Intro to WordPress Child Themes

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?