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This is about a self-contained WordPress installation you can install in just a few minutes. Instant
WordPress, as their Web site tells you, is a complete standalone, portable WordPress
development environment that turns any Windows machine into a WordPress development server.
You can install multiple copies, which means you can use it to experiment, or a teacher
could do multiple projects with different classes. It can run off a USB, so you could
take it anywhere. The site contains full instructions on how to use it to deploy a fully operational
WordPress blog, so I'm just going to show you how to get it running. If you use Mac
or a Linux flavor like Ubuntu you'll have to wait for a future episode, and I'll show
you how to create a setup just like this built on XAMPP.
It's perhaps not *the* most straightforward download page, but there are multiple ways
in and either way you reach the Current Version. Older versions are available too, though usually
you'll never want one unless there's a hardware compatibility issue or something like that.
The remainder of the installation is much like any other... most Web browsers keep you
safe by forcing you to SAVE the software to you computer, and then run it under the scrutiny
of the operating system and your anti-virus software, but first you click... you wait...
Eventually you'll be asked where you want to put it, and in most cases I say just leave
it wherethey suggest, but in a case like this I apply the KISS principle... and that's plain
old C:\.
What you get if you change nothing else is a folder named "InstantWP underscore and the
version of InstantWP that's current when you downloaded it---in my case 4.1. We still need
to go inside that folder and double click InstantWP dot e-x-e but you sjould note, not
all systems are set to see the "dot e x e"). We see the program launch and the control
panel opens, with panels to take you to the front page, the Admin section which is your
WordPress Dashboard, Plugins and Themes, MySQL Admin, which is your database, and Documentation.
You'll need the passwords given here and you'll want to come back and look around, but first
look near the top of the page for the button labelled, "Copy WordPRess URL to Clipboard"
and press it... it will tell you it copied, then go to your browser... paste it in and
presto... we've got our own WordPress server, with full administrative rights.
In my view the first thing you should do is to update WordPress, and the plugins and themes
that come with Instant WordPress. Log into your Dashboard with username 'admin' and password
'password' which is right there on the launch panel. You'll see right away if there any
updates. Updating WordPress is very straightforward, just start at the top of the page and follow
their clear instructions... then click a button and you're done. Update Plugins and Themes
the same way.
If you already have a blog chances are you can import it, or parts of it here. First
you'll need an export file from the other blog. If it's a WordPress blog you find Export
in the same place as the Import tool. I've transferred between WordPress blogs with no
problems whatsoever, and the tool offers options for many popular blog platforms. You simply
Browse to where you saved the file and press Upload File and Import. Depending on the file
you start with you'll get a chance to make some choices. In most cases you would want
to import the images and other media from the old blog, and probably leave the user
name the same. When you're done press It's done in a few seconds. You will have to update
themes and widgets before it's exactly the same as your old blog.
Instant WordPress was designed for developers to create WordPress Themes and Plugins, but
creative teachers and students may come up with many other ideas for projects and learning.
I hope you've enjoyed this introduction.