WordPress Plugins - Flashy Functionality

In your WordPress theme folder, you will always find functions.php, the most useful theme file. The name says it all, this file adds functions to your WordPress website and goes a long way to making the cool stuff happen. Often unknown to many WordPress developers is the fact that this files functions can be moved to a WordPress plugin.

Themes and Functions

Today, theme developers cram all kinds of functions into the theme itself in an effort to woo customers. Whether it is a slider, social media icons and functions, Google analytics and or a spiffy wiz-bang contact form; what happens should one choose to swap out one theme for another. You lose all your hard work setting up those mods. Do yourself a favor. Instead of adding the code to your theme, or relying on the code that is in the theme, instead drop it in a plugin. Flashy Functionality plugin is just one solution. There are plenty available plugins on wordpress.org that will enable you to accomplish many things. Unfortunately, there are those that bring unneeded or unwanted bloat that your site can do without. With my Flashy Functionality plugin, you’ll only have to add it once and your functions will be preserved when you change the design of your website.

Don’t Lose Your Edits

WordPress themes often have updates to keep them playing nicely with core wordpress files and server scripting. With the Flashy Functionality plugin, you can add your new functions into the plugin instead of touching your themes functions file. If you are a power user, chances are you will have a bevy of functions that you use over and over again. Edit the Flashy Functionality plugin to add your favorite and essential functions then upload and activate.

Preloaded Goodness

There are many functions that, in my opinion, every WordPress website needs. Here are the functions I’ve pre-loaded into my plugin:

Helpful Info Dashboard Widget

The whole idea of a WordPress website is the client will be able to manage his or her own content. With my Helpful Info Dashboard Widget, I provide the new client with general information on managing a WordPress website, as well as links to great tutorial resources, stock image resources, and my email and phone number when it comes to support. I’ve even built in the ability for us developers to upload “how to” videos and provide them right on the dashboard.

Handy Shortcodes

Clear All | The WordPress page/post editor is a great tool to be sure, but don’t we all find those time when the content just won’t behave. I have found myself putting in hard returns, and line breaks in an effort to get content not to jumble together haphazardly; all to no avail. With this plugin, content editors can use the shortcode [ br ] (remove spaces for actual use) thereby forcing the next line of content to clear all other elements.

Private | Display secret message to editors by using my Private shortcode. Usage:
[ private ]Your secret message here. [ /private ] You can provide helpful hints and tips to content admins and editors that only they can see.

Security | There are many functions that can be utilized to protect your WordPress installation from hackers. Consider the functions “explain_less_login_issues”, “disable_file_edit” and or “no_generator”. Other ideas (though not included) are enabling the WordPress hidden admin feature, modify the login logo and image urls and hide WordPess update notifications from all but the admin users. There are plenty more you can use. Check the links at the bottom of this article to get you going.

Core Updates | Select how you want WordPress to perform updates. More Info»

Misc. | Add additional menu and or widget areas and more. You’ll have to download the plugin and look inside to see them all.