Hi guys,

I just hired a freelance coder to create a Wordpress theme for me, and there is a burning question on my mind since day 1...its how do I know how good the code is?

This is my first time hiring a coder to customize a Wordpress theme. Before I pay him, is there a way to know just how qualified is his work? A template may be good looking but the 2 most important things actually are...

1) XHTML validation

2) SEO friendliness

For us PHP cavemen, can someone suggest some things to look out for or some quick tests we can do to size up the code quickly yet effectively? I'm sure these tips may help some people avoid being scammed by paying good money for bad or buggy coding...

Dont say, "you get what you pay for"...because its really easy for someone to charge you any how they like, and there is no way to know the quality of the code they write, until its too late. Even if they have good reputations...Plus all the really good ones have their hands full of orders and dont even have the time, even if they want your money, in order to do the job. They are fully booked, most of the time.

Unlike a content writing job, there is no way to know the quality of the code that was written, except after a while, by which time you would have already paid the coder...or is there?

Check the design using different screen resolutions and browsers. I've seen designs that look great in IE but in FF or Oprah looks like crap. I use 1024x768 on my laptop but use 800x600 on my desktop and some designs are great at one but look terrible at the other.

Originally Posted by Webplace

Dont say, "you get what you pay for"...because its really easy for someone to charge you any how they like, and there is no way to know the quality of the code they write, until its too late. Even if they have good reputations...Plus all the really good ones have their hands full of orders and dont even have the time, even if they want your money, in order to do the job. They are fully booked, most of the time.

Honestly, once you hire them its too late. You've already committed to paying them for their work as per whatever agreement you made. If you don't pay someone what you promised them, expect to hear from an angry jury.

This means you don't judge them by the code they've already written for you, because that's a way to cheat people out of their hard work. Especially if you try to judge them on requirements you haven't told them. So you need to give a thumbs up or down before you hire them. Like any other craftsman or artist, you would want to do this on their portfolio and reputation.

And, this is the risk you take, that allows you to make profit. You don't know how to do this yourself, so no matter how many software checkers you run their code through, at some level you have to trust. You should be able to trust someone you work with, and you should be able to trust your ability to spot a fraud. So this shouldn't be a problem. But unless you want to learn the ins and outs of xhtml, css, and everything else, you have to be content doing what you're good at, and subcontracting out what you're not.

And, this is the risk you take, that allows you to make profit. You don't know how to do this yourself, so no matter how many software checkers you run their code through, at some level you have to trust. You should be able to trust someone you work with, and you should be able to trust your ability to spot a fraud. So this shouldn't be a problem. But unless you want to learn the ins and outs of xhtml, css, and everything else, you have to be content doing what you're good at, and subcontracting out what you're not.

That's a fair enough argument, but I would think that I know a teeny weeny bit enough to know that many coders nowadays dont code from scratch. We can actually assemble a working theme, in this case a Wordpress theme by taking an existing theme as a starting point, and then melding other parts from elsewhere in. Many of these "parts" are actually free on the internet, it doesnt take long to find them.

Of course the skill in melding them together and getting them to work, perhaps ammending some parts...are what seperates the pros from the amateurs. And even if those of us are willing to learn, most of us are busy with work or other stuff to actually dive into it. What takes a pro 20 minutes might take others days...to find the answers or other pieces of the puzzle...

That being said, most novice internet webmasters...lets say a busy businessman who wants to write his blog and knows nil about codes...hires a coder. The coder will usually show him some nice looking themes and he will go..."wow" and immediately hire the coder. But the more knowledgable ones know that what makes a great piece of code is actually alot more than looks. There are many Wordpress themes that look great on the outside, but upon running some tests, they have issues....RSS dont work well, search turns up nothing...etc. These things are much harder to spot.

Lets say I'm not a coder, per se...and I can barely read code, (especially PHP). but I am aware of the many issues that can arise from sloppy coding. What recourse do I have, apart from spending months learning code myself versus spending a small fortune paying some coder who may not be paying full attention to the quality of his work, for some reason or the other?

Any quickie DIY tips to use to check the code quickly before we split with our hard earned money?

Well it's not supposed to be a good argument, just reflections on how this market works. And there's no shame in not being able to code your own site, for want of time, experience, or any other reason. The smart thing to do is hire it out - that's not a character flaw, it's a good assessment of strengths and weaknesses. But it still means some level of trust is required. This is why some people pay more for "peace of mind."

Originally Posted by Webplace

Lets say I'm not a coder, per se...and I can barely read code, (especially PHP). but I am aware of the many issues that can arise from sloppy coding. What recourse do I have, apart from spending months learning code myself versus spending a small fortune paying some coder who may not be paying full attention to the quality of his work, for some reason or the other?

Well, you mentioned a few of these issues that can arise, ones that are probably important to you. RSS feeds not working, stuff like that. So, I'd run down a check list of everything important to you, and really go in depth one each part.

Also, if you're wise you'll have a contract that deals with what you get, and how/when you pay. This is basically about intimidation by recourse, hoping the developer will get it right the first time for fear of being sued. Actually doing that is another matter, winning a lawsuit will get you your money back, minus legal fees, but it won't get your code written. Which points back to hiring a good coder the first time around.