Step-by-Step guide for installing wordpress on Windows OS
Step-by-step guide
In this tutorial we will cover following
- What is wordpress
- Wordpress on localhost
- Wordpress on web server
What is WORDPRESS
- Wordpress is CMS system, which allows you to install various themes and eventually develop your blogsite or even website
- Wordpress.com is a service provided by Wordpress team, to help you with your webdevelopment. They take care of designing, SEO and even hosting the site.
It is a paid membership service. - Wordpress.org is a opensource platform, from where you can download the CMS of wordpress and go into the Web development on your own.
This is free service. - There a numerous free themes available at Wordpress.org to explore
WORDPRESS on localhost
- It is a good practice to learn and practice Wordpress on localhost than using a webserver, even in development process, entire site can be developed on localhost and then can be easily linked to the webserver.
- Go to http://www.wordpress.org and download the latest version of wordpress, you may need to register to be able to download. Registration is for free.
- GO to https://xampp-windows.en.softonic.com/ or any other download site and download the latest Xampp server. It is server which runs on localhost.
- Install Xampp on your computer using the installer provided.
- Once xampp installed, start the application, xampp control panel.
- In the control panel, start the Apache instance and MySQL instance, there will be a button START.
- Once the instance in Xampp is started, you can go to your browser and type localhost ; It will now load the Xampp welcome page
- In the welcome page on the bottom is types of installation you can do, Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla! and dozens of others and can be deployed with one-click installers.
- Click on wordpress as that is the topic of today !
- It will redirect you to its parent site, Bitnami.com , under that if you see in wordpress they will ask you to download wodpress , If you have already downloaded wordpress, you dont need to re-do . One version of wordpress can be used numerous times, as each website requires its own copy of wordpress CMS
- Now go to where you have downloaded wordpress, usually it is a zip file, unzip the contents in an empty directory
- Now go to program files in C:// and look in Xampp folder / in the folder go to HTDocs / and create a new folder by the name of the project you want to create
- In the project folder you have created eg- newweb , Copy / paste the wordpress folder that you have unzipped, the entire folder with contents in newweb folder
- Now if you go to : localhost/newweb ( projectname) you will find the root directory of wordpress with its index, in which you can locate the wordpress folder you just copy/pasted in HTdocs
- Note each new project will require its own copy of the wordpress folder, so repeat steps 12 & 13 for each project
- imp note - before you proceed with the installation of wordpress, you will need to create a database for wordpress, remember you have already started an instance of MySQL in your Xammp server, this is the time to create your database in it.
- Go to: localhost/phpmyadmin , you will see the database index of oyur Xampp server, go to datbase on top and create new database , give name to your database , it is not essential that database name and projectname be same, but it is good practice to keep it same. No need to define no. of tables etc. for database, just return to your : localhost/newweb page to continue with wordpress , now that your database is ready.
- Now when you are the localhost/newweb , the root directory of your project, when you open the wordpress folder , the autoinstaller for wordpress will pop up , with its language preference screen , just follow the steps and install wordpress for this particular project
- When you continue after language selection, It will ask you for database name , type the same name you create your database in MySQL. You dont need to create any username or password, we have to use defaults for MySQL ie. username : root and pasword: ( leave it blank ) and the host name will remain localhost , dont bother about table prefix for now, let it remain wp_ ; and now submit
- all right sparky ! this is your clue for successful database connection... go ahead run the install
- You will now arrive at the wordpress registeration form , for site title you can choose the name you want , it will be what appears in your titlebar , you have to create the username and password that you wish to use for logging into wordpress after installation, write it down somewhere . add a valid email address for further communication and the option for search engine visibility is your choice .... now go ahead and install your wordpress ...
- it will ask you for your username password , that you just created, type it and log in
- Welcome to the wordpress dashboard , from here you can control your entire site.
- Now to operate wordpress you need what is called themes, they act like skin for the skeleton which is your wordpress CMS
- by default wordpress offers few themes, you can check it out in : appearance / themes
- If oyu have any particular theme you want to work with, you will need to purchase or download it from the web
- Once you have the desired theme, copy the theme folder and paste it in : xampp/htdocs/wordpress/wp-content/themes , there are 2 folders plugins and themes , so henceforth whichever new theme or new plug in you need to add onto your wordpress installation, this where you physically add it and the CMS grabs it from this folder for your use.
- After you have copy/pasted the theme folder in your wp-content/themes folder if you go to the wordpress dashboard, now under appearance/theme you will see the new theme you have added.
- Go to the theme you have added or want to use and click on the activate button on it, only one theme at a time can be active on the CMS
- Now you will get a message your new theme is activated , visit website , click on it or type localhost/newweb1/wordpress for the theme you have installed
- Now you are ready to play for designing the site watch this space ....
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