This is the slide I used for WordPress Meetup Bangkok Aug 2014

1. Child Themes
WordPress Meetup Bangkok, 2014/08/17
Shinichi Nishikawa

2. What is a Child
Theme?

3. Codex
A child theme is a theme that inherits the
functionality of another theme, called the
parent theme.
!
Child themes allow you to modify, or add to the
functionality of that parent theme.
!
A child theme is the best, safest, and easiest
way to modify an existing theme.

4. Codex
A child theme is a theme that inherits the
functionality of another theme, called the
parent theme.
!
Child themes allow you to modify, or add to the
functionality of that parent theme.
!
A child theme is the best, safest, and easiest
way to modify an existing theme.

5. Codex
A child theme is a theme that inherits the
functionality of another theme, called the
parent theme.
!
Child themes allow you to modify, or add to the
functionality of that parent theme.
!
A child theme is the best, safest, and easiest
way to modify an existing theme.

6. Codex
Child Theme:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes

7. Parent Theme?
Any WordPress themes can be a Parent
Theme.
Exception: You can’t make a Child Theme
of another Child Themes.

8. How to make a child theme
1. Create a folder in wp-content/themes
2. Put style.css with
“Template: ParentThemeDirName”
in Comment.
3. Add what you want.

9. Demo 1
Parent Theme: Twenty Fourteen
Child Theme: Shin 2014

10. Concept of Child Theme
Don’t reinvent the wheel.
Change only what you need.
Protect changes from theme updates.

11. Override
You can override 3 things
1. css
2. template files
3. functions in functions.php

12. 1. Override css
a presentation by Brandon Dove.
http://www.slideshare.net/
brandondove/parentchild-themes-vs-
theme-frameworks/5

13. Demo 2
Parent Theme: Twenty Thirteen
Child Theme: nu2013
https://wordpress.org/themes/nu2013
Example: nskw-style.com

14. 2. Override template files
If Child Theme has a template file,
WordPress uses that.
If not, WordPress uses a template file in
Parent Theme.

15. 3. Override functions.php
2 ways.
1. add functions.
→ example in nu2013
2. override functions.
→ devdmbootstrap3

16. Demo 3
Parent Theme: devdmbootstrap3
Child Theme: devdmbootstrap3-child
https://wordpress.org/themes/
devdmbootstrap3

17. Child Themes vs
Theme Frameworks.

18. Theme Framework
Examples
Underscores: underscores.me
Roots: roots.io/starter-theme

19. Which to choose?

20. Child themes?
When you find a good parent theme.
And it’s almost what you want.
And you need to change a little bit.
( When the budget is very small )

21. Theme Framework?
When you create from scratch.
When you have your own design.
When you change a lot from the original
theme.