176 PART III • Using Plugins with WordPress
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF
THE PLUGIN ECOSYSTEM
There are more than 28,000 plugins (as of writing) in the plugins directory on WordPress.org
(http://wordpress.org/plugins, shown in Figure 7-1) which means that there’s a lot
of free functionality to be used out there. That’s just the official plugins directory, though;
there are numerous places where you can find additional plugins, some free and others
available for a price.Figure 7-1: The official plugins directory.As noted, plugins can be a great time-saver. If you need a particular feature that WordPress
doesn’t offer, and you don’t want to develop it yourself, then the obvious thing to do is to look
for a suitable plugin. Surely enough, you’ll most likely find a few that seem to fit your needs.
This is where it gets a bit tricky, though, because not all plugins are created equal. Some are
utterly worthless, whereas others are brilliant. Picking the right one isn’t always easy.A CHECKLIST FOR CHOOSING A PLUGIN
The following checklist will help you make an informed decision when picking (or not picking)
a plugin for your project. The list is by no means law; you should definitely use it just to whatever
extent you need. If your conclusion differs from the list, follow your gut (and test extensively).◾ Reconsider using a plugin in the first place. Don’t add bloat to your project; just add
crucial features. If you’re uncertain if the feature you’re looking to get from a plugin is
necessary in the first place, it probably isn’t.
◾ Pick plugins from the official plugin directory over the ones available elsewhere. At least you
know that these plugins have fulfilled the requirements of getting listed on WordPress.org.