JavaScript Coding Standards

JavaScript has become a critical component in developing WordPress-based applications (themes and plugins) as well as WordPress core. Standards are needed for formatting and styling JavaScript code to maintain the same code consistency as the WordPress standards provide for core PHP, HTML, and CSS code.

The WordPress JavaScript Coding Standards are adapted from the jQuery JavaScript Style Guide. Our standard differs from the jQuery guidelines in the following ways:

Many of the examples below have been adapted directly from the jQuery style guide; these differences have all been integrated into the examples on this page. Any of the below standards and examples should be considered best practice for WordPress code, unless explicitly noted as anti-patterns.