In my journey of advancing my coding and computer skills, I’ve begun exploring other technologies alongside my WordPress experience—most recently, Flutter and Dart.
My Experience with WordPress Contributions
For about three years, I’ve contributed to various open-source projects within the WordPress community, including translation, documentation, accessibility, and support.
Though my WordPress.org profile currently boasts two badges, I’ve appreciated the journey, which has allowed me to make a positive impact in WordPress open-source.
One takeaway is that I didn’t find as much guidance from the WordPress contributor community as expected, particularly when it came to hands-on mentorship for leveling up my skills.
While support forums are strong, I believe WordPress could further benefit from offering more targeted support for budding contributors.
WordPress Developer Experience
Years ago, when I ceased coding WordPress themes, there was a dearth of resources and tutorials available for aspiring WordPress developers. However, a quick search on YouTube today reveals an abundance of free tutorials on WordPress development.
Furthermore, there’s no denying the plethora of engaging blogs and websites dedicated to WordPress, catering to developers and enthusiasts alike. These resources, such as codeinwp.com (now https://wpshout.com/), WP Tavern, WPBeginner, the Codex, and numerous expert WordPress developers’ blogs, offer invaluable insights and knowledge.
Why I’m Expanding My Skills with Flutter
Comparing the Flutter and Dart ecosystem to WordPress:
The Flutter community is notably more active, offering extensive support and tutorials compared to WordPress.
Backed by Google, Flutter provides a more robust and modern development environment.
Flutter’s cross-platform capabilities, including compatibility with embedded systems, make it a versatile choice for app development.
Flutter leverages modern tooling and programming language, which was a refreshing and exciting experience when I started to write code using Dart & Flutter on VScode
Packages and Libraries
| Feature | WordPress | Dart/Flutter |
| Library Source | Built-in, external sources | Built-in (widgets), Pub package manager |
| Package Management | No built-in manager, alternatives used | Pub package manager |
| Library Management | Manual downloads, SVN (workaround) | Automated installation, dependency management |
WordPress often relies on manual library downloads or workarounds for dependency management, whereas Dart/Flutter offers a streamlined approach through Pub package manager.
Static Analysis
| Feature | Flutter | WordPress |
| Integration | Built-in with dart analyze | External tools for PHP |
| Scope | Analyzes Dart code (entire codebase) | Analyzes PHP code (themes/plugins only) |
| Focus | General code quality, Flutter-specific issues | Security vulnerabilities, coding best practices |
| False Positives | Less common | More potential for false positives |
| Client-Side Analysis | No | May not analyze client-side code (JavaScript) |
In essence, Flutter offers a more robust and integrated static analysis experience, while WordPress relies on external tools and has certain limitations.
We could delve into comparing other aspects of both the most popular CMS and the Dart/Flutter ecosystem. However, that’s beyond the scope of this post.
Moneywise
Conclusion
My contributions to WordPress have laid an essential foundation in computer science, and I still cherish and utilize WordPress frequently.
While I still cherish and utilize WordPress, my focus on Flutter and its cross-platform capabilities offers a more modern and efficient developer experience.
Looking forward, I may consider specializing in both Flutter and WordPress. With Flutter’s innovative toolkit and the immense market share WordPress commands, both hold promising, versatile paths in my ongoing journey of growth.