Learn How to Create a Blog With WordPress in 7 Easy Steps

OK, great, you have now decided to set up a WordPress Blog. Now you need to know how to create a blog.

I will assume for the purposes of this article that you have chosen to download your WordPress platform from WordPress.org, that you have a hosting account so as you can self host your blog, that you are going to host your blog on its own domain .i.e. mydomainblog.com and that you know the 'basics' of using an FTP client like FileZilla.

Step #1

Go to WordPress.org and download the latest version of WordPress. This will be a Zip file. Extract the contents. You will end up with a sub folder i.e.'WordPress v2.7'

Step #2

Open up your FTP client and go to public_html or httpdocs. Open up these public folders - this is where you want to place the WordPress files/folders.

Step #3

Open up the unzipped folder and you will see over 25 (at present 27) files and folders. Upload the in the public directory. This will take at least 5 minutes so take a tea or coffee break.

Step #4

OK, glad you've had a nice break - lets get on to preparing the 'mechanics' of the database.

You will need to set up a MySQL database and then change a file -Ok here goes.

Step #5

Go into your control panel for your domain.

Select the MySql icon. You will see 3 main areas. Here you will set up a database name, User Name, Link the database to user (as well as set privileges) and you should have the last box say 'localhost' - leave that alone as 99% of setups don't require you to change this.

Now create your database name this will look like xxxx_database name. After you press the create tab you then press go back which takes you back to the database creation page.

Now create the database user name it will look like xxxx_database user name and set a password. Press create and the Go back tabs

Now you need to 'marry' the database name and user. Match the database name and user and by clicking add user to the database - for the moment make sure that the 'all privileges box is checked.

Where it says 'access hosts' if this has localhost beneath just leave the box blank.

Press the 'go back' tab now and you will have created your database.

Step #6

Open up a text editor or Dreamweaver or NVU (free HTML editor)

Access the wp-congig-sample.php file and upload it into your editor. In particular you will see the following information.

define('DB_NAME', 'WordPress'); // The name of the database
define('DB_USER', 'username'); // Your MySQL username
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'password'); // ...and password
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // 99% chance you won't need to change this value

You need to change the default information in the wp-config to include your database information.

Make sure you do not remove the single quotes.

define('DB_NAME', 'WordPress'); // The name of the database
You will need to change the "WordPress" to the actual name of your database that created when you set up the database i.e. define('DB_NAME', 'nicheblog');

define('DB_USER', 'username'); // Your MySQL username
again change the 'username' to the username you created when you set up the database.

define('DB_PASSWORD', 'password'); // ...and password
This is the 'password' you created when you set up the database.

define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // chance you won't need to change.

Leave everything else alone and save this file as wp-config.php

You now go to your FTP client and upload the amended wp-config.php file

Step #7

You then go to and type in your domain on your browser.

When you first go to install you should be presented with an 'auto install feature' which will ask you for the title of the blog and your email address.

Once you have followed the instructions, your blog will be created automatically for you. Make sure to save the user name and password provided.

That's it for the basic WordPress installation!!!

You are ready to log in! You will see the default WordPress theme in the front end of your website. You can change the look and feel of the website by changing the default theme to custom WordPress theme.

This should work 99% of the time providing you have followed the steps. Should the self install not complete successfully it is often because the blog creator has either not properly set up the databse and/or not changed the wp-config-sample.php files properly.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1898303