The document introduces WordPress child themes, which allow customizing a parent theme's styles and templates without losing those customizations on theme updates. It describes how to create a child theme by including the parent theme's CSS and optionally copying over templates. Styles can then be modified in the child theme's style sheet to override the parent. Potential issues like not updating copied templates from the parent on upgrades are also covered.

1. Introduction to
WordPress Child
Theming
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe

2. Hi, my name is Topher
I’m a WordPress developer from
Grand Rapids MI
@topher1kenobe
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe

3. What is a child theme?
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
● At its very minimum, a child theme has a
style.css file that names a parent theme.
● A child theme inherits all of the attributes of
its parent; styles, functions, virus code, etc.

4. Why use a child theme?
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
● So that when you update the parent you
don't lose your custom styles and
templates.
● So that when you're starting your new
theme you can start with an existing
powerful system.

5. Making a child theme
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
Step 1: create the theme and style.css
Using Make as the parent theme, copy the entire CSS comment block
from the parent style.css
/**
* Theme Name: Child of Make
* Theme URI: https://thethemefoundry.com/wordpress-themes/make/
* Author: The Theme Foundry & Topher
* Author URI: https://thethemefoundry.com
* Description: A Starter child theme of Make
* Version: 1.0
* License: GNU General Public License v2 or later
* License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
* Text Domain: make
* Domain Path: /languages/
* Tags: black, <snip>
* Make WordPress Theme, Copyright 2014 The Theme Foundry
* Make is distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL
*/

6. Making a child theme
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
Step 2: add one item to the comment block
* Template: make
In this example, “make” is the slug of the parent theme.

7. Making a child theme
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
Step 3: include the parent CSS
Child theme functions.php:
<?php
function get_parent_theme_css() {
wp_enqueue_style( 'make-theme', get_template_directory_uri() . '/style.css' );
}
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'get_parent_theme_css' );

8. Making a child theme
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
Step 4: Optional Screenshot
The screenshot that appears on the Themes page
comes from screenshot.png in the theme’s folder.

9. Changing Styles
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
● Any styles placed in the child’s style.css file
will override the parent styles.
● !important styles in parent themes are
annoying and bad.

10. Template files
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
● All theme files come from the parent theme,
UNLESS they are copied to the child theme.
● Once they’re copied to the child theme they
override the version in the parent theme.
● You may copy as many templates as you
wish.

11. Gotchas
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
● The more templates you copy to child, the
fewer are getting updated.
● You can’t make grandchildren
● If the parent has a problem, ALL the children
have the same problem

12. THANKS FOR
LISTENING
Introduction to WordPress Child Theming
Topher DeRosia
@topher1kenobe
http://topher1kenobe.com
Follow me @topher1kenobe