WordPress is much more than a blogging platform. As this practical guide clearly demonstrates, you can use WordPress to build web apps of any type-not mere content sites, but full-blown apps for specific tasks. If you have PHP experience with a smattering of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you'll learn how to use WordPress plugins and themes to develop fast, scalable, and secure web apps, native mobile apps, web services, and even a network of multiple WordPress sites.The authors use examples from their recently released SchoolPress app to explain concepts and techniques throughout the book. All code examples are available on GitHub.Compare WordPress with traditional app development frameworksUse themes for views, and plugins for backend functionalityGet suggestions for choosing WordPress plugins-or build your ownManage user accounts and roles, and access user dataBuild asynchronous behaviors in your app with jQueryDevelop native apps for iOS and Android, using wrappersIncorporate PHP libraries, external APIs, and web service pluginsCollect payments through ecommerce and membership pluginsUse techniques to speed up and scale your WordPress app