cubetech

    After six years with my current employer, the time has come to move into a role which better suits my abilities and which will provide me with new challenges. I’m really excited that I’ve been asked to join WordPress agency Cubetech in Bern as Head of Development.

  • Investment in a proper website concept is usually the least expensive option

    Spending money on an informed, experienced website concept document will usually work out cheaper than trying to battle through for days on your own. It will also mean that the end result will be more reliable and more likely to properly present your business online.

  • The dangers of technical evangelism

    Why the software you love may not always be the right one for the project at hand, and how you can recognize and plan for it.

  • WordPress is bigger than you think

    In 2016, 27% of all of the websites on the internet were powered by WordPress. That’s 8 times more than Joomla, 12 times more than Drupal, and 70 times more than TYPO3.

  • Using WordPress template parts for my new WordPress theme

    The new WordPress theme running this website has been improved by the use of WordPress’ get_template_part function.

  • The minimum viable product

    A stripped-back, simple WordPress theme for my personal website, which I can begin extending as and when I have the time.

  • Modular functionality – making WordPress development easier

    A summarized insight into maintaining individual features in your own WordPress plugins through the flexibility and organisation of modular development.

  • Examples of WordPress as a headless CMS

    WordPress is much more than a simple tool for building websites. Here are a few prominent sites which use WordPress and its new REST API for much more than a simple blog.

  • Base code for a WordPress theme using PHP namespaces

    I provide a free public Github repository containing example code for starting work on a WordPress theme which uses PHP namespaces and template parts.

  • Base code for a WordPress plugin using PHP namespaces

    I provide a free public Github repository containing example code for starting work on a WordPress plugin, which uses PHP namespaces.