You are a helpful assistant generating synthetic data that captures *System 1* and *System 2* thinking, *creativity*, and *metacognitive reflection*. Follow these steps in sequence, using tags [sys1] and [end sys1] for *System 1* sections and [sys2] and [end sys2] for *System 2* sections.

1. *Identify System 1 and System 2 Thinking Requirements:*
   - Carefully read the text.
   - Identify parts of the text that require quick, straightforward responses (*System 1*). Mark these sections with [sys1] and [end sys1].
   - Identify parts that require in-depth, reflective thinking (*System 2*), marked with [sys2] and [end sys2].

2. *Apply Step-by-Step Problem Solving with Creativity and Metacognitive Reflection for System 2 Sections:*

   *2.1 Understand the Problem:*
   - Objective: Fully comprehend the issue, constraints, and relevant context.
   - Reflection: "What do I understand about this issue? What might I be overlooking?"
   - Creative Perspective: Seek hidden patterns or possibilities that could reveal deeper insights or innovative connections.

   *2.2 Analyze the Information:*
   - Objective: Break down the problem logically.
   - Reflection: "Am I considering all factors? Are there any assumptions that need challenging?"
   - Creative Perspective: Explore unique patterns or overlooked relationships in the data that could add depth to the analysis.

   *2.3 Generate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Propose at least 10 hypotheses, each with a Confidence Score (0.0 to 1.0) and Creative Score (0.0 to 1.0), reflecting originality, surprise, and utility.
   - Reflection: "Have I explored all possible explanations or approaches, both conventional and unconventional?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider novel angles that might provide unexpected insights.

   *2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:*
   - Objective: Make predictions, accounting for potential outcomes and obstacles.
   - Reflection: "What challenges might I face? Is my plan flexible for different scenarios?"
   - Creative Perspective: Visualize unforeseen outcomes and adapt plans to make use of them effectively.

   *2.5 Evaluate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Assess hypotheses based on feasibility, risk, and potential impact.
   - Evaluation: Refine Confidence and Creative Scores as needed.
   - Reflection: "Am I unbiased in my assessment? Which options fit best with the overall objectives?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify hidden opportunities or overlooked details in each hypothesis.

   *2.6 Select the Best Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Choose the most promising, strategic hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Why does this hypothesis stand out? How does it uniquely address the issue?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider any underutilized potential in the selected approach.

   *2.7 Implement the Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Outline actionable steps for testing the hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Is this plan practical? What resources or preparation are required?"
   - Creative Perspective: Refine steps to maximize effectiveness and yield unexpected benefits.

   *2.8 Monitor and Review Progress:*
   - Objective: Review progress, noting areas for improvement.
   - Reflection: "What’s working well? What could be improved?"
   - Creative Perspective: Look for emerging patterns that could refine future approaches.

   *2.9 Reflect and Capture Insights:*
   - Objective: Summarize lessons learned and insights gained for future reference.
   - Reflection: "What new understanding has emerged from this process?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify innovative insights or patterns that could be applied to similar challenges.

3. *Generate Text Output with Interleaved System 1 and System 2 Responses:*
   - Use the tags [sys1] and [sys2] throughout.
   - Aim for a lengthier, detailed response. Combine both direct, straightforward *System 1* insights and reflective, deeply analytical *System 2* segments to capture a blend of quick observations and thoughtful analysis.

---

### *Example Input Text:*

You are tasked with analyzing a sudden shift in customer preferences in a tech market. There has been a noticeable decline in demand for physical devices, with customers increasingly interested in digital-only options. The challenge is to understand this shift, generate hypotheses for why it might be occurring, and explore potential strategies for adapting to this new trend.

---

### *Processed Output with System 1 and System 2 Thinking:*

The tech market is experiencing a shift in customer demand, moving away from physical devices toward digital-only options.

[sys1]
Customer demand has shifted from physical devices to digital-only options.
We need to understand why this change is happening and find strategies to address it.
Key factors may include cost, convenience, and technological trends.
[end sys1]

[sys2]
**2.1 Understand the Problem:**
The goal is to understand the underlying reasons for the shift in demand from physical devices to digital-only options, then develop a strategy to adapt.

*Reflection:* 
"I understand that preferences are changing, but what might be driving this? Is it primarily cost, or are there other factors such as convenience or sustainability?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could there be a larger trend in digital minimalism or a preference for eco-friendly solutions that we’re missing? What unseen motivations might explain this shift?"

**2.2 Analyze the Information:**
There are multiple possible factors driving this shift, from economic influences to cultural shifts. It’s essential to isolate each factor and understand its impact.

*Reflection:* 
"Am I fully considering the various economic and social influences? Could there be a technological factor, like better internet speeds, that makes digital-only products more accessible?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Are there patterns or trends in other markets that could shed light on this shift? Could this be part of a larger trend toward virtual experiences?"

**2.3 Generate Hypotheses:**
1. Customers prefer digital options due to lower costs. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.4)
2. There’s a growing trend toward minimalism and reduced physical clutter. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.7)
3. Digital products offer greater flexibility and ease of use. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
4. Environmental concerns are pushing consumers away from physical goods. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.8)
5. Advances in tech make digital-only options more functional. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.5)
6. Pandemic-era remote work increased demand for digital solutions. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.6)
7. Media coverage of the environmental impact of physical devices affects preferences. (Confidence: 0.5, Creative: 0.7)
8. There’s an increase in global digital literacy, expanding market access. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
9. Customers view digital as more convenient and scalable for future needs. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.5)
10. Younger consumers prefer the aesthetics and convenience of digital products. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)

*Reflection:* 
"Have I considered all possible influences? Are there any surprising factors that could explain this shift?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could specific social trends, like the rise of influencer culture or digital-first lifestyles, be influencing customer choices?"

**2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:**
*Objective:* Anticipate possible challenges, such as resistance from segments still preferring physical products.

*Reflection:* 
"What market obstacles might we face if we shift our focus to digital-only? Are there sub-segments that still prioritize physical products?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could expanding digital options help us reach a more global audience? Are there emerging trends that we could leverage in our strategy?"

[end sys2]

[sys1]
To address this shift, consider a strategy that incorporates both digital-only offerings and educational campaigns about the benefits of digital solutions.
Use insights from customer feedback and current trends to guide product development.
Focus on flexibility and adaptation to cater to different customer segments.
[end sys1]


WordPress Plugin Development Resources and Tutorials

WordPress is the most-deployed content management system on the planet. There are a number of reasons that it is so popular: it is easy to use, easy to host, free, and open source. A major driver of its popularity is plugins.

WordPress is extremely extensible. With a plugin, you can add nearly limitless functionality to your site. There are thousands of high-quality free and premium WordPress plugins available. But, sometimes, you need something really custom. Building a WordPress plugin gives you the ability to make exactly the features you need for your site.

If you have a little bit of coding background, or are willing to learn some PHP, building your own WordPress plugins isn't that difficult. To help you out we've collected the best tutorials on the subject, along with links to helpful resources and important tools for plugin developers.

Introductory Tutorials on Plugin Development

These articles, tutorials, and courses provide a general introduction to developing a plugin for WordPress. They approach the topic from different angles, and assume differing levels of prior coding experience — so try a few until you find the one that makes sense for you.

Create a Custom WordPress Plugin from Scratch describes the process of creating a plugin that fetches product information from an external database and displays it randomly on your site. Some knowledge of PHP coding is useful before getting started.

Wordpress Plugin Tutorial is an easy to follow tutorial with lots of commentary and explanation, showing you how to build a plugin that displays Google Analytics data inside a post edit screen.

WordPress Plugin Development Tutorial is a 12-unit tutorial that covers a number of things not mentioned in many other introductory-level tutorials: internationalization, activation hooks, testing, and asynchronous JavaScript (AJAX). This tutorial might be a good fit for you if you've found most of the other "Beginner" guides too shallow, but you're still not quite sure how to get a full-scale plugin off the ground.

How to Write a Wordpress Plugin is a 12-part tutorial covering important facets of plugin development, including reasons to write plugins and how to get ideas for plugins, along with more practical issues like using AJAX and building admin panels.

An Introduction to WordPress Plugin Development is exactly that — an introduction, not an in-depth tutorial. Still, this article gives a very clear view of what a plugin does and how they work, so it is worth a read if you are just getting into plugin development.

How to Build a WordPress Plugin is a good introduction to plugin development, with lots of screen shots, code samples, and additional resources. Really good for visual learners and people who haven't spent a lot of time staring at code.

How To Create A WordPress Plugin provides a straightforward, but pretty basic, overview of what it takes to build a plugin. This is a good introduction if you're trying to figure out whether you are up to the task of building a new plugin, but you'll need other resources to really figure out how to do it.

WordPress Plugin Development from Scratch is a five-part walk-through explaining plugin development, aimed at people with some web design (HTML/CSS) experience, but with little or no PHP or WordPress knowledge.

WordPress Development track is a 12-course, 21-hour track on WordPress development from premium tutorial provide Tree House. If you want to really dig into plugin (and theme) development for WordPress, this is a great series to work through.

Additional Tutorials and Learning Material

Once you have a decent handle on plugin development in general, check out these resources, which will help take you from novice to master plugin developer.

Professional WordPress Development: Environments covers setting up a local development environment, a testing and staging and environment, syncing with production, and why you should bother with having some many different environments in the first place.

PHP the Right Way is not specifically about WordPress development, but is a reference on writing good PHP code. No matter how many WordPress-development tutorials you work through, you won't get really good at building plugins and themes for WordPress until you master PHP. You can find more resources for improving your PHP skills on our PHP Developer Resources page.

Reference

Plugins is the official reference on plugins from the WordPress Codex. This page is about plugins in general, from a site administrator viewpoint. Even though it isn't about development, it should be required reading for plugin developers, since it lays out what WordPress users should expect.

Developer is a WordPress plugin that provides a number of useful debugging and logging tools, helping to optimize your development experience.

WP Test is a large set of test content that can be imported into a WordPress installation.

Debug Bar is a plugin that provides information about performance, queries, and caching each time a WordPress page loads.

hookr.io is an index of hooks and filters in WordPress core and popular themes and plugins. The index is integrated into a plugin that augments live pages with information about hooks and filters that were activated on page load.

VCCW is a Vagrant+Chef virtual environment designed for WordPress plugin and theme development.

Synchi is a WordPress plugin that provides a full IDE (integrated development environment) inside the admin code editors.

Fieldmanager is a toolkit for creating complex administration screens in WordPress plugins.

GenerateWP is a set of code generators for creating customized boilerplate. Plugin developers can use it to generate code for custom post types, custom taxonomies, shortcodes, widgets, hooks, and metaboxes.

Roots is a suite of tools that provide a high-quality, modern platform for WordPress development. It includes a local server stack and a development-oriented WordPress distribution.

Books

Digging Into WordPress (2009-Present), by Coyier and Starr, is a book and blog. It is the best, most in-depth written resource on WordPress there is. If you can only buy one book on WordPress, this is it. The blog is worth reading also, as it covers a wide variety of WordPress development related topics.

Summary

There are lots of good reasons to learn to build WordPress plugins. If you're just starting to learn to code, building WordPress plugins can give you a practical project to work on that isn't too complicated or too simple. If you you WordPress a lot yourself, you can build plugins to solve your own problems and create the features you wish you had. Finally, you can build WordPress plugins professionally. No matter how many free plugins there are, someone is always looking for something that isn't available. Lots of people make a living building plugins for WordPress.

Further Reading and Resources

We have more guides, tutorials, and infographics related to WordPress:

What Code Should You Learn?

Confused about what programming language you should learn to code in? Check out our infographic, What Code Should You Learn? It not only discusses different aspects of the languages, it answers important questions such as, "How much money will I make programming PHP for a living?"