WordPress, the popular content management system (CMS), has been around for over 20 years and continues to be highly extensible. Its plugin architecture allows developers to customize the CMS to their needs, powering various functionalities such as shopping carts, forms, and photo galleries. One of the default plugins that come with WordPress installations is Hello Dolly, which has an interesting backstory.
Hello Dolly was created as a teaching tool to educate developers on how plugins work and encourage them to build and experiment. It takes its name from the famous song by Louis Armstrong, who is also known as “Satchmo.” Each time a user logs into the WordPress dashboard, Hello Dolly displays a random line from the song’s lyrics.
Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and a jazz enthusiast, developed Hello Dolly. In an interview, he explained that the inspiration behind creating the plugin was to riff on the common programming phrase “Hello World” and showcase the power of actions and hooks in extending applications. Despite receiving some 1-star reviews, Hello Dolly continues to be included in every new WordPress install because it adds a touch of humor and quirkiness.
Looking ahead, Mullenweg envisions the possibility of Hello Dolly evolving into a block that connects users to live jazz events happening near them. The plugin has been around for 16 years and has over 700k active installs, which Mullenweg believes demonstrates how even a simple and silly plugin can bring joy and randomness into people’s lives.
While Hello Dolly may seem insignificant on the surface, it represents the importance of plugins in the WordPress ecosystem. Many developers have used Hello Dolly as their first foray into plugin development, and its code continues to serve as a resource for those interested in building plugins. Overall, Hello Dolly has played a small but meaningful role in the growth of WordPress.
In conclusion, Hello Dolly is more than just a plugin; it symbolizes the hope and enthusiasm of an entire generation. Its presence in WordPress installations serves as a reminder of the CMS’s extensibility and the countless possibilities that plugins offer.
