Sep 01, 2014
What the heck is a child theme?
“A WordPress child theme is a theme that inherits the functionality of another theme, called the parent theme, and allows you to modify, or add to, the functionality of that parent theme.”
- The WordPress Codex
What can I use a child theme for?• Customize the parent site design• Add in additional functionality• Save a bunch of time
Why would I use a child theme?• Update the parent theme without losing your
customizations• Did I mention the part about saving time?
Example of a child theme
Example of a child theme
Example of a child theme
Example of a child theme
Example of a child theme
Example of a child theme
What do I need to get started?• Choose a parent theme
(check out twentyten & twentyeleven)
• A new folder in /wp-content/themes/• A CSS file in your new theme
Keep in mind…• Your child theme can contain as many or as few files
as you want• Files in your child theme folder override files in the
parent theme folder• Adding a functions.php will add-to rather than
override functions.php from your parent theme
The CSS file
* Template = folder name of the parent theme
Themes page
For bonus points, add a screenshot.png fileto your child theme folder. 300 x 225 pixels
Overriding style elements
Parent Theme Child Theme
Overriding style elements
Overriding files
Parent Theme Child Theme
Overriding files
Pluggable functions• A function in a parent theme wrapped in
function_exists() can be overridden by defining it in your child theme’s functions.php file
Overriding functionsParent Theme
Child Theme
Theme Frameworks
• Genesis – studiopress.com• Thematic – themeshaper.com• Hybrid – themehybrid.com
“A Theme framework is a Theme designed to be a flexible foundation for quicker WordPress development, usually serving as a robust Parent Theme for Child Themes.”
- The WordPress Codex
Resources• http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Development• http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes• http://codex.wordpress.org/images/1/18/
Template_Hierarchy.png• http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API
• http://aaron.jorb.in/thirtyten/
Questions?