Customer reviews

Rating distribution

4.6

(5 Ratings)

5 star 60%

4 star 40%

3 star 0%

2 star 0%

1 star 0%

Juanjo Fernandez Nov 25, 2012

We live at a time when it's essential to make our websites or web apps accessible from several different types of devices: desktop computers with big screens, smartphones with small touchscreens, tablets, netbooks, televisions, consoles, etc.As a result, starting in the web development world is becoming more difficult for newbies. This book tries to make that path easier by doing a thorough explanation of all steps to be followed to make our websites or web apps more accessible.Going further into details on the book's contents, it has to be stressed that is focused to newbies, but to make the most of it is highly recommended to have experience with CSS. PHP isn't essential, although it helps. Nor is it necessary experience with WordPress, but if you've used before you will feel more comfortable following explanations.This book is part of the series "Learn by doing" by Packt Publishing, which means that it's eminently practical. It's advisable to read it in front of your computer and write, modify and experiment with the code you will find that is abundant.It consists of 10 chapters that I will comment below:Chapter 1: Starting with the basics, this chapter tries to make a website accessible using free WordPress plugins. We use an example website called Carbonelli's, which is an ice cream store, and we'll see continuously throughout the book. Rachel McCollin makes an exhaustive review of the five most used WordPress plugins to make a responsive site, explaining their pros and cons and installing and configuring two of them.Chapter 2: Using plugins is a valid option in some cases, but it has many limitations. If you need something more flexible, the next step is to use a responsive WordPress theme, which is the focus of this chapter. Again we find an exhaustive comparison of different responsive themes. Rachel walks you through the installation process and shows the result for desktop computers and mobile devices.Also install a theme switcher plugin type. These kind of plugins change the WordPress theme when they detect that the user is accessing from a mobile device.Chapter 3: So far, we have seen the possibilities we have to develop our responsive website without touching code, but this will change in this chapter that focuses on Media Queries. We start making our layout to fluid, changing the pixel dimensions to percentages, then we'll define breakpoints for desktop computers, tablets in portrait mode, smartphones in landscape mode and smartphones in portrait mode. Finally we'll create Media Queries for each of these breakpoints.Chapter 4: This chapter continues where we left off in the previous one and we'll play much CSS code. Basically we will make the necessary adjustments in Media Queries that we created for the Carbonelli's website to looks properly at any resolution. The process followed by Rachel is: shows a site's image before the changes, explains the necessary adjustments and the reason, shows the code to achieve our goal (change the font size, adjust width, margins, etc.) and finally shows a picture with the result. An extensive and very detailed chapter.Chapter 5: Now that we have a website with a responsive design for any type of device, it's time to improve the user experience (UX). To achieve this, certain adjustments are necessary in the theme, such as changing the font size, using ems instead of pixels, changing font type and modifying the navigation. All this according to the device's resolution.Chapter 6: One of the big issues to ensure a responsive design is to deal properly with images and video. The reason is that, unlike the rest of elements that make up a website, in this case isn't enough to fit the width with the layout, the real challenge is to ensure that the mobile devices doesn't download the images full size version while we only need to show a much smaller one. We all know that data consumption has a price in such devices when we are not using WiFi, so it's a very important issue for our users.Well, this chapter exactly focuses this and solve the problem using a plugin that allows you to serve different content based on the device.Chapter 7: Following improvements in user experience, now that we are able to detect the type of device accessing our site, we can provide data tailored for different devices. I have found it very interesting to know the kind of information searched by the users depending on the type of device that they are using.Chapter 8: This chapter explains, among other things, what's a web app and what options we have when converting a website into a web application. Then we will see step by step what we need to do in order to begin transforming the visual appearance of Carbonelli's website in a web application.Chapter 9: Once we have the web app visuals, we must change out app's functionality. Rachel starts by reviewing the different types of plugins that we can use: E-commerce plugins, geolocation, social media, etc. to finally explain how we can add a feature that allows our users to create and sell custom ice creams using PayPal as a payment method.Chapter 10: The last step before launching our web app is to test it in a variety of browsers and devices. This chapter shows us the different options we have to achieve it: using browsers' plugins that modify the browser size or change the User Agent, and use various mobile devices' emulators.In summary and as I said at the beginning of this review, it's a practical book that forces us to adopt an active attitude when it comes to reading. Isn't enough to sit back into your favorite couch, you have to roll up your sleeves and start writing code and experimenting. In addition, each chapter includes a brief test that will help us to check if we master the skills. At the end of the book we can find the solutions and explanations to each question.This is a book that, as the title suggests, is focused to newbies. Surely not make you an expert on the subject, but it's a great start to keep you learning about responsive design, something that are more and more important every day.Finally I must emphasize that, although the book focuses on modifying a website using WordPress, you will find content very useful even if you don't use this CMS, especially from chapter 3, which is when we started to modify CSS code.

Amazon Verified review

Bill Keevers Jan 17, 2013

The author's website [...] has direct contact information. I wanted to emulate her sample WordPress site [...] so I could follow along more closely. After I e-mailed her, she sent me her Dropbox account so I could download all the files. Then when I experience an error, she e-mailed me that I needed to install the Mobble plugin [...]

Amazon Verified review

Chris Mills Oct 12, 2012

Give your WordPress sites a boost!So many of us web developers and designers depend on WordPress to fulfil the needs of our customers, and it is often hard to find information on niche WP topics, especially things like making WP sites responsive. I know there are responsive themes available for WP, but that is only a small part of creating mobile-friendly sites.So I opened Rachel's book with anticipation, having read some of her work before on various web sites, and I wasn't disappointed. She covers pretty much anything you could possibly need to get started in this area in a friendly approachable style, starting from the basics and moving up to more complicated topics. She starts off by giving sound advice on using mobile plugins and themes - great, because there is such a lot to choose from out there. The next major section of the book looks at using media queries to optimise different facets of your layout, from general containers, to nav menus, to text.Then we get to the real meat of the responsive umbrella - responsive images. Rachel presents some pretty nifty techniques for making video and images responsive on a WP site, including serving different file size images, rather than just changing the display size.The rest of the book concludes nicely, with tips for creative web app interfaces for WP sites, dynamically altering the content sent to (or displayed on) different devices using server- and client-side technologies, and how to handle testing and updates. If you're a WP developer working in this day and age, you'll probably find a lot of useful stuff crammed inside these pages.

Amazon Verified review

Milan Petrovic Dec 19, 2012

Book is split into 10 chapters. First chapter deals with use of plugins to deliver mobile version of a website. Step by step instructions are included for few popular plugins. Second chapter is about using responsive themes that use same theme for mobile and desktop viewing, adjusting layout to different screen size using CSS.Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6 are dedicated to building a responsive theme from setting up media queries for different devices, setting the layout to follow the responsive approach, working with theme elements and optimizing content for smaller screens (images before all). Chapter 8 deals with the detection of the device visiting the page and different method for this.Chapters 9 and 10 are dedicated to web apps, and methods for building them, and what plugins and tools you can use to enhance the app. Last chapter is about testing the mobile websites without using devices, all through desktop simulators for different platforms.Chapters on web apps are lacking and they are missing the much needed information about different mobile platforms and specific aspects needed for such apps on different devices. There is only a list of websites for different mobile systems and nothing more. testing chapter is also lacking information for more popular mobile environments, most likely due to the fact that only Opera has real testing tools for its mobile browsers.This is very good book. It was written for beginners, and it delivers relevant information for various methods on making mobile friendly website. Step by step tutorials in it are great, easy to follow and understand. There are some things that maybe are not exactly for beginners, but even code and CSS examples are followed by a lot of explanations.

Amazon Verified review

4eyes Dec 14, 2012

This book comprehensively covers the options available to make a Wordpress site work well on all mobile devices - phones and tablets. Whilst aimed at the beginner, more advanced developers will find many useful tips and resources throughout the book. WordPress Mobile Web Development: Beginner's Guide starts with some simple steps a developer can take to enhance how his site will look on different devices. The meat of the book discusses what is meant by responsive design and how to provide a good user experience on all devices using more hands-on techniques. Native apps are discussed and what the developer can do to make use of a browser's in-built functionality. There is also a discussion on useful techniques and strategies for testing and debugging your site.Each chapter provides numerous resources for downloading and references for further research. Techniques are detailed via a step by step approach and accompanied by a good use of screenshots. Many of the chapters include pop quizzes for you to test your understanding and retention.The first two chapters address the resources available to make a wordpress site mobile friendly. There are a number of themes and plugins available to download, enabling the developer to quickly ensure their site works well on all devices. The book explains the different impact these resources have on both development and end result. The author walks the reader through the steps to implement responsive themes or plugins including a description of the options and how to use them.The next five chapters focus on the theory of responsive design and more advanced techniques to customise the mobile experience. Issues of accessibility, response times and ease of interaction are addressed both from a theoretical and practical perspective. The author repeatedly refers back to these issues to help the developer determine which technique is the most suitable to use.Specific chapters focus on the different aspects of a website - page layout, text, navigation, images and videos - and how to make them responsive. In these chapters, you will learn how to use media queries, optimize images as well as file size and adjust your layout depending on device size and orientation. The author identifies different strategies to employ depending on the objective of the page and offers solutions for different problems. For example if space is an issue for displaying the navigation, she suggests using an accordion effect or using a fixed position button to link to the navigation further down the page. You can download a sample chapter at [...]The 2 chapters on native apps provide a good overview on their pros and cons versus mobile sites. Immediate and longer term solutions for a developer to consider are identified and as in previous chapters, third party solutions are offered for further investigation. The final chapter on testing is excellent, providing invaluable techniques and resources for testing. Clearly testing on all mobile devices is challenging and this chapter provides a number of options.I highly recommend this book to beginning developers with a small caveat - experience with Wordpress is essential and knowledge of CSS is useful. More advanced developers and developers who do not use Wordpress will also benefit from the many resources and references discussed. My only criticism of this book is that, unlike some books, it does not provide the full code for the example site which would enable the user to properly try out all the code and techniques.

Amazon Verified review

FAQs

What is the digital copy I get with my Print order?

When you buy any Print edition of our Books, you can redeem (for free) the eBook edition of the Print Book you’ve purchased. This gives you instant access to your book when you make an order via PDF, EPUB or our online Reader experience.

What is the delivery time and cost of print book?

Shipping Details

USA:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.

Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

Afghanistan
American Samoa
Belarus
Brunei Darussalam
Central African Republic
The Democratic Republic of Congo
Eritrea
Guinea-bissau
Iran
Lebanon
Libiya Arab Jamahriya
Somalia
Sudan
Russian Federation
Syrian Arab Republic
Ukraine
Venezuela

What is custom duty/charge?

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order?

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges?

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.

How can I cancel my order?

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy?

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged?

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use?

You can pay with the following card types:

Visa Debit
Visa Credit
MasterCard
PayPal

What is the delivery time and cost of print books?

Shipping Details

USA:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

Afghanistan
American Samoa
Belarus
Brunei Darussalam
Central African Republic
The Democratic Republic of Congo
Eritrea
Guinea-bissau
Iran
Lebanon
Libiya Arab Jamahriya
Somalia
Sudan
Russian Federation
Syrian Arab Republic
Ukraine
Venezuela

WordPress Mobile Web Development: Beginner's Guide: Make your WordPress website mobile-friendly and get to grips with the two hottest trends in web design—Mobile and WordPress with this book and ebook.

What do you get with Print?