How do you code for wordpress?

So, I did my first wordpress coding this weekend, and it was quite easy. However, I wonder how other people do it. What I did is take a design I already had coded, and the I copied all the functions from the default theme.

How do you do it? And which files are a must to create?
Also, are there any tools that can help with this? I know for instance that for Joomla there are quite a few extensions, for several programs, that make the job really easy to paste all the functions etc.

Which of these tools do you use?
I'm wondering because I want to speed up the process as much as possible

Thanks!

Code the design in xHTML,
Duplicate the default WP theme,
Copy-paste over the new CSS & images to the theme directory,
Painstakingly copy-paste my code into the template files.

I would read this: http://www.wpdesigner.com/2007/02/19...ss-themes-huh/

Then, do as Gary says. Once you get used to the functions calling for different things (such as get_Header() and the_content()) it will become more natural.

Thanks to both, very helpful answers!

If you need any help feel free to add me to msn / send me a PM

Thanks man, I'll do that

Thank wordpress themes guide is a bit outdated,
there's a newer one here.

http://www.wpdesigner.com/2007/08/08...rdpress-theme/
http://www.wpdesigner.com/2007/08/10...rdpress-theme/
http://www.wpdesigner.com/2007/08/13...rdpress-theme/

Yeh, but I still think the other ones are better

Originally Posted by GarethP Yeh, but I still think the other ones are better

As much as I agree,
Most of the code he uses has been deprecated, has it not?

Maybe not most, but some.

The tutorial that GarethP posted is perfect, I'd simply follow that, it's detailed but it'll give you all the tools and tricks you need to make a good WP theme