Introducing BuddyPress
BuddyPress is a plugin that you install as you would any other plugin, but it gives you much more functionality than some plugins. In this chapter, we'll work through all of the BuddyPress' features, configuring each of them in turn so that your site works as you need it to.
One of the great features of BuddyPress is that you can turn its features (or components) on and off according to your need; this means that you don't have to worry about anything that isn't relevant for your site. But in this chapter, we're going to look at all of it!
Uses of BuddyPress
BuddyPress has plenty of potential uses, but here are just a few:
- A network for a business or organization, letting colleagues communicate with each other
- A tool for coordinating a project or collaboration
- A community network for people interested in a specific topic
- A network to support a meetup group, letting its members keep in touch between meetings
- A network to promote a product or service and encourage customers and users to swap tips and talk about their experiences with the product
This is just the tip of the iceberg; BuddyPress is used for a wide range of applications by thousands of sites. In this chapter, we're going to build a networking site with all of the BuddyPress' components.
BuddyPress components
As I've already mentioned, BuddyPress isn't ''all or nothing''; you can just activate those features which you need on your site. This reduces the code in your site and makes life simpler for you as the community manager.
BuddyPress features are referred to as components, which are as follows:
- Extended Profiles: This lets your users describe themselves in more detail than with a standard WordPress profile, and see each other's' profiles on your site's frontend
- Account Settings: This lets users modify their account settings from their profile page
- Friend Connections: This let users connect with each other
- Private Messaging: This let users send each other private messages
- Activity Streams: This displays streams of activity with threaded comments, favorites, and more
- Notifications: This notifies members of activity according to their preferences
- User Groups: This lets users create public or private groups with their own activity streams and member listings
- Site Tracking: This records new posts and comments from your site
As you work through this chapter, you'll learn more about each of these features, what they offer, and how to configure them.