The internet is largely powered by WordPress, providing over 40% of websites online, but what goes on behind the curtain? What is WordPress Framework? As a developer or simply someone with an interest in technology, WordPress left many people wondering, and this guide simplifies it all.
What Is WordPress Built On?
WordPress is fundamentally a content management system (CMS) based on PHP. However, its functionality is powered by the synergy of numerous technologies:
Apache or Nginx – Web servers that provide access to stored content such as your website’s posts, pages, users, etc.
PHP – The system’s engine resides here. This language powers the backend.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript – These are the technologies utilised on the front end of the system and what users observe through their World Wide Web browsers.
All in all, they form a principal web-based infrastructure that is user-friendly, adaptable and delivers effortlessly.
WordPress is not a blend of frameworks such as Laravel or Django; it does not rely on a single framework, thus its unique systems architecture is set in stone.
The core of WordPress Framework is its PHP unit:
The PHP-Based Kernel
This backbone structure uses PHP for all logic as well as server-side operations. The codebase’s legacy components are still written in procedural PHP; however, more recent sections tend to embrace object-oriented programming (OOP).
Theme Enhancements
The contractors of GUI utilise PHP templates like index.php, single.php and page.php to embed and showcase content which is themed. The order follows a structure known as the template hierarchy, where a file is decided to be loaded based on the context.
Architecture Based on Plugins
As previously mentioned, WordPress offers great flexibility due to its plugin architecture. Through the use of actions and filters (or hooks), developers can integrate additional algorithms into the core without editing it directly. This improves the security and sustainability of extending WordPress functionality.
The Functionality of React.js ⚛️ in WordPress Front-end
The Microsoft-funded JavaScript library, React.js, is increasingly becoming popular, is accentuated throughout contemporary WordPress development, especially with the premiere of the Gutenberg Block Editor.
🔲 Editor Gutenberg – Created in React
Completely based on React.js, the Gutenberg editor introduced in WordPress version 5.0 is a block-based editor that is entirely built using React.js. Rather than constructing content through the shortcode or raw HTML interface, users can now create content by assembling interactive blocks like paragraphs, buttons, images, and columns, each represented as distinct UI components. React makes it possible for every block to be a self-sufficient, dynamic UI component.
Built-in features:
Freely interact with the content while building interface elements and editing text, which can be used seamlessly within the content without any rendering delays.
Modularity:
Blocks are monolithic, reusable units and easier to maintain.
API Performance:
Efficiency is noticeably improved compared to backend WordPress, as a virtual DOM is employed for quick and seamless user interaction.
Experience of the developer:
Encouraging the use of new methods, modern JS (ES6+) with its inclusion of JSX, and component-driven modular code structure.
⚙️ Custom Block Development Process
Developers can utilise React to build custom blocks for Gutenberg. There are tools like @wordpress/scripts and create-block that facilitate the scaffolding of block projects using JSX, Webpack, and Babel, streamlining the entire process.
Moving Past The Editor: Headless WordPress*
With the REST API and React, WordPress can be decoupled from the frontend; that is, WordPress only serves as a backend (hosting content and data) while everything else is built in React or Next.js. This is particularly advantageous in developing fast, app-like websites or even native mobile apps that share the same backend infrastructure.
🔍 Overview Of File Structures
Exploring a WordPress installation reveals some folders, files, and their functions. These include;
/wp-admin/ — Contains files for the dashboard backend
/wp-content/ — Houses themes, plugins, and uploads
/wp-includes/ — Core functions and libraries
wp-config.php — Main configuration file
.htaccess — Server-level rewrite rules (Apache)
Comprehending this structure assists you in determining how to make changes and, even more crucially, where not to make changes.
Tools & Libraries You Might Encounter:
A combination of modern and classic tools is utilised by the developers of WordPress:
The use of jQuery is still prevalent in the UI admin and older themes.
The current user interface features and the front end of WordPress, as well as the block editor, are powered by React.js.
Webpack and Babel are utilised for modern JavaScript compilation in custom blocks.
Composer is an optional PHP manager, but useful.
WP-CLI is a command-line interface used for managing WordPress sites more efficiently and effectively.
Final Thoughts
Although WordPress might appear as basic and simple, the structure it is built on is very flexible, extensible, powerful, and beginner-friendly all at the same time.
WordPress is transforming into a more contemporary solution that offers a solid PHP backend and an elegant JavaScript frontend with the addition of React.js.
Knowing the WordPress framework, especially where React is incorporated, opens doors for virtually any kind of project—be it a blog, an online store, or even a custom web application.