WordPress has been the most well-liked content material administration system for a very long time now. Not solely does it energy over 30% of the web sites on the Web, but it surely additionally boasts an enormous neighborhood of contributors who hold the WordPress ecosystem alive and powerful.
WordPress is primarily a PHP based mostly server software program. There are literally thousands of customized enhancements and extensions to WordPress that are primarily within the type of PHP based mostly plugins. Thus, not surprisingly there have been many makes an attempt to combine non PHP frameworks with WordPress, particularly Javascript frameworks that are quickly taking on the Frontend area in Internet improvement.
One such framework which is absolutely climbing the charts is a React.js framework for WordPress referred to as Frontity. It’s developed by a startup based mostly out of Spain. Growth for Frontity has been occurring for a few years. Nonetheless, it lately made information when it raised € 1 million spherical led by the corporate behind WordPress, Automattic and enterprise capital agency KFund. To grasp the explanation behind this, it’s first vital to know what the Frontity framework is, and what advantages it brings.
What’s Frontity?
Earlier than we find out about Frontity, it’s important to know the essential structure of WordPress. As you may know, WordPress is a PHP based mostly server software program. It requires a server software program like Apache or Nginx to serve requests, and a database software program like MySQL for storage of knowledge (Posts, Pages, Customers, and so on.).
WordPress Structure
When you open, say the principle web page of the WordPress web site, it is going to name index.php file within the backend, which can return the HTML, CSS and JS for the house web page which can then be displayed within the browser. Thus, PHP acts as a Widespread Gateway Interface (CGI) for the web site and subsequently any sort of enhancements to the frontend must be PHP-based.
Frontity Structure
Since Frontity is a React-based framework, let’s discuss a bit about React JS first. React is a entrance finish Javascript framework developed and revealed by Fb. This can be very well-liked because of its handiness in creating fast, steady, responsive UIs. React works as a Node JS module and therefore a web site utilizing React should be based mostly on a Node JS server.
Now, if you wish to use a purely Javascript framework like React to boost the frontend, i.e., create customized themes, it’s cumbersome to take action. The reason is {that a} framework like React works together with Node, which begins a server of its personal. And as we talked about earlier than, WordPress works with a PHP CGI server on the backend. Thus, there isn’t any simple option to construct customized themes and UIs utilizing React for WordPress.
Nonetheless, there’s a option to retrieve knowledge from the WordPress database remotely. It may be completed utilizing the WordPress REST API, which is totally built-in within the core WordPress since WP model 4.7 and above. If we will fetch WordPress knowledge remotely, meaning we will now show the fetched knowledge as we wish. Customers have been utilizing the REST API for a very long time to develop customized apps, webpages to entry WordPress knowledge straight from the database. These kind of Content material Administration Techniques (CMS) are additionally known as headless CMS.
Frontity is predicated on this very idea. It connects to a WordPress database by way of REST API, takes care of parsing and organizing the retrieved knowledge. It leaves to you which of them theme you wish to use to show the web site. Since it’s based mostly on React, any React theme can be utilized for the web site. It’s also possible to develop your customized theme for those who so select. The PHP based mostly entrance finish of WordPress will nonetheless be utilized by creators/admins to create content material or change settings. However Frontity based mostly entrance finish shall be used as the principle web page of the web site.
Thus, in a Frontity setup there shall be two servers required: one is the WordPress server, which has REST API up and operating and returns WordPress knowledge, and second is Node JS server which runs Frontity to name the REST API and show knowledge utilizing React.
The Means Ahead?
With the corporate behind WordPress elevating 1 Million Euros and React bringing a wealthy consumer expertise to WordPress, it received’t be an exaggeration to say that Frontity is the way in which ahead for modern-day WordPress powered web sites. The WordPress UI will proceed for use as a dashboard for creating content material whereas the show half shall be shifted to the Frontity server.
You’ll be able to learn extra about Frontity right here. In case you have a WordPress web site and need to check out Frontity, you’ll be able to comply with the steps talked about right here to take action.