Summary

# ===== Core mental model =====
# WordPress is a content platform with a vast plugin ecosystem.
# Themes for presentation; plugins for behaviour; blocks for content.
# Block themes + theme.json are the modern path (FSE).
# REST API + WPGraphQL enable headless / decoupled use.

# ===== Daily reflexes =====
# - WP-CLI for ops (wp db, wp plugin, wp user, wp search-replace)
# - Block themes + theme.json for design
# - Custom plugin for behaviour; never edit core or theme
# - Custom blocks via @wordpress/scripts
# - Hooks: actions (do_action) + filters (apply_filters)
# - Capabilities + roles for access control
# - Escape on output (esc_html, esc_attr, esc_url, wp_kses_post)

# ===== Production patterns =====
# - Object cache (Redis / Memcached) for high traffic
# - CDN + page cache (Cloudflare, Varnish, WP Rocket)
# - Daily backups + tested restores (UpdraftPlus, BlogVault, hosting)
# - 2FA + Limit Login Attempts + Wordfence
# - HTTPS + HSTS + secure headers
# - Staging environment for risky updates

# ===== Ecosystem =====
# - Block editor (Gutenberg) + custom blocks
# - WooCommerce for e-commerce
# - WPGraphQL for headless
# - Advanced Custom Fields for meta UI
# - Yoast SEO / Rank Math for SEO
# - Hosting: WP Engine, Kinsta, SiteGround, Cloudways, self-hosted

# ===== When WordPress wins =====
# - Marketing sites + blogs you want non-engineers to edit
# - E-commerce (WooCommerce)
# - Membership / community sites
# - SEO-heavy publications
# - Familiar CMS that everyone has heard of

# ===== When WordPress hurts =====
# - Highly custom apps where the CMS frame is a constraint
# - Very high traffic without serious caching
# - Strict compliance regimes (still possible, requires hardening)

# ===== Headless WordPress =====
# Use WP as a content backend; consume via REST or WPGraphQL.
# Frontend: Next.js / Nuxt / SvelteKit / Astro.
# Wins: fast frontend, modern dev experience, WP editor familiarity.
# Costs: more services to operate, more complex preview UX.

# ===== What to learn next =====
# - Custom block development with React + @wordpress/scripts
# - WordPress REST API + JWT auth for headless
# - WPGraphQL + Faust.js for Next.js-based frontends
# - Performance: object cache, query optimisation, prefetching
# - WooCommerce internals (REST API, hooks, subscriptions)
# - Multisite (one install, many sites)

# ===== Books + resources =====
# - WordPress Codex + Developer Resources (developer.wordpress.org)
# - Block Editor Handbook
# - WP Engine + Kinsta blogs
# - WP Tavern news site
# - WordCamp talks on YouTube

# ===== Patterns to internalise =====
# - Block themes + theme.json over classic PHP
# - Plugins for behaviour; child themes for presentation tweaks
# - WP-CLI for everything repeatable
# - Backups + staging + monitoring on day 1
# - Escape output; sanitise input

# ===== Closing thought =====
# WordPress powers a huge slice of the web because it solves a real problem:
# editors who are not engineers want a CMS that works. The platform is
# extensible enough to ship anything from a blog to a SaaS. Lean on the
# block editor + plugins + WP-CLI + a good host, and the experience is
# productive at any scale.

// Next: build a block theme, deep dive WooCommerce, headless WP with WPGraphQL.