Module 1: Modern Setup (Bedrock)

Why Bedrock?

Standard WordPress installations mix core files with your custom code. Bedrock separates them, manages plugins via Composer, and uses `.env` files for configuration.

Key Concepts

• Composer: Manage plugins and themes as dependencies.
• Environment Variables: Keep secrets out of the codebase.
• Folder Structure: `web/app` instead of `wp-content`.

1. The Bedrock Structure

Unlike standard WP, Bedrock looks like a modern PHP app:

├── config/          # WP configuration
├── web/
│   ├── app/         # wp-content (themes, plugins)
│   └── wp/          # WP Core (Git ignored)
├── .env             # Secrets
└── composer.json    # Dependencies

2. Installing Bedrock

Start a new project:

composer create-project roots/bedrock my-project

3. Environment Variables

Configure your `.env` file for local development:

DB_NAME='my_db'
DB_USER='db_user'
DB_PASSWORD='db_password'
WP_HOME='http://my-project.test'
WP_SITEURL="${WP_HOME}/wp"

4. Managing Plugins with Composer

Install plugins from WordPress Packagist:

composer require wpackagist-plugin/wordpress-seo
composer require wpackagist-plugin/timber-library

5. Database: PostgreSQL via PG4WP

We are moving away from MySQL. Install the PG4WP driver:

1. Download `pg4wp` and place it in `web/app/db.php`.
2. Update `.env` to point to your PostgreSQL instance.

6. Redis Object Cache

Configure Redis for high-performance object caching:

composer require wpackagist-plugin/redis-cache

Add to `config/application.php`:

Config::define('WP_REDIS_HOST', env('REDIS_HOST'));

7. NocoDB Integration Setup

We will use NocoDB as an external data source. Install the HTTP client:

composer require guzzlehttp/guzzle

8. Custom Directory Structure

Understand where your code goes:

• Themes: `web/app/themes/`
• Plugins: `web/app/plugins/` (Git ignored if managed by Composer)
• Mu-Plugins: `web/app/mu-plugins/` (Autoloaded)

9. Security Hardening

Bedrock secures your site by default:

• Web Root: Only `web/` is exposed to the public.
• Passwords: Salt keys are defined in `.env`.
• Disallow File Edit: `DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT` is true by default.

10. Deployment Workflow

With Bedrock, you deploy the entire application artifact, not just theme files. This ensures consistency across environments.