Chapter 1. Hello World

We’re glad you’ve picked this book up, and want to learn about one of the most increasingly popular pieces of web software on the Internet today: WordPress. WordPress is incredibly simple to install and use, but it’s a lot like an iceberg; the stuff the vast majority of people will ever see or use represents just the tip of what’s possible. True WordPress rock stars understand that it’s actually an elegantly crafted content management system that goes much further below the surface. Our aim is to show you the fundamentals so that you can harness it to build almost anything you want online.

As you’ll soon see, the power to do whatever you like already exists within WordPress’s core installation. All you need to do is shape your application to look the way you want it to with a few simple tools. Let’s dig in, starting with a short history lesson.