---
title: "Literate Programming and WordPress"
description: "WordPress is all about user customization. It provides the groundwork for managing your content, and the rest of the creativity is up to you. Not only is WordPress expressive with regard to style but..."
url: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/wordpress/literate-programming-wordpress/
date: 2020-09-23
modified: 2020-09-23
author: "Christopher Maiorana"
categories: ["WordPress Tutorials"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Literate Programming and WordPress

WordPress is all about user customization. It provides the groundwork
for managing your content, and the rest of the creativity is up to
you. Not only is WordPress expressive with regard to style but also
in how you choose to develop and manage your customization. In this
article, you’ll learn about how to apply literate programming concepts
to WordPress.

The steps taken in this article are compatible
with optimized [
WordPress Hosting](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/wordpress-hosting) accounts.

- [What is Literate Programming?](#literate-programming)
- [Literate Programming and WordPress](#literate-programming-and-wordpress)
- [How To Install The Freerun Base Theme](#install-base-theme)

## What is Literate Programming?

Literate programming is an alternative way to write computer programs.

Traditional programs consist of a file, or series of files, that
contain the source code of the program interspersed with optional
comments about what the discrete bits of code are doing.

Literate programming flips the traditional scheme. A literate program
is a written document interspersed with bits of code.

However, since literate programming is not the standard mode of
programming, there are few applications out there that support it.
One of the most common and widely available applications to provide
support for literate programming is the emacs text editor.

In order to follow along with this tutorial you will only need to
[install emacs](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/website/how-to-install-gnu-emacs/)
and set up a [
desktop server for WordPress](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/wordpress/getting-started-with-a-wordpress-development-environment/).

## Literate Programming and WordPress

WordPress provides an ideal use case for literate programming via its
theme and plugin architecture.

You can completely customize your WordPress site without ever touching
the massive source code. With custom themes and plugins, you can
write small, discrete programs that “hook” and “filter” the behaviors
and functions provided by the core.

Literate programming provides a uniquely cohesive way for you to
manage the code for your themes and plugins by placing all of your
code in a single file.

## How To Install The Freerun Base Theme

Follow these steps to install and “tangle” the sample theme. (The
file itself contains instructions as well.)

1. [Download the theme from GitHub](https://github.com/cryptstopher/freerun-theme)
2. Create a new directory in the `/wp-content/themes/` directory for your theme files
3. Place the README.ORG file in the new theme directory
4. Open the README file in Emacs
5. Enter the key command `Ctrl-C Ctrl-V t`

Emacs will “tangle” the necessary files (create them in the directory)
so that your theme will be available in WordPress.

---

That is one example of how you can introduce literate programming
fundamentals into your WordPress development workflow. If you have
any comments or questions feel free to drop them below.