You’ve probably heard people talk about ChatGPT and other new AI chatbots. They converse on various topics shockingly well. And yes, they can solve many coding problems, too.

But is AI an existential threat to developers’ careers? Or will it become just another tool to augment programmers’ capabilities?

In this guide, we’ll examine the realities of AI’s current abilities in software development, where the technology still falls short, and how you can future-proof your skills in this fast-changing landscape.

ChatGPT And LLMs: Understanding AI Technology

Chatbots like ChatGPT aren’t “thinking” programs. They don’t understand language or coding. They predict intelligent-sounding responses by finding patterns in giant piles of online text data.

Programmers call them “large language models” (LLMs), a fancy word for a text predictor on steroids.

To put the “large” into perspective, ChatGPT was trained on a 570GB to 45TB dataset of text snippets spanning internet forums, books, and online writing, and a lot of information was pulled right from Reddit.

This huge body of text data allows ChatGPT to generate passages, answer questions, and even write code based on text prompts. Its knowledge comes entirely from these pre-existing texts, not through true comprehension of the world.

So, while ChatGPT seems adept at conversing, its intelligence has limitations.

• It can only maintain context for up to a few thousand words.
• It has no real-world experience.
• It cannot reason or make intuitive leaps.
• It has a hard time understanding complex code.

Yet, this technology keeps advancing rapidly. So, how do ChatGPT and other LLMs perform on coding tasks today?

Can ChatGPT Write Functional Code?

ChatGPT can produce running code in JavaScript, Python, SQL, Bash, and other languages when prompted appropriately. It’s a novice coder, but you can keep prompting it to correct errors to get working code.

For simple coding problems, ChatGPT provides impressive versatility and allows you to save time creating basic code that you’d otherwise manually do. In these cases, LLMs definitely save time for coders.

However, its code is often inefficient or overlooks edge cases because it does not have the full context of the problem. In fact, ChatGPT sometimes even cautions that its sample code requires thorough review before application.

So, we know for sure that LLMs aren’t there yet. But we can only imagine how good they will be because advanced LLMs are just one year old (ChatGPT was launched on November 30, 2022).

“If AI keeps progressing at this pace, in the next 30 years, the majority of the human race is in trouble when it comes to jobs, not just programmers,” said one Reddit user in the /r/learnprogramming/ subreddit.

Development Tasks That AI Can Handle

While ChatGPT cannot fill a senior developer’s shoes, it offers straightforward utility in making coders more efficient. Let’s look at how ChatGPT can augment you as a coder and remove the regular more laborious processes.

Automating Repetitive Tasks

For seasoned developers, writing CRUD apps, simple scripts, and backend boilerplate code ranks among the most tedious aspects of the job.

With AI, you can eliminate this drudgery through automated code generation. Rather than manually coding basic user registration systems repeatedly, an AI model could instantly produce functioning prototypes tailored to each project’s database schema.

AI’s utility for repetitive coding will only grow as higher-level abstractions continue entering common use through frameworks like React and Django.

Natural Language Processing

Product managers often compose specs in everyday prose like “Users should be able to update their saved payment info.” Programming such loosely defined behaviors leaves ample room for misalignment with stakeholders’ expectations.

With powerful LLMs like ChatGPT 4, AI can help interpret free-form client requests to frame thorough technical requirements.

Using client documents and conversations, LLMs can help translate requests to executable semantics for coders. LLMs can help surface ambiguities to address upfront rather than mid-project as you optimize your prompts.

Detecting Bugs

AI models trained on volumes of open-source code can also excel at reviewing software for defects. Researchers at Microsoft have built specialized neural networks to spot bugs, achieving higher accuracy than human coders in some testing.

Source

As a programmer, you could employ this AI coworker to quickly analyze commits for faulty logic, deprecation errors from outdated dependencies, and even security flaws. Rather than manually poring over thousands of lines, you’ll get annotated suggestions on what needs fixing.

Predicting Issues

Beyond reactive bug finding, sufficiently advanced AI can predict issues before they emerge based on the code you’re writing. It can do so by continually checking the code and identifying if it could fail at any point through execution.

Or, for libraries and frameworks with many downstream dependents, AI companions may spot upcoming breaking changes before releases. This helps you smooth transitions and minimize disruptions proactively without additional resource usage.

Better Project And Timeline Estimation

Speaking of resource use, people chronically underestimate how long software projects will take. We either tend to be too optimistic or forget about risks. This causes projects to end up going over budget and over timeline.

AI tools are starting to help by looking at data from past projects to see how long similar ones took. For example, CloudBees takes context from across your toolchains and makes sense of it for you. It can then use the information to estimate software delivery timelines.

Of course, AI cannot predict everything that can go wrong, but considering the amount of data it analyzes before estimating timelines, it can be a great starting point. Over time, as the tools get more data, the estimates should improve.

Optimizing Your Code

It’s great to have a second pair of eyes for your code. It can help you identify issues with code logic, find better and simpler ways to get the same output, and even optimize for speed.

While programmers continually invest effort into refining systems for speed and efficiency, tweaking code through trial and error becomes tedious.

LLMs can provide optimization suggestions to help you quickly optimize and refactor code.

Rather than blind guesswork, you’ll have AI readily pinpointing low-hanging fruit to target for maximum gains. It may advise splitting monoliths into microservices, adding indexes for costly queries, or upgrading frameworks for modern best practices.

The Limitations Of AI Tools In Development

Should developers feel threatened by AI’s utility in automating rote coding and supplemental development tasks?

Current technology has proven inadequate even for moderately complex programming jobs. As such, core aspects of the developer workflow seem destined to stay human-driven for the foreseeable future.

Poor Quality Code

Code produced entirely by ChatGPT or similar models tends to suffer from subtle flaws. While usable, the code does not consider the variety of edge cases you may know, and without logical reasoning, it relies solely upon what you ask it to do.

Here’s an experiment done by a GitHub user. You can see that ChatGPT does a great job explaining and breaking down a problem:

But then goes out to give only partially correct code where it skips the logic for setting the answer to 0 when n is 1.

To make sure all the edge cases are taken care of, the code needed us to add this if condition, as you can see in the screenshot below.

So, the code created with ChatGPT generally results in unstable apps that break in production due to unhandled exceptions.

Until AI radically advances, generated code will remain too shoddy for most real-world applications without heavy oversight and editing.

Potential Security Risks

Alongside stability issues, code written by language models introduces alarming security risks. Since AI cannot always consider edge cases, your code may open up to exploitable bugs and security risks.

For instance, if you’re developing a web app and do not adequately clean user inputs, hackers can exploit those to gain access to your database through SQL injections and XSS attacks.

Can’t Solve Novel Problems

To displace human programmers rather than assist them, AI needs to tackle new problems. Today’s models merely associate prompts with solutions encountered during training. In an independent study, the researchers found that ChatGPT failed in 52% of the coding questions by providing partial or incorrect code.

However, users still picked ChatGPT’s response 39.34% of the time due to its overall comprehensiveness.

Only when models can deduce reasonable solutions and think beyond the basic steps, like people, can they drive development alone. Until then, their value remains confined to accelerating known tasks rather than trailblazing.

AI Has Zero Understanding

Existing AI has no proper comprehension of code or abstract reasoning ability–they simply recognize patterns in the input prompts and provide relevant “sounding” outputs. Without contextual understanding, its solutions often ignore critical constraints or make irrational choices no engineer would.

Consider the analogy of a medical bot trained to diagnose patients by matching symptoms to recorded illnesses. It would perform decently recommending common treatments but could catastrophically prescribe chemotherapy for a mole on the leg just because superficially similar language appeared linking the two.

Engineering, on the other hand, hinges on human rationality and judgment to make coherent designs. So, until better AI is achieved, developers can benefit from AI to augment their existing coding workflows.

The Future Role Of AI In Programming

Though AI currently has major limitations, the pace of growth in this space is phenomenal. AI went from incomprehensible writing to flawless English prose indistinguishable from human-written text within just one year.

In the near future, AI could replace a beginner coder by handling basic coding tasks automatically. In fact, according to OpenAI’s internal evaluations, GPT-4 significantly beats its previous versions on all evaluations, including coding-related tasks.

“It will be a tool in the developer’s kit that will make their job both faster and easier, while at the same time introducing a level of complexity and opacity which will undoubtedly cause new problems,” says Lawjarp2, a Reddit user.

The nature of programming is already evolving, as we see it with GitHub Copilot, Amazon’s CodeWhisperer, and many more.

Coding will transform from manual typing to working synergistically with generative AI systems — with people providing context, vision, oversight, and troubleshooting.

This hybrid model allows AI to handle tedious coding busywork while developers focus on high-level system architecture, complex problem-solving, creativity, and preventing issues.

So, while tasks shift, software builders aren’t getting replaced entirely. The profession, however, will look radically different in several years.

How To Future-Proof Your Career In Code

Rather than panic about the AI takeover, aspiring and current developers should recognize language models for what they are: assistants rather than replacements. Here are tips to keep your skills relevant:

Learn Prompt Engineering

Maximizing the usefulness of ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot hinges on effective prompt composition. Unfortunately, prompt engineering is currently more of an art than science.

But expecting engineers to hand-code everything as previous generations did does not make sense anymore. It’s better to let new developers leverage new tools at hand.

Veteran coders should spend time experimenting with language models using different inputs and build intuition for what works. Remember, every LLM has a unique style, and it’s good to understand them, considering they’re becoming part of daily workflows.

Hone Your Problem-Solving Skills

Human creativity and intuition remain indispensable since software development tackles open-ended problems. Not just mechanically translating tech specs into code.

No amount of raw coding speed can substitute for devising insightful solutions or crafting simple architectures in complex environments. So focus on the know-how, creativity, and in-depth understanding of your industry while offloading rote work to AI counterparts.

Learn To Empathize With Users

Remember that code gets written to serve people’s wants and needs. As AI grows more capable of assuming lower-level programming duties, developers should double down on the strengths machines lack, namely empathy.

Prioritize roles like product managers or UX designers that stress understanding audiences and building for humans. Bring user-first thinking to the forefront even while collaborating with AI coders on implementation details.

Study Machine Learning

For those excited to push boundaries, exploring machine learning offers insight into the latest AI advances with widespread applications. Neural networks now underpin solutions from image processing to predictive analytics.

Grasping how models function, train, and interface with software systems can also help you open up new possibilities in your career. Consider supplementing computer science fundamentals with data science and ML coursework.

FAQ

Will AI replace programmers in 5 years?

No. In five years, AI will likely handle more repetitive coding tasks but not fully replace human judgment and oversight for creating complex software systems. Developers may see their roles shift with AI assistants but will still architect solutions and constraints.

Will AI ever replace developers?

Complete replacement seems unlikely even with advanced future AI, given software’s ever-evolving demands and the creativity intrinsic to solving novel problems. Simple coding eventually gets commoditized, but not high-value strategic thinking. Developers who learn to leverage AI rather than compete against it effectively will remain employed.

At the end of the day, don’t dread the machine takeover. Welcome the AI teammates who will enhance productivity beyond any engineer or algorithm alone can achieve. Software development moves too fast for any single change to dominate forever. And especially in the context of tech, adaptability is the most crucial skill.

So rather than worrying whether code gets written by biological or silicon hands in the long run, cultivate versatility no matter what tools emerge.

What’s your take on AI coding assistants?

The winds of change are undoubtedly speeding up in software engineering. As AI rapidly evolves, what we once considered the domain of human cognition can now be outsourced to machines.

Will we allow anxiety about the future to paralyze progress? Or will we actively reimagine our roles while benefiting from this technology’s exponential power?

The most formidable competitors are usually the ones who adopt the latest tech swiftly rather than fighting change. But the key remains judiciously balancing human ingenuity and machine intelligence as complementary forces rather than opposing camps.

And so, as software continues eating the world, programmers would do well to set aside dread in favor of confidently working on more complex and challenging projects.

The post Will AI Replace Developers? Examining The Future of Coding appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge.

Although there has yet to be a complete list of improvements and new features released as of November 15, 2023, there are several key areas of development that we do know we can look forward to seeing. We dig into those below.

So, What’s On the Drawing Board?

Performant Translations

Arguably one of the most anticipated enhancements in the pipeline is the introduction of performant translations. This feature is a brainchild of the WordPress Performance Team, who have set out to turbocharge the performance of sites that utilize translations.

The performant translations feature encompasses a novel, streamlined internationalization (i18n) library. This powerhouse not only provides lightning-fast speed but also economizes on memory usage while loading the binary MO files used for translations in WordPress. The result? A seamless, efficient experience for site users and developers alike.

The library is also engineered to support the simultaneous loading of multiple locales, thus accelerating the process of locale switching. Additionally, it extends support to translations housed in PHP files. This innovative approach sidesteps the need for a binary file format and leverages server level caching, if available, to further enhance site speed and memory efficiency.

Font Library

Typography plays a pivotal role in shaping a website’s aesthetic appeal and user experience. Recognizing this, WordPress 6.5 will feature a revolutionary Font Library. This feature, initially slated for WordPress 6.4 but subsequently postponed to 6.5, promises to redefine typography management across WordPress sites.

The Font Library will empower users to peruse an extensive repository of open-license fonts in the admin panel, offering an experience akin to managing media. It’s worth noting that this library will not be constrained by theme dependencies, but will be extensible for plugin developers, providing greater flexibility and customization options.

The Font Library will also pioneer server-side @font-face CSS generation and printing. All in all, this groundbreaking feature is forecasted to significantly enhance the visual appeal and overall aesthetics of any WordPress sites that decide to leverage it.

Focus on Collaboration Features

WordPress 6.5 is also gearing up to place a heightened emphasis on collaboration features. This focus is part of Phase 3 of the Gutenberg project, which is dedicated to bolstering collaborative capabilities within WordPress.

These collaboration-centric features are set to be a key highlight of the 6.5 release and future versions throughout 2024. Users can anticipate a more cooperative and user-friendly WordPress platform, making web development and content creation a more engaging and streamlined process.

Improvements to WordPress admin accessibility

Admin notices inform WordPress users when something goes right — or wrong.

This new version of WordPress aims to provide mechanisms to assist users with accessibility needs navigate through the notices in a standardized way, outside of the existing than visual indication.

Along with this improvement, work is in progress regarding the focus styling in form inputs, buttons, and links to use a higher contrast. This continues with the previous work introduced in WordPress 5.3 to include some focusable elements that were previously missing.

Automate the workflows for testing WordPress

Build package installations for new releases (such as wordpress-6.5.zip) are manually tested by WordPress.org core developers and release party attendees when a new version is released — but they don’t usually cover an extensive range of PHP, MySQL, and older WordPress versions. With over 60,000 plugins and hundreds of different hosting configurations, it’s kind of hard to account for everything!

For this next version of WordPress, these tests could include more areas of focus programmatically to help avoid incompatibilities.

There is also a proposal to include links to WordPress Playground to automatically generate a testing environment for every new piece of functionality or patch without having to install a copy of WordPress locally. This could mean more people with non-technical skills could test and provide feedback.

Disable autoload for large options

WordPress is dazzlingly fast out of the box, but as a website grows with content and new functionality being added, it can become slow. Especially when unoptimized plugins bloat the database with options that load on every visit.

The proposal for this new version of WordPress is to prevent these options from being autoloaded if they grow past a specific size to help with speed.

Automatic Update Rollbacks

A key feature generating buzz is the ability to rollback auto updates for plugins and themes. This feature, already accessible as the “Rollback Auto Update” plugin, is a game-changer in website management. It automatically reverts plugins to a prior version if an auto-update fails, enhancing update confidence, site security, and reducing support dependency. While it adds a layer of security, regular site backups remain essential. The inclusion of this feature in WordPress 6.5 signifies a significant step forward in making website management more seamless and user-friendly.

Read more: Will “Rollback Auto Update” Be Included in WordPress 6.5?

Digital Eyes Open, More to Come

WordPress 6.5 is poised to usher in a wave of significant improvements and features that promise to elevate the user experience for experienced developers and new users alike. With a keen focus on performance, customization, and collaboration, this release marks a major step forward in web development.

Stay tuned for more updates on WordPress 6.5, coming soon!

The post WordPress 6.5 is in the Works: Here’s What We Know So Far appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge.

WordPress 6.5, the next version of the content management system that powers 43% of the web, is planned for a March 2024 release, and there’s a feature — fingers crossed! — will be included that would revolutionize how plugin and theme updates are handled: auto update rollbacks.

What Makes Auto Update Rollbacks a Big Deal?

The ability to rollback auto updates is stirring excitement among WordPress users for a good reason: it isn’t just any run-of-the-mill change; it’s a significant leap forward. For years, WordPress users have grappled with the anxiety of hitting their plugin update buttons, haunted by fears of breaking their sites. This new feature addresses those fears head-on, aiming to give users peace of mind and make site maintenance smoother and more reliable.

Understanding the Feature

The proposed feature — currently available as a plugin named “Rollback Auto Update” — is a smart bit of code that automatically reverts your WordPress plugins to a previous version if an auto update fails or causes issues on your site. It’s like having a safety net, ensuring that your site remains operational even if an update goes awry.

“But wait,” you might be saying to yourself, “didn’t they add something that rolls back failed updates already?” They did! But that only works for plugins and themes that have been updated manually, from the WordPress dashboard. This is a further refinement of that feature which adds rollbacks for automatic theme and plugin updates.

“This feature is huge for easing the burden of regular site maintenance.” says DreamHost’s Resident WordPress Nerd, Jason Cosper. “It turns the plugin and theme update cycle for the majority of WordPress users into a mostly ‘set it, and forget it’ sort of affair.”

For more details, and the chance to test the feature now, install the Auto Update Rollbacks plugin from the WordPress plugin directory — and report any issues you might find in the plugin’s support forum.

Why This Matters for WordPress Site Owners

From a site owner’s perspective, this feature is revolutionary:

1. Boosts Confidence in Updates: Many website owners hesitate to update their sites due to the fear of encountering the “white screen of death” or other update-related issues. The auto update rollback feature promises to instill more confidence by providing a fail-safe mechanism.
2. Enhances Site Security: Out-of-date plugins and themes are often the weak links in site security. This feature will benefit users who enable plugin auto-updates, keeping sites more secure and up-to-date.
3. Reduces Support Dependency: Hosting providers often handle numerous support requests related to update failures. This feature could potentially free up users to ask for more help on less critical issues, like increasing performance or testing other features more deeply.

The Excitement Behind the Tech

Here’s why the WordPress community is buzzing about it:

1. Automated Rollback Mechanism: Building upon the foundation laid by the “Rollback Auto Update” plugin, this feature introduces a rollback system to automatic updates. It ensures that if an unattended update introduces problems, the site will revert to its previous, stable version.
2. Prepares for the Future: This isn’t just about solving current problems. It’s about setting the stage for a more automated, secure WordPress environment in the future.
3. Empowers Users: This feature reduces the need for manual oversight and offers peace of mind, allowing users to focus on content and business growth rather than technical maintenance.

“Making auto updates more robust could lead to enabling them by default on new WordPress installs, of course, always giving the option to disable them, benefiting the whole ecosystem” said Jos Velasco, WordPress Professional III at DreamHost.

Addressing Fatal Errors

One of the standout benefits of the auto update rollback feature is its potential to prevent fatal errors during plugin updates. Instead of a site crash during the update process leading to panic and headaches, the automated rollback kicks in, preserving site functionality and user experience.

The Bigger Picture

While the auto update rollback feature is a significant advancement, it’s essential to remember that it doesn’t replace the need for regular site backups and a solid recovery plan. It’s an additional layer of security, not a complete safeguard.

Looking Ahead

The auto update rollback feature, should it land in WordPress 6.5, will mark a new era in website management and security. It represents WordPress’s commitment to making website management more seamless, secure, and user-friendly. As users anticipate its arrival, it’s clear that the future of WordPress isn’t only about innovation but also about providing stability and confidence.

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WordPress users can expect an exciting slate of new features and upgrades — announced on August 22, 2023 — to roll out with the new release, including a new default theme, Twenty Twenty-Four.

New Release, New Theme

The driving concept of Twenty Twenty-Four is to create a universal theme that is adaptable for many types of websites, regardless of the subject matter. Unlike previous years, it doesn’t focus on a single motif. Instead, the developers have decided to explore three distinct use cases: one suited for entrepreneurs and small businesses, another for photographers and artists, and a third one specifically designed for writers and bloggers. Essentially, it’s an amalgamation of templates and patterns that together form a comprehensive theme. These patterns feature various Home templates for diverse use cases such as an About page, project summaries, RSVPs, and landing pages.

The design constituents of Twenty Twenty-Four are immediately distinguishable, drawing influence from current design movements. The theme employs the Cardo font, sourced from Google Fonts, for headlines, lending an air of sophistication, while it uses a sans-serif system font for paragraph text. The primary color scheme of Twenty Twenty-Four is on the lighter side, but it also offers a darker style option that keeps the same typography intact. Furthermore, it comes with two additional sans-serif variations: one in a light mode and another in a dark mode.

As a block theme, Twenty Twenty-Four will be fully aligned with all site editor tools and will introduce several new design instruments like the details block and vertical text. A significant goal of the theme is to effectively showcase complete page patterns and template variations. This feature eliminates the need for users to create whole pages from scratch, thereby simplifying their website-building experience.

Form and Functions

WordPress 6.4 narrows in on improving elements throughout the WordPress journey, from the intricacies of crafting a fresh post to overseeing patterns throughout your website. In the midst of these enhancements, the core WordPress development team is looking to introduce fresh attributes such as font customization and the Twenty Twenty-Four default theme while also addressing any missing aspects in existing features, like additional resources to expand on your designs.

Let’s dive into some of the updates and functionalities you could expect in the pending release that’s still under development.

Revisions for Templates and Template Parts

Expanding on the core development team’s endeavor to incorporate revisions for Styles, the completion of revisions for templates and template parts will enhance the editing journey. This will provide the capability to retract any modifications made to your design, no matter where you’ve made them.

New Blocks

Three new blocks are currently under consideration for version 6.4.

• Table of Contents block
• Time to Read block
• Scrolling Marquee block

Image Lightbox

A WordPress native lightbox functionality, featuring a lightweight standardized JavaScript library, is being explored as an option to toggle on for individual image blocks to start.

Auto-Insert Blocks

In an ongoing quest to enhance user-friendly interactions, the developers are delving into the potential of auto-embedding a block into relevant sections. For example, if you’ve just installed a plugin and are tweaking your navigation, a prompt pops up offering to effortlessly integrate a login/logout option.

Post Formats in Block Themes

Since the introduction of WordPress 3.1, post formats have been a key feature, and even though block themes have worked with post formats, there are several improvements aimed at maximizing the use of post format. These enhancements include:

• Managing posts without titles within the loop and templates.
• Initiating a pattern in the process of creating a new post.
• Enhancing the distinct formatting of the post content block within the query loop.

Making the Best Even Better

Just because a platform like WordPress is already the most popular and most widely used CMS in the world, that doesn’t mean that top-notch features that were implemented in previous releases can’t be made even more effective and useful. Let’s look at what all is under consideration for some spiffing-up in WordPress 6.4.

Writing Experience

Crafting content in WordPress, be it a fresh blog post or a brand new page, ought to be a smooth and pleasurable process. The tools at your disposal should facilitate your artistic flow, not obstruct it. With its multitude of formats, design utilities, and alterations, blocks should instill in you a sense of confidence to shape your vision. This update is devoted to ensuring this experience continues to be the norm.

Interfaces and Tools

The tools available continue to be improved to make creating a site or writing a post more streamlined with the following focus areas:

• List View iterations with custom naming of Group blocks, media previews for gallery and image blocks, the ability to resize, keyboard shortcut for duplicating blocks, and more.
• Top Toolbar improvements, including resolving some keyboard navigation issues.
• Distraction-free improvements.
• Command Palette: Add new block commands, refine the design, add support for registering commands without icons, improve command palette rendering on smaller viewports.

Site Editing

Specific refinements and enhancements that improve the broader WordPress user experience are a focus of release 6.4.

• Add “Show Template” toggle when editing pages.
• Add discussion settings/detail for pages.
• Display current modifications in the “Browse styles” panel.
• Remove coupling of template and template parts when switching themes.
• Site Editing: Hide page/post title.
• Site Editor → Page Inspector: Add the ability to switch templates.
• Align page edit features in Site Editor and Post Editor.
• Add missing CSS classes to templates.
• Explore improvements to the Styles panel in Site Editor.

Design Tools

To enable more complex designs, various design tooling-related enhancements and additional functionality are being explored. These efforts range from block-specific changes like adding support for background images to the Group block, to larger efforts like extending theme.json to provide spacing size presets:

• Add box shadow component.
• Extend theme.json to provide spacing size presets.
• Add the ability for theme developers to configure their own default min and max viewport widths for calculating fluid font sizes.
• Expanding and simplifying layout controls, including block support and the UI.
• Custom CSS Enhancements.
• Addressing design tooling consistency.
• Add block instance elements support for buttons and headings as a first step in the broader idea of element sets.
• Advancing more aspect ratio support.
• Global Styles: Add support for elements to individual blocks.
• Site Logo: Add width unit support.
• Cover: Set custom color when applying the initial background image.
• Elements: Add support for text-based inputs.
• Categories: Add a list style type option to the categories block.
• Group Block: Add support for Background Images.
• Media + Text: Support featured image.

Global Styles

Global styles are both a system and an interface for managing styling across your site, from individual changes to a block to sweeping changes across an entire site. This current effort continues to evolve along the same lines and across a broad range of items, from more technical updates in theme.json, to more UI-centered work around the Style Book tool. To continue to broaden the possibilities with the built-in style system and to make it as easy as possible to use, the following work is planned:

• Style revisions: Add a side-by-side comparison, add pagination, add a reset to default revision.
• Style book: Iterate on presentation and design, add the ability to focus on individual block types, and integrate patterns.
• Theme.json: Enable references to work, add section-specific theme.json capabilities.
• Styles experience: exploring how best to represent the hierarchy of styles, show inherited styles, and manage style variations.

Patterns

After introducing the ability to create patterns directly in the editing experience, more advanced features and various quality-of-life improvements are planned for 6.4, including the following:

• Add the ability to set categories.
• Update the inserter experience to ensure consistency between synced and unsynced.
• Improve compatibility for non-block themes.
• Iterate on patterns page’s empty category state.
• Synced Patterns: Not receiving alignment attributes in the editor.

Navigation Creation and Management

As with every release since WordPress 5.9, the Navigation block and navigation management refinements continue to have a specific focus: to make it more robust and useful, especially when it comes to various responsive needs:

• Overlay referenced as a template part
• Add the ability to see where each menu is used.
• Add the ability to style the current menu item.
• Allow an option to set a custom icon.
• Add the ability to set different links on mobile.
• Explore a bulk add mode.
• Continued iteration to improve fallbacks.

Query Loop Block

To better enable more complex queries and bring more options for displaying posts, the following items are being worked on:

• Consider adding a Term Query Loop Block.
• Add the option to not repeat posts already shown by other Query Loop blocks displayed on the same page.
• Query block: client-side pagination, powered by the Interactivity API.

Footnotes

Introduced in WordPress 6.3, the Footnotes block continues to evolve with more design tooling available and custom post-type compatibility work:

• Add typography, dimensions, and border block supports.
• Add link, background, and text color support.
• Ensure compatibility with Custom Post Types.

Forward-Thinking Leadership

Harkening back to what we first saw with the release of WordPress 5.6, “Simone,” on December 8, 2020, the development of WordPress 6.4 is being led entirely by a team of self-identifying women, nonbinary, and gender-expansive contributors.

The full inclusiveness of this leadership model is in keeping with the open and collaborative nature of WordPress, where contributions from anyone, regardless of how they identify themselves, are welcomed.

Happy Anniversary

WordPress 6.4 will be the final release of the CMS in 2023, a year that marks the 20th anniversary of the first version, affectionately nicknamed “Davis” after jazz musician Miles Davis, which debuted on May 27, 2003. Version 6.4 will be the 48th release of WordPress, and while this content management system has already come a long way since its inception, its open-source structure and collaborative spirit ensure that it will continue to evolve and improve to empower people to create and manage their own digital presence well into the future.

The post WordPress 6.4 Set for November 7, 2023 Release Date; New Functionalities, Improvements Under Consideration appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge.

Seriously, I know we’re all just trying to survive the generative AI era and still have jobs (any job?) a decade from now.

And there’s one thing that can’t hurt: Learning to code.

Even with the rise of AI, coders and programmers are in demand around the world.

Plus, programming is more than just a way to build things — Coding helps you learn to solve problems, aids people in need, and, as Steve Jobs admonished, teaches you how to think.

The good news is you don’t have to live in Silicon Valley or have expensive, high-tech gadgets to learn how to code. Self-taught programming has been on the rise, and you can join the masses taking to the web to learn the next universal language.

With the click of a mouse, you can develop a whole new repertoire of programming skills, and we’ve got all the resources you need to help you learn to code and build your next website or app.

Here is a hefty list of 58 free online courses, open-source resources, and low-cost tools to get started.

Learn HTML

Let’s start with the front end.

Although HTML isn’t necessarily “coding,” it’s the fundamental building block of most of the web pages in the world.

If you’re just dipping your toes into understanding programming, HTML is a great place to start.

Let’s look at the best resources to learn HTML.

#1: Programming With Mosh (YouTube)

Dive into the Programming with Mosh channel, and you’ll find bite-sized coding classes on almost any topic you can imagine. From C++ to Java, Mosh offers a huge collection of videos on almost every language, syntax, and topic. Most videos are just 60 minutes, and they’ll teach you the ABCs of the topic and how to create neat, tidy code.

Unsurprisingly, this HTML for Beginners video will have you writing functional HTML in about an hour.

#2: Learn HTML From Codecademy

Codecademy’s Learn HTML course traverses a spectrum of topics, including elements, structure, tables, forms, and the much-discussed semantic HTML.

After signing up, you get a tour of enlightening textual explanations plus the chance to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty with real coding exercises.

Best of all: It’s 100% free.

#3: Learn-HTML.org

Don’t overlook learn-html.org, which houses a treasure trove of HTML tutorials.

The journey begins with the basics like elements, selectors, and classes and then propels you to format links, lists, and images in HTML. Each lesson includes code samples and exercises to help you master the art of writing compliant markup.

Learn CSS

After you master HTML, you’ll be hungry to make things look neat and tidy. That’s where  Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) comes in.

Use these resources to learn how to write optimized CSS that works in every browser, screen size, and resolution.

#4: Codevolution’s CSS Crash Course (YouTube)

In need of a CSS starter kit? Check out Codevolution’s CSS Crash Course. It’s a brief – yet comprehensive – tour around the basics of CSS. It’ll teach you how to add and customize styles in an HTML document and covers color, text, fonts, lists, tables, and more.

However, keep in mind it’s just a crash course. It’s great for beginners but doesn’t cover everything.

#5: SuperSimpleDev’s HMTL & CSS Full Course (YouTube)

Have you ever watched a 7-hour YouTube video?

If you’re looking for a much more comprehensive (and functional) guide to learning CSS, this video is a great walkthrough. It also covers HTML, so if you already know HTML (or used one of the above resources), you can skip through those sections to get to the styling parts.

#6: Learn CSS From Codecademy

Codecademy’s Learn CSS course is another great way to go.

The course takes you through the right way to format files, add cool features, and design impressive layouts. It covers everything from syntax to colors and typography. Each lesson provides a detailed explanation and hands-on practice. You can see how your code touches up the website’s look in real time.

#7: CSS Diner

Ever thought mastering selectors could be fun? CSS Diner is an online game turning learning into an entertaining experience. It’ll equip you with the skills to pinpoint specific elements at the start of your CSS journey.

Learn JavaScript

HTML and CSS are great, but if you really want to “write code,” learning JavaScript might be your easiest entry point.

Using JS, you’ll be able to manipulate front-end components and start to work on back-end development. That makes you a full-stack developer. (Congrats!)

#8: Learnjavascript.online

It does what it says on the tin. Learnjavacript.online is an ultra-simple (but great!) way to learn JavaScript from your browser.

It’s an interactive hub where you can read bite-sized tutorials, roll up your virtual sleeves, and experiment with actual coding in the code playground, all without leaving your browser. The magic lies in the “learn and apply” formula, allowing you to practice new skills on the fly. Enjoy the first seven chapters on the house, and if you’re really cruising, a single payment unlocks the whole training.

#9: Scrimba

Picture a coding school with no dry lectures, but a hands-on learning style. It’s all about practical coding skills, without the theory. Just remember, completing the free HTML & CSS crash course would make your journey smoother when moving onto JavaScript.

#10: Free Code Camp

The site FreeCodeCamp.com offers a repository for free courses, including many JavaScript learning tools and lessons. You can work on 40 projects after learning the basics. There’s less hand-holding than some other guided resources, but the content’s valuable.

#11: JSRobot

If you thought coding was all about cramming commands, JSRobot is here to change your mind. You won’t spend a lot of time learning before you start programming. You’ll find yourself writing efficient code faster than you anticipated. So, roll up your sleeves, let your little robot guide show you the ropes of JavaScript logic, and watch the magic happen.

#12: CodeCombat

CodeCombat breaks down the walls of traditional learning, providing an engaging, socially interactive space to learn to code. The mix of a comprehensive curriculum and a charming fantasy world makes learning feel like an adventure. And for those with a competitive streak, pit your JavaScript skills against others in the exciting CodeCombat AI League.

Learn React

ReactJS (usually called “React”) makes building reusable components, forms, and interfaces easy.

This is technically a JavaScript library, but because it’s so popular and widely used, it’s worth taking the time to learn React if you want to get serious about building apps and software.

#13: React Official Tutorials

The React official website is a goldmine of resources for all things React, from essential documentation and tutorials to a bustling community forum for collaborative problem-solving. A GitHub link to React’s source code is readily available. For beginners, the Tutorial tab hosts a fun introductory lesson that has you crafting a mini-game while teaching React fundamentals.

It’s tailor-made for hands-on learners and perfectly complements the wealth of advanced resources under the Docs tab.

#14: Learn React From Codecademy

Codecademy’s self-guided Learn React course is a ticket to the exciting world of React programming.

From creating components, props, and states to using React with JavaScript, you’ll learn it all. Completion of the course enables you to build simple React applications. You can become a React proficient in just 20 hours!

#15: Free Code Camp

Free Code Camp offers the course, Learn ReactJS – Complete Roadmap. It lays a clear path for front-end application building with React. Ideal for beginners, it can help grow your skills from intermediate to advanced React development.

#16: React JS Frontend Web Development For Beginners From Udemy

This no-cost Udemy course is set to walk you through the basics of hooks and working with external APIs. Additionally, it offers insights into making AJAX requests and the construction of a news app.

While you get access to nearly three hours of video content by default, you can spring for the paid membership to receive a completion certificate and the chance to engage in Q&A and direct messaging with the instructor.

#17: Egghead.io

Want to dive all the way into React? Meet Egghead.io.

This site provides numerous video courses tailored to your learning. The Beginner’s Guide to React is a 30-part course that lets you learn in a distraction-free setting, starting from scratch and culminating in a deployed application.

From understanding React’s problem-solving capabilities to JSX’s role and managing state with hooks, it’s a thorough, hands-on course. Plus, once you’re done, there are plenty more courses to go deeper.

Learn PHP

If you work on WordPress websites, you’ll want to learn PHP.

PHP pulls information from the database and allows you to format and display it on the front end like a pro. Cozy up with the code editor and dive in so you can debug the next plugin that goes haywire.

#18: PHP For Beginners By Traversy Media (YouTube)

Traversy Media’s “PHP For Beginners” is an invaluable tutorial for anyone keen on learning PHP. Across three hours, the YouTube video takes you through the A to Z of PHP, touching upon functions, loops, and arrays.

Convenient timestamps help you focus on your areas of interest.

#19: PHP Tutorial For Beginners – Full Course By Envato Tuts+ (YouTube)

Looking to spend seven hours learning PHP instead of three? We’ve got you covered.

Seriously though, Envato Tuts+ offers a comprehensive PHP course aptly titled “PHP Tutorial for Beginners – Full Course”. Jeremy McPeak, the instructor, begins with fundamentals and progressively delves deeper into the language. The course is designed to make you adept at writing functions, manipulating variables, understanding syntax, and handling GET and POST requests.

While longer than the above option, it’s also more comprehensive.

#20: Learn PHP From Codecademy

For those seeking a structured PHP learning resource, Codecademy’s “Learn PHP” course is an excellent option.

This is a 25-hour curriculum covering variables, functions, arrays, loops, and other PHP essentials. Each module is followed by hands-on exercises that reinforce learning. The course also provides helpful aids, like hints, a cheat sheet, and module-specific community forums. Plus, you can use the built-in playground to write and test your code as you learn.

#21: PHP Apprentice

PHP Apprentice offers a unique approach to learning PHP. This online book, accessible for free, demystifies PHP practices through its well-structured chapters and coding examples. Best of all, it’s being actively maintained and updated. So there’s new content and new lessons being added all the time.

Learn SQL

SQL (pronounced “sequel” and stands for “Structured Query Language”) is one of the most common and popular languages for accessing and manipulating data in a database. In other words, learning SQL is sort of like learning the Dewey Decimal system…but for computers.

#22: SQL For Beginners Tutorial (YouTube)

A 45-minute video crash course makes learning SQL basics a breeze.

This tutorial includes a detailed walkthrough on setting up Microsoft SQL Server and SQL Server Management Studio, two free and powerful tools. Gain a good understanding of tables, primary keys, and various data types, building a strong foundation in SQL.

#23: Learn SQL From Codecademy

Codecademy offers beginner-friendly courses like Learn SQL that guide you through the core concepts of SQL and relational databases. The best part? You can progress through these modules at your own pace, making it an ideal choice for independent learning.

#24: SQL Tutorial On W3Schools

W3Schools offers an extensive SQL tutorial for those seeking a deeper understanding. It covers everything from writing properly structured SQL statements to advanced operations like database creation and alteration. Once you’ve digested the material, you can check your comprehension with hands-on exercises.

#25: Complete SQL Bootcamp (Udemy)

Udemy’s Complete SQL Bootcamp is a solid choice if you’re looking to certify your SQL skills. The course covers data analysis, table creation, database establishment, and much more, using PostgreSQL, a knowledge base that can be transferred to other SQL databases. Earning this certification could significantly boost your resume.

Learn Python

Coding isn’t all just variables and if-then statements.

Data analysis, data structures, algorithms, and machine learning are a hot topic these days. (You know, with that pesky AI thing requiring lots and lots of data.)

Learning Python will help you get your foot in the door on these topics and use cases.

#26: The Python Beginner’s Guide

For Python beginners, the official Python website is an indispensable resource. The freely accessible Beginner’s Guide serves as a roadmap to your Python journey. It links you to various learning tools like quizzes, assignments, cheat sheets, and style checkers.

#27: Introduction To Python Programming (Udemy)

There’s a concise yet comprehensive course on Udemy aimed at those new to Python.

It’s a compact program that runs just under two hours but covers essential Python concepts such as scripting and the creation of functions.

#28: Learn Python 3 From Codecademy

Ready to make it official with Python?

The Pro plan from Codecademy features an immersive Python 3 course well-suited for an introduction to scripting and fundamental programming concepts. Lessons span various topics, including Python syntax, control flow mechanisms, function building, and data structuring with lists and directories. There are no prerequisites, and after roughly 25 hours of study, learners can earn a certificate.

#29: LearnPython.org

LearnPython.org, an interactive learning platform, houses a great collection of coding tutorials. From elementary lessons on variables to advanced modules on data science, it caters to learners at all stages. It also extends a collaborative space on Facebook, connecting learners worldwide.

#30: Learning Python: From Zero To Hero (Free Code Camp)

I mean…who doesn’t want to go from zero to hero? Am I right?

Free Code Camp’s “Learning Python: From Zero to Hero” course is a text-based course that presents Python’s essentials in a clear and accessible manner. Master the art of variables, conquer conditional statements, and unleash the power of looping as you navigate through engaging sections. Explore the versatility of lists, dive into the intricacies of iterating through diverse data structures, and unlock the potential of objects and classes. By the time you complete this course, you’ll have transformed from a Python beginner to….well, a hero.

#31: One Month Python Bootcamp

Take the leap from beginner to advanced Python programming with the One Month Python Bootcamp. This comprehensive, self-paced course offers a project-based approach to deepen your understanding of Python. While it costs $299, the intensive material and hands-on projects provide the foundation you need to excel as a Python developer.

Coding Challenges, Games, And Assessments

We know gaming isn’t time-wasting — rather, it’s an engaging way to learn and practice new concepts as you learn to code.

Use these online activities to sharpen your skills:

#32: CodeAbbey

CodeAbbey is a collection of beginner-to-advanced practice problems that allow you to earn certificates and hone your skills. Consider it a type of fun homework.

#33: Coderbyte

Choose a coding language and solve challenges; accompanying solutions and tutorials help you cement crucial programming skills with step-by-step instructions.

#34: CodinGame

Play virtual coding games (think: destroying enemy ships with code) that can teach you essential skills and get you noticed by companies.

#35: HackerEarth

Coding activities with purpose. Help solve real-world problems for businesses with innovative programming solutions while joining a community of coders working on improving their skills.

#36: HackerRank

Unearth your inner coding competitor and solve challenges while interacting on a leading recruitment site for companies (meaning, it’s a resume builder!)

#37: Codewars

A great resource to train yourself, collaborate with others, and create in a variety of programming languages.

#38: Exercism

The website promises to help you “Get really good at programming.”

Can’t argue with that.

Practice problems (mini-quests) for newbies and experts, tailored to your interests, whether you want to learn to code, increase fluency in your chosen language, or develop clean code. Just submit your solutions and get helpful feedback. Works through GitHub.

Books To Learn To Code

No dull, dusty textbooks here — these programming reads can provide you with useful reading material.

#39: The Self-Taught Programmer

The perfect manual for self-studiers, written by one of coding’s own amateur-turned-professional graduates. ($9.99 Kindle Book)

#40: A Data-Centric Introduction To Computing

Want to start at computer science 101 and build your skills from a foundation of computing basics? This is the book for you.

Read this free online book to get an intro course on all things comp sci.

#41: Software Engineering For Internet Applications

Writing lines of code is one thing. Software development—actually building functional software—is more complex. Check out this book that goes beyond computer programming and shares how to plan and develop actual software products.

#42: Foundations Of Data Science

If you were gripped by the likes of Python or SQL, you may be more interested in data science than purely writing code. This book eschews writing code and delves into the world of advanced data and mathematics.

#43: How To Learn To Code & Get A Developer Job

Written by Quincy Larson, the founder of FreeCodeCamp, this book bridges practical programming skills with applications in the real world. If your goal is to use your skills to start a new job or career in computer programming, this will help you get there!

Coding Mentors And Meetups

Want to meet with like-minded individuals? Find a mentor or coding event in your area.

#44: Reddit Programming Buddies

Virtual classified ads for programmers; identify programming comrades that match your unique skills and interests and collaborate on personalized projects.

#45: CodeNewbie

This social media site and community allows you to connect with others learning to code. Share progress, ask questions, and learn together.

#46: CodeBuddies

This is a large community of programmers who connect via Slack and organize study (screen-sharing) hangouts. Make your hangouts as unique as your project.

Bonus: Coding Podcasts

Load up your device with audio coding lessons and listen on your commute or during your workout. Once you’ve mastered the coding courses, perhaps you’ll even decide to start your own podcast.

#47: Coding Blocks

Shoptalk about development best practices relevant to a number of different programming languages.

#48: DevRadio

Though its last episode came out a few years ago, you can listen to Microsoft’s DevRadio, a by-developers, for-developers podcast with lots of software and programming info.

#49: Software Engineering Daily

Featured interviews with experts that touch on tech topics like mobile app development and developer testing.

#50: Developer Tea

A snackable-size podcast designed for busy schedules. Listen to quick bites on all kinds of developer-designed details.

#51: Programming Throwdown

A perfect podcast if you want a little taste of everything; each show covers a different programming language, so you can expand your coding knowledge with each episode.

#52: CodeNewbie

This weekly podcast features stories and useful lessons from other individuals who are on their self-taught programming path.

Cost: Free

#53: Learn To Code With Me

Laurence Bradford’s weekly podcast helps self-taught coders transition to the tech field with useful real-world examples and tips on developing marketable skills and enhancing your resume.

Bonus #2: Coding For Kids

Turns out, it’s never too soon to start introducing your tots to their first bytes.

#54: C++ for Kids (Code Babies)

This board book will introduce your infants to C++ programming fundamentals. Also, check out HTML for Babies and Javascript for Babies, all in conjunction with site Code Babies.

(Amazon, $9.19)

#55: CSFirst

This Google-backed project offers a range of free resources that introduce kids to coding and computer science concepts.

#56: Code.org Student

A youthful resource for finding online programming courses or local classes. Includes games and activities.

#57: MoonHack

A record-setting event for Code Club where kids ages 7 to 18 around the world join together to tackle projects. Participants can take on MoonHack’s recommended problem or their own idea (moon-themed, of course). According to its website, over the last six years, more than 150,000 kids have coded as part of Moonhack.

#58: Code Your Own Games!: 20 Games To Create With Scratch

Entice youth early to get involved in coding with this easy-to-follow (and super fun) visual guide that helps them learn to program their own games. Gaming + learning = win-win.

(Amazon, $11.69)

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Our mission is simple. We make it easy to bring your dream to life.

Sign up for our newsletter to get many more great resources to help you build your next site or launch your next business venture.

The post Learn to Code With These (Mostly Free) Resources appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge.

Refinements and significant improvements, as well as ease of use, are the main focus areas of WordPress 6.2. Among those improvements are a revamped approach to navigating between templates and template parts, an additional way to manage menus with the navigation block, and the ability to import widgets to block themes.

The base block experience will also receive improvements, including features like a new distraction-free writing mode and a scaled block settings experience.

Let’s dive right in and check out what you and other WordPress users have to look forward to!

Full Site Editing Becomes a Breeze

The Site Editor will now center the entire structure of your site starting with the homepage. Whereas in the past when you’d be dropped into a single template, various features will now come together to make it easier to navigate across your site and take the actions you want. In addition, you’ll be able to:

New Site Editor Features

• Experience a refreshed Site Editor with the new Browse mode.
• Easily identify template parts and reusable blocks with added colorization.
• Write without interruption with the specially designed distraction-free editing mode.
• Insert media directly from your Media Library using the Inserter.
• Quickly add images from Openverse to your posts using the Inserter, with the option to disable this feature.
• Keep an eye out for the updated Block Settings icon, an indicator of additional forthcoming changes.
• Migrate your widgets to block themes with ease.
• View your list view and document information all in one unified panel.

Distraction-Free Mode

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Reimagined Site Editor

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Leveling-Up Individual Blocks

Individual blocks, particularly the Navigation block, have also received some desperately needed upgrades. Like many other features and functions of WordPress, their capabilities and the user experience have continued to improve. Furthermore, overall block settings have been iterated upon with more complex blocks in mind, with a split between Styles and Settings tabs.

New Block Features

• Enhance your editing experience with the new list view for the Navigation block, accessible within the block settings sidebar.
• Limit editing of the Navigation block’s inner blocks (links and submenus) for a more curated experience.
• Enjoy the convenience of various in-built fallbacks for the Navigation block.
• Elevate your block customization with split Styles and Settings, optimized for compatibility with a growing range of design tools.
• Keep blocks at the root level in sight with the “Sticky” block position option in the inspector.
• Fine-tune the width of blocks within a Row block.
• Easily choose between a row or stacked layout during Group block setup.
• Utilize the aspect ratio tool for custom image dimensions.
• Modify captions for Audio, Video, and Image blocks directly from the block toolbar with ease.

Design on Your Terms With Updated Block Patterns

Since they were introduced, Block Patterns have been one of the most popular features of WordPress. They’re a collection of predefined blocks that you can insert into pages and posts and customize with your own content. They make it possible to quickly and easily create standout pages on your WordPress site with very little effort.

Now, in WordPress 6.2, a redesign of the patterns Inserter makes it easier to pick and choose between patterns, including newly bundled Header and Footer options. Developers and Site Builders who create and provide patterns can expand where they can be used, including an option to register patterns specifically for templates.

New Block Patterns Features

• Streamline your pattern selection with the improved Pattern Inserter and refined categorization.
• Effortlessly switch between Header and Footer patterns bundled with Core.
• Specify the templates where patterns can be used by registering them for specific template types. For instance, an Error 404 pattern should only be used with the 404 template.
• Select from a growing collection of Query Loop patterns directly from the block, with a more streamlined setup process.

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Design Takes Center Stage

If you’ve struggled with site design in the past and felt overwhelmed by the learning curve of previous WordPress releases, don’t panic! WordPress 6.2 takes the strong foundation provided by theme.json and the Styles Engine to new heights.

The new features and enhancements will allow users to experiment with different styles, preview the changes in real-time, and apply them globally or locally as needed, making the entire design process more intuitive and efficient. So, even if you have never felt confident in your site design skills, WordPress 6.2 is here to help.

New Design Features

• Create a cohesive look for your site with the Style Book, which allows you to view and style all blocks at once.
• Preview the impact of your design changes with an inline view of blocks while working with Styles.
• Get a more comprehensive glance at your template when choosing a style variation.
• Quickly make sitewide changes to a single block across your site using the “Apply Globally” control in the Advanced block settings.
• Speed up your design process by copying and pasting block styles for consistent designs.
• Customize your entire site or individual blocks with custom CSS controls.
• Make edits to block style variations from within Styles.
• Set a minimum fluid font size in theme.json for more flexible typography.
• Add shadow preset support via theme.json.

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More to Come in WordPress 6.2

In addition to all of the refinements and improvements coming to WordPress 6.2 that we’ve laid out above, there will also be a number of performance improvements, a faster plugin and theme upgrade process, further iteration on PHP 8.2.x support, and all of the expected general bug fixes and enhancements to look forward to.

Altogether, these will help take the WordPress experience to new heights! Stay tuned for more updates by subscribing below.

The post WordPress 6.2 is Coming Soon! Here’s Your First Look appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge.

Cyberduck and FileZilla are two powerful tools that you could use. However, once you compare their features, you should be able to determine which option is better suited for your needs.

This post will provide a detailed comparison of Cyberduck and FileZilla. We’ll also discuss their pros and cons. Let’s get started!

What Is an FTP Client?

When you create a website, your core files are stored on your web host’s server. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a method of transferring data between this server and your computer.

Essentially, an FTP client is software that enables you to access your site files directly. By downloading this program, you can connect to the server from your computer.

With an FTP client, you can easily upload, edit, and download your website’s files. For example, you may want to modify your wp-config.php file to disable automatic updates.

Here are some additional tasks you can complete with an FTP client:

• Change file permissions
• Solve common WordPress errors
• Bulk upload files to your WordPress Media Library
• Install or deactivate plugins and themes

Additionally, it enables you to access your site even when it’s down. For example, if you encounter errors or issues like the White Screen of Death (WSoD), you may become locked out of your WordPress dashboard. Using an FTP client, you can access your site’s root directory and troubleshoot the problem.

Some programs also support Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) connections. This means they use a Secure Shell (SSH) connection to make the process safer.

Your web host may use a file manager, which functions the same way as an FTP client; However, instead of downloading a third-party program to your computer, you can use the file manager in your hosting account to access your site’s files.

If you’ve decided to use an FTP client, you may not know which program to use. To make this decision easier, let’s discuss the two popular options: Cyberduck and FileZilla.

An Introduction to Cyberduck

Cyberduck is an easy-to-use program that supports both FTP and SFTP connections. It has a beginner-friendly user interface and is compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems:

At first glance, Cyberduck may not seem that different from other FTP clients. However, it does have some features that you might find particularly useful. Let’s review some of them.

Key Features

Originally, Cyberduck was developed as an FTP client for Mac users. Now, it has become compatible with Windows operating systems as well. Cyberduck is available for download directly from its website or the Mac and Microsoft app stores.

Its modern and minimalist interface makes Cyberduck stand apart from other options. The UI is fully compatible with macOS computers, seamlessly blending into the well-known Mac aesthetics.

Here are some important features included with Cyberduck:

• Compatibility with macOS and Windows operating systems
• FTP and SFTP connections
• Third-party cloud storage in Google Drive, Microsoft Azure, Dropbox, and more
• Cryptomator for encrypted, secure file transfers
• Integration with external file editors
• Ability to share files with a URL generator
• Bookmarking tool to log history, imports, and files
• Quick Look feature for file browsing
• 30+ languages

Cyberduck is a feature-packed FTP client with a minimal and easy-to-use UI. It’s free software that simplifies file management. Let’s take a closer look at its advantages.

Pros

One of Cyberduck’s advantages is its easy setup process. You’ll simply need to download the correct version for your operating system. Since it supports both Mac and Windows, Cyberduck is a flexible FTP client:

Once you’ve installed the app, you can create a new connection by entering information about your server, port, username, and password. You’ll also be able to change the protocol method:

To edit a file, right-click on it and select your preferred text editor:

Cyberduck also comes with third-party storage locations, making it easy to share files with other users. It supports cloud services like Amazon S3, OpenStack Swift, Azure, Backblaze B2, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and more.

It also lets you create bookmarks that store details about your different FTP connections. You can drag and drop these bookmarks into the Finder app and import them from third-party software:

Another unique feature of Cyberduck is the Quick Look. This gives you a preview of your selected file without downloading it. Instead, you’ll just need to press the space key:

Additionally, Cyberduck has its own command line interface. You can also integrate this program with other tools like Keychain and Bonjour.

Cons

If you have a Mac or Windows computer, you’ll be able to connect to your server using Cyberduck. However, the program may be slightly more compatible with Mac users. Plus, it doesn’t support Linux operating systems.

It’s also important to note that Cyberduck’s interface is very minimal. As a result, some users might find it too simple.

Additionally, Cyberduck isn’t divided into side-by-side panels. This makes it less efficient when transferring files to and from your server.

Cyberduck is completely free to use, but it will display pop-ups that request donations. To remove them, you’ll have to become a contributor.

You might also encounter some speed issues. Since Cyberduck has high-end security measures, this can slow down file transfers. So if you want a fast FTP client, you may need to look for an alternative.

An Introduction to FileZilla

FileZilla is one of the most popular FTP clients. Similar to Cyberduck, this open-source software falls under the GNU (General Public License), making it completely free to use:

FileZilla is often the go-to choice for developers due to its quick setup, variety of protocols, and ease of use. Plus, there is a comprehensive knowledge base where you can browse tutorials and troubleshooting methods.

Key Features

FileZilla is a very flexible program. Since it is compatible with many different operating systems, virtually anyone can use this tool to access their site files.

Plus, the interface is incredibly beginner-friendly. For example, in the main window, you’ll see side-by-side displays of your local and remote server files. This enables you to easily drag-and-drop files from one location to another.

Here are some features you can expect in FileZilla:

• Compatibility with Linux, macOS, and Windows operating systems
• FTP, SFTP, and FTPS protocols
• Third-party cloud storage in Google Drive, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Dropbox, and more
• Encrypted master password
• Search, filter, and compare files
• Site Manager for organizing multiple sites and bookmarks
• Synchronization with Site Manager data
• Command line interface
• 50+ languages

As you can see, FileZilla has a wealth of features. Let’s discuss some of its pros in more detail.

Pros

As a beginner, you may be looking for an FTP client that enables you to learn file management without having to deal with a complicated interface. With FileZilla, you can do just that.

Similar to Cyberduck, you’ll have to choose the correct download option based on your computer type. In the installed app, you can use the Quickconnect option to easily connect to a remote server:

The Site Manager lets you change the protocol if needed. Although it will default to FTP connections, you can update this to SFTP:

Once you’ve set it up, you’ll see your local files and remote site in two side-by-side boxes. You can then drag and drop files between them.

One of the main advantages of FileZilla is that it supports large file transfers without running slowly:

When you right-click on a file, you’ll see options for downloading, editing, and creating new directories. You can also add new files, delete unnecessary ones, and update file permissions:

Along with being user-friendly, FileZilla performs frequent software updates. Although the interface may appear slightly dated, there are continuous bug fixes and performance improvements.

Cons

FileZilla is the trusted FTP client for many users, but it has had a few controversies regarding its security. In a few cases, FileZilla was flagged for having malware in its product bundles.

In 2013, SourceForge was FileZilla’s hosting site. At the time, the SourceForge installer bundled adware into the program, and as a result, some users found unwanted changes to their toolbars, homepages, and search providers.

As recently as 2018, users continued to see adware in FileZilla installers. A few cases resulted in unwanted programs, miners, rootkits, and trojans. This caused some security researchers to advise against using FileZilla.

To remove these ads, you’ll have to upgrade to FileZilla Pro, which costs $19.99. You can also avoid this adware by downloading FileZilla directly from the main website. This will give you a more secure connection.

Cyberduck vs FileZilla: Which Is the Better FTP Client?

Before making changes to your server, you’ll want to find the best FTP client for the job. This can speed up your workflow, enabling you to perform many management tasks in a fraction of the time.

Cyberduck and FileZilla are well-designed FTP clients that you can use to open, edit, and download files. However, there are a few key differences to keep in mind.

Since FileZilla supports Linux, macOS, and Windows operating systems, it’s a more flexible option. Cyberduck is not Linux-compatible, and its interface is best suited for Mac users.

Many developers prefer FileZilla because its main window is separated into different boxes. As a result, you can view your local files and remote server in the same place and easily transfer files between them.

On the other hand, Cyberduck has a more minimalistic design. It will only display your site files, but you may find this simple layout easier to use. Plus, it won’t install adware on your computer.

To choose between the two, you’ll need to evaluate your priorities. FileZilla can be a better option if you’d like a fast FTP client with a visually intuitive interface. However, Cyberduck is known to be more secure, with a simple and straightforward dashboard.

Alternatively, there are other free FTP clients that can easily handle file editing and data transfers. If you need additional options, check out Free FTP by CoffeeCup and WinSCP.

Choose the Right FTP Client

If you want to access your WordPress files, you’ll need a reliable FTP client. Cyberduck and FileZilla are two popular programs that can be used on different operating systems.

FileZilla is a flexible FTP client with drag-and-drop capability and a side-by-side display. On the other hand, Cyberduck has a macOS-friendly modern interface and many external storage locations.

To receive more software reviews and how-to guides, you can subscribe to the DreamHost blog. We’ll send new content straight to your inbox!

The post Cyberduck vs. FileZilla: Which is the Better FTP Client? appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge.

“The tune of the release will be to refine the experiences introduced in 5.9 and 6.0, weave the various flows into more coherent and fulfilling experiences for users, maintainers, and extenders, and close some gaps in functionality as we start to look towards Phase 3 of the Gutenberg roadmap,” Ventura said at the time.

Development Focus Areas for WordPress 6.1

Ventura’s initial roadmap highlighted five key areas that were expected to be developed.

1. Template Editor

Thanks to modifications to the template editor, users had been able to browse, visualize, and edit the structure of their sites with little to no knowledge of underlying code. The planned revisions to the editor would also provide more clarity between global elements like templates, template parts, and styles, the goal of which will be unifying the template editor and post editor user experience.

2. Building With Patterns

The development team was also keen to fully unlock the potential of block patterns that it highlighted in “Building with Patterns,” which came along a bit late in the WordPress 6.0 development cycle. This element of the WordPress 6.1 update would allow patterns to be central to the creative experience for day-to-day users. Patterns would be able to be tailored for custom post types, and block types. Work on improving the block locking experience, and managing saved patterns was also expected.

3. Global Styles

The WordPress core development team’s ongoing global styles roadmap includes updates to the styles engine, main interface and user experience, styles variations panel, web font and typography customization, cross-block elements, per-block styles and supports, and block style variations.

4. Blocks and Design Tools

Progress would continue on the global styles interface while improving support for restrictions, privileges, and curated presets. The 6.1 release would hopefully allow users to manage webfonts, implement responsive typography, and expand the blocks toolset — all to improve consistency, reliability, and user satisfaction.

5. Themes and Wider Adoption

The team would address issues concerning the ability to adopt features like template parts gradually on existing legacy themes. It would also look towards whether it would be possible to get broader access to theme.json editing, as well as look towards theme switching flows and how to best make use of new style and template possibilities.

Development Coming Into Further Focus

The first Beta, a version of the WordPress 6.1 software under development, was released on September 21, and the last one was released on October 4. During the Beta phase, core contributors’ focus was on testing and fixing bugs. Some features from Beta weren’t guaranteed to be included in the final release, however.

Then WordPress 6.1 headed into the home stretch with three release candidates on October 11, 18, and 25. Release candidates are the final stages in the version release cycle, signaling the potential to be a final release to the public.

Building Upon WordPress 5.9 and 6.0

Because the WordPress core team is continually discussing and developing new features and bug fixes, and testing them in beta releases, it is able to put out new major versions of WordPress quite quickly. WordPress 5.9, which introduced the hotly-anticipated Full Site Editing, was released on January 25, 2022. And WordPress 6.0, dubbed “Arturo,” went live on May 24, 2022.

Version 6.0 was a massive release that was a huge leap forward in what it offered to users in terms of features, functionality, and fixes. It included:

• Accessibility. The WordPress open-source software itself has received upgrades so that it’s easier to use overall.
• Block editor
  • Bundle multiple style variations for block themes.
  • Create page content patterns that you can choose from to create your pages.
  • New ancestor property in block.json. This will allow you to restrict where blocks may be placed.
  • A new user interface will allow you to set a lock attribute for every block in the editor.
  • Registration of blocks from within themes
  • Unrecognized content in the content can now be preserved thanks to upgraded support.
  • The block theme export feature in the Site Editor has been given a very robust upgrade as well.
  • Block markup updates for image, quote, list, and group blocks
  • A new set of Post Comments blocks, No Results block, and more
• Bootstrap/load. Skip unneeded queries by applying a do_parse_request filter.
• Cache API improvements. wp_cache_*_multiple is now full CRUD.
• Media. New filters and user interface additions.
• More dynamic hooks for custom post types
  • Taxonomy improvements. Query caching, taxonomy query limits, navigation menu items, terminology changes, and more.
  • Themes. Streamlined patterns functionality for theme authors, support for multiple theme.json files, better export themes with Site Editor, and more.
  • Users. Sites with particularly high traffic will now be able to query and count users.
• Updates for developers

New Features in WordPress 6.1

Let’s dive into the features that are officially here in WordPress 6.1.

Release Candidate 1 was available on October 11. It marked the culmination of a lot of collaboration since Beta 3:  approximately 100 items had been addressed, and the number of updates and bug fixes since the release of WordPress 6.0 in May 2022 was more than 2,000. It was followed by Release Candidate 2 on October 18 and Release Candidate 3 on October 25, Release Candidate 4 on October 27, and Release Candidate 5 on October 28.

WordPress 6.1 is the third and final major WordPress release of the year. Here’s what’s new:

WordPress 6.1 New Features for End-Users

• A new default theme powered by 10 unique style variations (learn more)
• More design tools across more blocks (learn more)
• Expanded and refined template experience and template options
• More intuitive document settings experience
• Improved quote and list blocks with inner block support
• More robust placeholders for various blocks
• Refined modal interfaces and preferences improvements
• Automatic navigation block selection with fallbacks and easier menu management
• Apply locking settings to all inner blocks in one click
• Improvements to the block theme discovery experience
• Accessibility updates, with more than 60 resolved tickets
• Performance updates, with more than 25 resolved tickets

WordPress 6.1 New Features for Developers

• The ability to opt into appearance tools to make any theme more powerful
• New iteration on the style system
• Add starter patterns to any post type (learn more)
• Evolution of layout options including a new constrained option and the ability to disable layout options
• Content lock patterns for more curation options
• Expanded support for query loop blocks
• Allow for the use of block-based template parts in classic themes
• Filter theme.json data (learn more)
• Fluid typography allows for improved responsiveness support
• Ability to style elements inside blocks like buttons, headings, or captions in theme.json

Stay Tuned for More Updates

You can depend on DreamHost to keep you up-to-date on new information about WordPress as it becomes available. Subscribe now to receive updates via email.

The post WordPress 6.1 is Released! Here’s What’s New appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge.

Fortunately, website builders offer a stress-free way to get a professional website up and running in no time. These builders come with a drag-and-drop editor, which removes many complicated steps in the website creation process.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at website builders and discuss their pros and cons. Then, we’ll look at ten of the best website builders to help you select the right one for your specific needs. Let’s get started!

What Are Website Builders?

A website builder is an online platform or program that enables you to build a website without any coding knowledge. It typically features drag-and-drop software that you can use to customize elements on a page. Plus, many website builders also include a variety of excellent pre-built page templates and sections you can start customizing right away.

How Does a Website Builder Work?

1. Manage all website settings, content, and design from a single dashboard.
2. Easily import page templates or build your own global templates using a simple drag-and-drop editor.
3. Control simple configuration of all page and SEO settings right from the editor.
4. Before publishing, preview your content on all devices, from desktop to mobile.

Website builders can exist in both online and offline formats, the main difference being an internet connection. An online website builder won’t require any software downloads; it’ll simply work through your internet browser. This enables you to work on your website anytime and anywhere, as long as you have a stable internet connection.

Many online website builders now come with accompanying hosting services, so you don’t have to worry about that extra technical hoop. This is an easy-to-use option for newbies.

On the other hand, offline builders function as downloadable software programs, where your computer hosts your files until you’re ready to upload them to your web host. With this option, you can work on your site offline, but this will require a little more technical know-how. However, you’ll need to buy a separate plan from a web host.

How Websites Were Built Before Website Builders

Recently, website builders have become increasingly popular. During the COVID-19 crisis, many people needed to quickly get their businesses online. With website builders, even beginners could create a well-designed site even without coding experience.

By 2026, the global website builder market is expected to grow to $2.7 billion. Ultimately, this no-code movement has revolutionized the process of site creation. However, you may be wondering, how difficult was it to build sites without website builders?

Coding a Website From Scratch

Ever since WordPress was created in 2003, anyone can use its simple visual interface to build a website. Utilizing easy-to-install themes and plugins, you don’t have to be a coding expert to get online. However, it hasn’t always been this simple.

Before website builders or Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress existed, websites had to be built manually. As a result, potential website owners had one of two options: hire a developer or learn how to code.

To build a website from scratch, you must be familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The HTML and CSS work together to create a visible web page, while JavaScript adds interactive elements. As a beginner, this skill set can be challenging to develop.

Using a Framework

As you might imagine, coding a website from scratch can be time-consuming. To help speed up this process, designers and developers typically use frameworks.

Otherwise called CSS frameworks, front-end frameworks contain folders and files with pre-written code. They can provide a solid foundation to kickstart the development process. Plus, using a framework means you won’t need to rewrite the same code if you start another project.

One popular option is Bootstrap. This front-end CSS framework helps developers build responsive and mobile-friendly websites:

Foundation is another framework with a customizable and responsive grid, a library of Sass mixins, JavaScript plugins, and accessibility support. These features make it easier to rapidly deploy code development:

TailwindCSS is a new CSS framework that allows for rapid development using utility-classes that make it easily adaptable to your brand’s design system. While not having a predefined grid system it’s utility-classes make it easy to create your own on the fly.

Although frameworks can offer a starting point for website development, they are not the easiest for beginners to use. You’ll still need a deep understanding of coding languages to use them effectively. By comparison, website builders require no coding at all.

Installing Pre-Made Themes

With a CMS like WordPress, you don’t necessarily need coding experience to build a website. Since this platform is open-source, other developers have designed pre-made themes for you to use.

A website theme includes a group of files with all the graphics, style sheets, and coding for your site. With the right theme, you won’t need to hire a developer or perform complex coding yourself.

You can find free themes in the WordPress Theme Directory. Alternatively, Theme Forest is a marketplace with a wide range of premium website designs:

Using WordPress, you can easily upload new themes and instantly change your site design whenever you like:

On the other hand, using a theme comes with limitations. Even if developers claim that their pre-made theme is intuitive and customizable, it may not offer the specific features or functionality you want. Therefore, to fully customize your theme, you may need to edit its style sheets or template files.

Using a Visual Editor or Page Builder Plugin

Before website builders, you could use page builders to create your website. These plugins are similar to website builders, with drag-and-drop editors and complete sets of visual design tools.

The main difference is that page builders help you design individual pages of your site. Alternatively, you can use a website builder to create your entire site from scratch.

Although the adoption of website builders is growing, many people still use page builders to design their online content. According to the 2022 Web Almanac report, 34% of WordPress users built their sites with a page builder. Some of the most popular options are Elementor and WPBakery:

Image credit: Web Almanac by HTTP Archive 

As you can see, Elementor is dominating this market. You can use this free WordPress plugin to start customizing every part of your web pages. Elementor includes page templates, content widgets, and other useful features:

It’s important to note that Elementor has evolved to become both a website builder and a page builder. When you install it as a plugin in WordPress, it’s only capable of page editing. However, you can now fully build and host your site in Elementor (without WordPress) if you’d like. Therefore, it may become increasingly more attractive to beginners.

Website Builders: The Future of Web Design

For many years, it has been incredibly difficult for beginners to create their first websites. Without any coding knowledge, it can be virtually impossible to build a site from scratch or use a framework. Although pre-made themes and page builder plugins can make this process easier, they come with limitations.

This is why website builders have become so popular. They offer a code-free way to build and customize a website, all in one platform. With an option like Wix, you can even use AI to create a website for you:

As website builders continue to evolve, we expect an increase in the number of advanced site-building “wizards.” By automating the development process, site owners can dedicate themselves to a purely administrative and overseeing role.

Since this technology is so effective, web agencies may start lowering the cost of their design services. By taking advantage of website builders, professional design can become more accessible.

Additionally, agencies will need to remain competitive when it’s so easy for regular users to create their own sites. This is reflected in the decline of the US web design industry, which has decreased by 3.1% between 2017 and 2022.

Furthermore, although the popularity of website builders is growing, CMSs shouldn’t be overlooked. WordPress currently powers 35% of all websites, steadily increasing from 33.6% in 2021.

Considering other platforms, CMS have now created 45% of all mobile web pages:

Image credit: Web Almanac by HTTP Archive

In WordPress, the new Full Site Editing (FSE) features are starting to emulate website builders since users can create and customize all parts of their site using WordPress blocks. Furthermore, they can directly edit their theme template files without touching any code:

In theory, WordPress users no longer need page or website builders since everything can be controlled from the familiar WordPress interface. As more website builders develop their own technology outside of the WordPress framework, however, there may be more fragmentation.

Ultimately, using a website builder can simplify every part of owning a website. With a unified platform for domain registration, hosting, email, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), complete beginners will have everything they need to run and manage a successful website.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Website Builders?

Website builders are excellent tools for small businesses looking to establish a strong online presence quickly and simply. Let’s list some of its main pros and cons to help you decide whether a site builder is right for you.

Pros

Website builders can simplify the site creation process, avoiding extensive development time. In a matter of minutes, you can create your unique website with pre-formatted layouts outfitted with your brand’s content, images, and videos:

Simple Site Creation

For beginners, it can be confusing to enter the world of website creation. Often, this process involves finding a good web hosting provider, registering a domain name, and choosing a Content Management System. With a website builder, this process becomes much easier.

On a website-building platform, you can get a new site up and running in minutes. Once you sign up, the platform will usually ask you questions about the type of website you want to build:

Based on your answers, website builders can suggest which theme and page templates to use. Then, you’ll have simple ways to update your site’s global styles, widgets, and even third-party apps:

Ultimately, a website builder can provide everything you need to build a new site without difficulty. Without leaving the platform, you can create, edit, and publish your online content without having to edit any code.

Flexible Design

A good website builder can also help your pages stand out from the crowd. With a full library of choices, optimized layouts, attractive and user-friendly design elements, and customization options, you can make your site one of a kind.

Website builders do all the heavy lifting by offering pre-packaged designs. They also allow you the freedom of template creation and customization, so you can give your site its own personal touch.

No Coding Required

You might think you have to be an experienced developer or designer to design a website. Fortunately, website builders enable you to build well-designed pages without writing a single line of code. Plus, you don’t necessarily need to ace color theory, possess photo-editing skills, or be versed in typography to create an appealing website.

Since they don’t require tricky or constant upkeep, website builders are very low-maintenance compared to other tools. Your site will still need to be updated with fresh content regularly, but website builders make that process easy.

Low Cost

Finally, getting a functioning (and gorgeous) site up and running doesn’t have to be expensive. With free trial periods and many affordable options, website builders can allow you to focus on other business expenses.

Cons

Although website builders have many benefits, you may want to find another way to design your site. Drag-and-drop builders can be effective options for beginners, but they may be limiting for more experienced developers.

Limits to Customization

If you have some technical know-how, you’ll likely want more freedom when customizing your site. You may be eager to outfit your site with more features not supported by a website builder.

Plus, with a site builder, you don’t always have control over the code governing your pages. When you’re looking for a top-of-the-line option, hiring a web designer or building a DIY website from the ground up may be worthwhile.

Potential Plan Limitations

Another thing to keep in mind is that budget-friendly web builders may restrict your site in some areas based on which plan you’re on. A specific platform might limit the number of pages a site can have, offer fewer e-commerce options, or restrict how much storage you can use.

If you have plans to expand in the future, you’ll want to research providers carefully to make sure you find the best match for your long-term website goals.

Vendor Lock-In

One drawback to consider is vendor lock-in. It takes a considerable amount of time writing, organizing and laying out content. The optimal website builder will offer some way to export your content/data into another, should you so choose.

What to Look For In a Website Builder (10 Tips)

Not all site builders are created equal. So what sets apart an average builder from a great one? When you’re looking for the best option, consider this list of must-have features!

1. Ease of Use

Website builders are known for being beginner-friendly, but some are easier to use than others. When selecting a site builder as a novice, it’s best to find one that doesn’t require advanced coding skills to operate.

For example, many users prefer a simple drag-and-drop interface. With a website builder, you can select content modules and drop them anywhere on the page.

There are also click-to-edit website builders, which take the shape of visual What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) editors. They enable you to edit the layout and content directly on the page:

This intuitive, real-time interface also lets you immediately see what the final result will look like once published. Any changes you make will instantly be visible in the editor, so you can explore how each edit affects the site.

We recommend looking for a simple, user-friendly interface that helps you build a website easily — regardless of your web design experience. This way, you can skip the learning curve and start building a beautiful website immediately.

2. High-Quality Templates

Your audiences can likely spot a cheap-looking site from a mile away. This makes it important to pick a website builder that has high-quality templates.

With clean and attractive layouts, you can make a strong first impression. Many platforms will display templates directly on the website, so you can easily view and avoid any poorly-designed options.

3. Easy to Update

One of the most important tasks in maintaining a website is performing frequent updates. If you run your website on outdated software, you will be more vulnerable to bugs and security threats.

With WordPress, you’ll have to manually update your core software, themes, and plugins. However, website builders often come with built-in updates and around-the-clock monitoring that can protect your site at all times.

Your website also needs top-notch content that is regularly published, updated, and shared to increase traffic. When looking for a website builder, you’ll want to make sure it provides easy ways to manage and update your posts and pages.

4. Plugins, Integrations and Marketplaces

It often takes a handful of SaaS apps to keep an online business humming. You’ll find that the deeper your website is integrated with your business operations the easier it is to scale.

A marketplace allows independent developers and large companies to easily deploy and sell plugins.

Look for a website builder that offers integrations with the services you use and you’ll save time and headaches in the long run.

5. Social Integration

Ideally, your audience should be able to connect with you in more ways than one. If your website has social sharing features, this can help grow both your organic traffic and social media engagement.

Your site builder should allow you to display social media icons to help new visitors engage with you. It’s important to ensure that the builder you choose can integrate with your social platforms.

6. Active Community

Engaged communities offer a trove of knowledge, often quicker than a product’s support team may provide. Look for discord communities or discussion boards around your website builder. Find YouTubers who are creating content and tutorials around your website builder platform. The more active community the more help will be available to you.

7. Domain and Email Options

Along with your web host, you’ll want to own your own piece of internet property — meaning a domain and branded email address. These elements can help you project a more professional image for your business.

If you don’t have these elements, you risk losing credibility and authority. For example, if you register a free domain name with Wix, your URL will look like this: ‘accountname.wixsite.com/siteaddress’. Meanwhile, a Top Level Domain (TLD) like .com will look cleaner, which can lead to more click-throughs.

Fortunately, there are site builders that provide options for domains and email registration. Our website builder at DreamHost includes a free domain even with the cheapest subscription. With a higher plan, you can also access email hosting.

8. Powerful Form Builder

Your visitors will likely need easy (and clear) ways to contact you — whether they want to submit a complaint, send questions, or make suggestions. Therefore, you’ll want to ensure that your website builder has the tools to create responsive, secure, user-friendly forms.

9. Deep Customization Options

After you select a pre-designed template or create your own, you will want to style it. A great website builder should provide the freedom to add personal touches and customization options such as fonts, text styles, or color schemes.

10. Affordability

As a beginner, you might feel overwhelmed by the costs of creating a new website. Often, this requires purchasing a web host and domain name. You may even consider hiring a professional developer to handle your website design and functionality.

Many website builders offer a cost-effective solution. Platforms such as Wix and Weebly offer completely free ways to get your website up and running.

However, free website builders don’t usually support custom domains. This leaves you with a branded URL rather than a web space you completely own. Plus, free plans may place ads on your website.

Here at DreamHost, we created the most cost-effective solution. Our website builder is bundled with a WordPress hosting plan, which includes a free domain:

This is also cheaper than other website builders, starting at only $2.59 per month. If you’re a beginner who’s looking to grow your site, this may be the right option for you.

10 Popular Website Builders for Code-Free Web Design

In the past, website design involved learning coding languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. However, website builders have made it easier than ever to build sites without coding experience. The only challenge is finding the right tool for your needs.

Let’s look at some of the best website builders on the market.

1. Elementor

One of the most popular website builders available is Elementor, with over five million active installations. Using its responsive drag-and-drop editor, you can build any type of website, from online shops to blogs:

Key Features:

• Live drag-and-drop editor
• 100+ widgets
• 100+ full website kits
• 300+ templates
• Theme Builder

If you’re new to web design, you may prefer Elementor because of its Website Kits Library. Rather than starting with a one-page template, you can create a fully designed website in a single click. This can significantly accelerate the design process.

Pricing: You can download Elementor as a free WordPress plugin. Elementor subscriptions start at $49 per year and include the Website Kits Library. Plus, you can get this website builder bundled with Elementor Cloud hosting for $99 annually.

2. Divi

Divi is a user-friendly website builder with a front-end visual editor. It includes over 2,000 pre-made layouts designed for specific niches like events, services, technology, business, and more:

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop page building
• 40+ modules
• 200+ website packs
• Global elements & styles
• Custom CSS

As a new website owner, you can benefit from Divi’s visual editor and pre-made website packs. Divi can also be an effective option for agencies. Its affordable plans can support team collaboration across unlimited websites.

Pricing: Divi plans start at $89 for yearly access. These include hundreds of pre-made website packs, unlimited website usage, and premium customer support.

3. DreamHost Website Builder

If you want to create a simple site that’s easy to maintain, DreamHost’s website builder is the ideal choice. It doesn’t require any coding knowledge or additional plugins. The tool even features a site creation wizard to make things that much easier for you:

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Quick-start inspirations wizard
• 200+ starter sites
• 100+ design blocks
• On-page SEO suggestions

Our website builder is also included with DreamHost’s shared hosting plan. This can enable beginners to easily bundle website development costs. With this option, you can purchase hosting, a domain name, an SSL certificate, and a website builder all in one place.

Pricing: At DreamHost, we offer combined WordPress + Website Builder plans that start at just $2.59 per month.

4. WordPress Site Editor

With the creation of block themes, you can now use the default WordPress tools to build your website. If you have WordPress 5.9, you can fully customize your site with Gutenberg blocks. This is known as Full Site Editing:

Key Features:

• Template editing
• Global Styles
• Theme blocks
• Block patterns
• Template parts

If you enjoy editing blog posts with the WordPress Block Editor, you can extend this functionality to your whole website. Rather than dragging and dropping elements onto a page, the Site Editor enables you to insert and edit content blocks. You can also create templates for your archive pages, blog posts, and more.

Pricing: After you create a WordPress website, you can simply install a block theme to start using the Site Editor. You can find many free options in the Theme Directory.

5. Shopify

When selling products online, you may want to consider finding a small business website builder. Shopify is a popular option for entrepreneurs as it provides an easy drag-and-drop store builder, payment gateways, and sales-tracking software:

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop store builder
• 70+ free store themes
• 100+ external payment gateways
• Mobile-responsive
• Business analytics dashboard

With Shopify, you can successfully create and grow your online business. Using built-in automated marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) features, you can start attracting new customers and building a loyal clientele. Additionally, Shopify supports many design themes and third-party app integrations to customize your store easily.

Pricing: To start using Shopify, you’ll need to purchase a plan. The Basic plan starts at $29 per month and gives you access to basic reports, two staff accounts, and up to four inventory locations.

6. Squarespace

Originally founded in 2003, Squarespace was created as a platform for creative individuals to take their ideas online. This website builder is known for having clean designs and a wide range of features:

Key Features:

• Customizable website templates
• Blogging tools
• SEO-optimized
• Traffic analytics
• Integrates with apps such as Instagram, Twitter, and Google Maps

You can use Squarespace to build your online portfolio, blog, or online store. Its flexible templates serve as an effective starting point. Then, you can use the website builder to customize each page with custom fonts, images, and more.

Pricing: Squarespace subscriptions start at $16 for a personal plan. This comes with a custom domain, unlimited bandwidth, templates, and basic website metrics. You can also start a 14-day free trial to try out this website builder before you buy it.

7. Wix

Wix has over 200 million users, making it one of the most popular website builders available. With this platform, you can create your first website, customize its design, and add advanced features, all without touching a line of code. Using its ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence), you can even allow Wix to design a website for you:

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• 500+ website templates
• Wix ADI
• SEO tools
• Tracking analytics

If you’re looking for a free website builder, Wix can be a great choice. However, keep in mind that a free plan does not come with a custom domain. Plus, your website will have Wix ads and limited storage and bandwidth.

Pricing: You can build a Wix website for free. If you want advanced features, you can purchase a premium plan starting at $16 per month. For online businesses, you can also consider Wix ecommerce plans which are slightly more expensive, at $27 per month.

8. Weebly

When you need a fast, easy way to create an online presence, consider using Weebly. This affordable website builder provides many simple templates for online stores, portfolios, or personal blogs. Plus, these designs are ready to launch even before you make any edits:

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Free website templates
• Advanced Theme Editor with HTML and CSS control
• SEO-optimized with HTML formatting, responsive design, and meta descriptions
• Form Builder

Weebly can be another effective option for beginners. It provides free plans with built-in hosting, SSL security, and SEO tools. As a business owner, you can even access inventory management, gift cards, shopping carts, and coupons at no additional cost.

Pricing: Weebly provides a free plan, but this won’t connect to a custom domain. However, Weebly subscriptions are affordable, starting at only $6 per month.

9. Webflow

Unlike the other website builders on this list, Webflow is used by designers and agencies. This tool enables you to host, design, and launch a website on one platform, which makes it a powerful Content Management System (CMS):

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop visual editor
• 1,000+ website templates
• Supports collaboration
• SEO settings for adding schema markup, indexing rules, and more
• Integrates with a variety of tools for analytics, marketing, and task automation

In Webflow, you can create teams for your design projects. Using the Webflow Designer, you can work alongside other collaborators to edit the same page. This can be a helpful feature for managing your team’s progress in one place.

Pricing: You can start using Webflow for free. If you need a custom domain, you’ll need to purchase a Site plan, which starts at $12 per month.

10. Jimdo

Jimdo is a platform that was specifically designed for self-employed creators. This makes sense when you consider how easy Jimdo is to use. All you need to do to get started is answer some basic questions in the AI set-up wizard:

Key Features:

• AI set-up wizard
• Click-to-edit website builder
• Automatic SEO
• Free logo creator
• Supports social selling

If you need to create a well-designed website quickly, you can use the Jimdo website builder. Its AI web design called ‘Dophin’ can use information about your goals and instantly generate a website that works for you. This is a quick way to get a personalized site that is instantly ready to use.

Pricing: You can create a Jimdo website for free, but you’ll have a .jimdosite.com subdomain. To access a custom domain and remove ads, you can purchase a plan starting at $9 per month.

The Future of Web Design

In the past, it was necessary to hire professional developers and designers to create a functioning, user-friendly site. However, website builders have changed the future of web design, enabling anyone to have an online presence without much/any coding experience.

This new age of code-free web design makes website-building incredibly accessible. You can now create stunning pages with pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop editors. Ultimately, website builders are bridging the gap between beginners and developers!

Looking to the future, we will see the advent of cross platform blocks and components, new content management systems intuitively separating content from layout, themes that act as a layer over designs instead of “being the design.”

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