Can someone clear up my confusion as to what Wordpress is?

[kdum8]

OK, I have used and understand both what iWeb and Dreamweaver are. They are both web development applications, (iWeb being WYSIWYG).

I know that Wordpress is used by people to create blogs and can be used to create simple websites too like iWeb. But what kind of software is it? Is it an application like the first two? How do you use it? Can it create websites as easily as iWeb?

I have read around but can't seem to find any answers. I see from wordpress.org that you can install in onto a mac, but it doesn't appear to be an application so how does one use it to design a website? I am confused.

 

[angelwatt]

It's a web app, created mostly from PHP and MySQL. It's not software. It has a bit of flexibility so you don't have to mess with too much code on your own if you're working within the templates and themes.

You can also get your hands dirty and create custom themes, but it requires some knowledge of HTML, CSS, and PHP. You use it the same as with other sites, you open .html and .php files and edit the code. So it's nothing like iWeb, but DreamWeaver can edit the files since it can open those types of files, but that's just if you want to mess with things at the code level. Since WordPress is a fairly advanced web app you can do a lot of customization from the web perspective. That's similar to using the Preferences in a Mac desktop app, just handled completely from web pages.

When people talking about installing WordPress on Mac, they are referring to installing it on a local web server, generally using MAMP. I have it installed locally myself that way. If you want to get a better feel for it, just download and install MAMP and install WordPress onto it. It'll be a good learning experience.

 

[Eraserhead]

Wordpress is a content-management system (CMS).

 

[miles01110]

Wordpress is "just" a web framework that you can modify (or, as you put it, "create a website with") using the various markup tools provided by HTML and CSS.

 

[kdum8]

It's a web app, created mostly from PHP and MySQL. It's not software. It has a bit of flexibility so you don't have to mess with too much code on your own if you're working within the templates and themes.

You can also get your hands dirty and create custom themes, but it requires some knowledge of HTML, CSS, and PHP. You use it the same as with other sites, you open .html and .php files and edit the code. So it's nothing like iWeb, but DreamWeaver can edit the files since it can open those types of files, but that's just if you want to mess with things at the code level. Since WordPress is a fairly advanced web app you can do a lot of customization from the web perspective. That's similar to using the Preferences in a Mac desktop app, just handled completely from web pages.

When people talking about installing WordPress on Mac, they are referring to installing it on a local web server, generally using MAMP. I have it installed locally myself that way. If you want to get a better feel for it, just download and install MAMP and install WordPress onto it. It'll be a good learning experience.

Thanks for this and all the other replies. So I have done as you said and installed MAMP and it says that everything is working. How do I install Wordpress onto it? I am not really sure what I am doing. MAMP is a local webserver meaning that you can use your mac as an internet host, is that right?

 

[kdum8]

Wordpress is "just" a web framework that you can modify (or, as you put it, "create a website with") using the various markup tools provided by HTML and CSS.

OK great. How do I do about using it then to create a website from scratch as I want to do? I have installed MAMP as per a previous poster suggested.

 

[miles01110]

Thanks for this and all the other replies. So I have done as you said and installed MAMP and it says that everything is working. How do I install Wordpress onto it? I am not really sure what I am doing. MAMP is a local webserver meaning that you can use your mac as an internet host, is that right?

Follow these instructions.

OK great. How do I do about using it then to create a website from scratch as I want to do? I have installed MAMP as per a previous poster suggested.

You need to build or download a Wordpress theme to modify. Building one from scratch isn't that hard, even if you don't know php. But first you need to think about what kind of "website" you want to create. If you are looking to start a blog then WP is probably for you. If you just want a static webpage, you don't necessarily need to bother with Wordpress.

 

[daflake]

OK great. How do I do about using it then to create a website from scratch as I want to do? I have installed MAMP as per a previous poster suggested.

What kind of WEB site are you trying to create? Wordpress is blog style WEB app. It just depends.

The best thing to do is go to their site and read about it. There is a wealth of information out there on how and what it does.

 

[kdum8]

What kind of WEB site are you trying to create? Wordpress is blog style WEB app. It just depends.

The best thing to do is go to their site and read about it. There is a wealth of information out there on how and what it does.

A kind of blog site basically. I want to just display some photos and travel reports. Although I wont update that often it will be similar in outlook to a normal blog. I just am not sure how to get it working. Do you build the site online over at wordpress.com?

 

[daflake]

A kind of blog site basically. I want to just display some photos and travel reports. Although I wont update that often it will be similar in outlook to a normal blog. I just am not sure how to get it working. Do you build the site online over at wordpress.com?

Wordpress will be what you want for a good start.

Wordpress.com is used if you don't want to have your own domain and web space. You can build it on their site and let them maintain it. It might be a good place to start if you are new to WEB design.

Wordpress.org is where you can download their app and install it on your domain.

The latter is what I did and it runs a site called. (www.simply-mini.us)

I know that I haven't posted to it as of late, but you can at least see what it does. I took a theme and then modified it for the site.

 

[kdum8]

Wordpress will be what you want for a good start.

Wordpress.com is used if you don't want to have your own domain and web space. You can build it on their site and let them maintain it. It might be a good place to start if you are new to WEB design.

Wordpress.org is where you can download their app and install it on your domain.

The latter is what I did and it runs a site called. (www.simply-mini.us)

I know that I haven't posted to it as of late, but you can at least see what it does. I took a theme and then modified it for the site.

Great, I had a look at your site. You have achieved some sharp looking results. I already have my own Domain registered and a host in mind so I can sort that part out myself. I am not new to Dreamweaver or iWeb and have built sites using both of those. I am just new to Wordpress. I downloaded MAMP (local server) as someone suggested before. I am just trying to work out how to install wordpress onto it. Are you saying that if I get wordpress from wordpress.org onto my local server I can use it to build a site the same as if you do it over at wordpress.com?

 

[daflake]

Great, I had a look at your site. You have achieved some sharp looking results. I already have my own Domain registered and a host in mind so I can sort that part out myself. I am not new to Dreamweaver or iWeb and have built sites using both of those. I am just new to Wordpress. I downloaded MAMP (local server) as someone suggested before. I am just trying to work out how to install wordpress onto it. Are you saying that if I get wordpress from wordpress.org onto my local server I can use it to build a site the same as if you do it over at wordpress.com?

I'm not even close to being talented for WEB design, so thanks. Wordpress makes it easy to have a more professional site.

As for Wordpress looking the same, Yep...

There are a few things that you need to know. First, there are two types of Wordpress. There is the personal version that is basically one blog and the other allows you to set up a site that would allow you to host many blogs.

Wordpress requires a database to be setup and this can be done with MAMP. Simply download the wordpress files and extract them to your http root. Then launch the site and follow the instructions to install it. I have it running on MAMP and it works great.

 

[torndownunit]

What kind of WEB site are you trying to create? Wordpress is blog style WEB app. It just depends.

The best thing to do is go to their site and read about it. There is a wealth of information out there on how and what it does.

Ya, you can really do anything you want with Wordpress but it requires a lot of reading. My own personal site is done with Wordpress, and I don't even have a blog on it or blog features. You can use it for non-blog sites. You can use it for pretty much anything in fact, it just requires tweaking. That's what I like about it. You can use it as is, or tweak the heck out of it fairly easily.

 

[lag1090]

Your best bet would be to either setup a practice blog at Wordpress.com or get a cheap webhost that offers automated Wordpress installation.

Installing WP on your Mac is often too complicated for most people.

 

[kdum8]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for giving me advice. Thanks to your help I now have wordpress running successfully on my local server using MAMP. I'll get playing with it!

Cheers,

kdum8.

 

[daflake]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for giving me advice. Thanks to your help I now have wordpress running successfully on my local server using MAMP. I'll get playing with it!

Cheers,

kdum8.

Excellent!