<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Quality-WordPress-Plugins.png" alt="Quality WordPress Plugins" width="266" height="190" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9231" />Is your WordPress site suffering from poor quality plugins and themes? People have been talking about the quality of the code in ThemeForest’s themes and now WordPress users are questioning the quality of the plugins and themes they are purchasing and downloading. A successful plugin and theme would be well-coded, secure and reliable. 

WordPress developers really need to work hard to create code that is up to these standards so that users aren’t suffering trying to use poor-quality themes or plugins they rely on to run their business. Here is a look at what makes quality code and how to improve the code of your themes and plugins. 

<h2>What makes it good quality?</h2>

Code is considered of good quality when it runs well and is experienced by users browsing a website well. This means those codes need to be valid and standards-compliant to begin, meaning that it works with modern browsers on mobile devices and screen readers. 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/WordPress-Quality-Themes.jpg" alt="WordPress Quality Themes" width="259" height="194" class="alignright size-full wp-image-9232" />It should conform to WordPress coding standards, which include things like use of longhand PHP tags and naming conventions, and be maintainable to be easily built on. Quality code would not risk the security of websites that use it and it should enhance the performance of a site. A site using the code should not be vulnerable to attack and the code should actually improve the quality of the site. 

In addition, efficient code shouldn’t have unnecessary bloat like repetition of code or not using filters to override an existing function, it should be logical so that it can be worked with on a later date rather than having it too hard to work with for others that will be working with it and it should be inclusive without discriminating against visitors with the aid of assistive technologies or sensory impairments. 

It needs to have the correct use of WordPress APIs, hooks, functions and classes which means the code should be written to comply with WordPress coding standards. Finally, it needs to by international in that any language can interact with the theme or plugin. 

<h2>How can I actually improve the quality of my code? </h2>

If you find that you need to take steps to improve the quality of your code as a developer, you’ll want to make sure you follow a few steps. For starters, be sure to make your code valid and standards-compliant. Conform it to WordPress coding standards and make sure its accessible. 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Quailty-WordPress-Plugins-and-Themes.jpg" alt="Quailty WordPress Plugins and Themes" width="259" height="194" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9230" />From there, make sure you are use the functions, classes and hooks of WordPress correctly to avoid any that might not be designed for theme plugins or those that are deprecated. The problem could be that you are using a logical structure for your files or limiting the template files in your themes. 

Look at whether or not you’re sticking to the DRY principles which uses functions, classes and files to avoid any duplication of code. Make sure you’re internationalized your code, provided documents for others to understand and work with your code, ensure the security and avoid bloat to ensure efficiency. 

These are the areas to look at when it comes to quality code. If you’re not meeting these standards as a developer, then your WordPress users may end up with issues on their sites. 

 
