Wordpress vs HTML and Css

What are the pro’s and con’s of learning HTML and Css as opposed to using a WordPress theme, which certainly seems much easier?

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Wordpress themes are, like any website, built with HTML and CSS. And some JavaScript and PHP.

Finding and using a WP theme might be the easiest and shortest path for you to make a website. If you ever would want to change the theme in some way though, you’d need to know HTML/CSS and probably also PHP and JavaScript.

As HTML/CSS/JavaScript is what any website is made up of in the end, no matter the CMS/platform, the knowledge is useful in any kind of web development/design environment.

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I think of it, that using WordPress is simply for when you want to build a or multiple Websites, but no more. Learning HTML and CSS is for actually wanting to work in web development.

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In addition to what’s already been said, the way WP is structured, and the fact that you can automate many things w plugins (pro), it’s also much harder to keep track of what is connecting into what, how is each part of your website built and so on (con).

In my current job I have to build hmtl/css/js on top of the customized WP website, it’s 10x more trouble than it is to build an HMTL file from the ground up. And, imo, as for the ‘automated’ part of WP, depending on your project you could use frameworks and libraries to speed things along.

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Thanks for this David - super helpful. I’m happy someone raised this question as well. I’ve had past experience using Wordpress as CRM - I am currently taking a course on Udemy for learning PHP coding/I’ve used PHP briefly in the past.

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You can do quite decent apps with WP but if you want to inject your own spices to the recipe or expand the power of it, you’ve got to include some material of your own.
Better jet, many WP plug-ins will require of you knowing how things are moving and interacting inside of your app and for that you will need to know a minimun of PHP.
Better jet, if you install your WP App in a serious server, the probabilities are high you are going to need to know the inner functioning of your site.

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