In my journey of advancing my coding and computer skills, I’ve made a significant shift from the WordPress ecosystem to a more sophisticated and versatile technology: 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.
While my WordPress.org profile boasts only two badges, it’s been sufficient for my needs thus far.
The key takeaway of my contributions to WordPress is I did not find enough assistance from other community members as I expected either on WordPress.org or Stackoverflow.
When I say assistance I do not mean help from the support technician or support forum volunteers to help me fix an issue related to WordPress. I mean support from other open source contributors, specifically the managers to help me contribute, guide me, and level up my WordPress skills.
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 Investing in Flutter Instead of WordPress
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
In theory, Flutter holds greater profit potential due to its ability to develop apps across all platforms, including mobile. Conversely, WordPress primarily caters to web development, although there are tools available to convert WordPress websites into mobile apps such as MobiLoud, WPMobile, and AppPresser.
Conclusion
My experience and contributions to WordPress have undoubtedly laid the groundwork for a deeper understanding of computer science.
While I still cherish and utilize WordPress, my focus on Flutter and its cross-platform capabilities offers a more modern and efficient developer experience.
However, I still stay informed about WordPress, as of July 2023, it held a market share of approximately 43.1% among websites with a known CMS compared to an estimated 27.3% of all websites by 2017. Looking ahead, I may explore specializing in bidirectional programming for WordPress themes and plugins, leveraging my native Arabic proficiency and multilingual skills in French and English as well as my programming skills. However, the robust tools and features offered by the Flutter community make it an appealing avenue for continued growth and innovation in my coding journey.