Using Wordpress Child Themes

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I have a "Premium" (meaning I paid for it) theme, that I want to modify. I've been told that the safest way to use a modified theme is to create a child theme from the original, and put all my modifications in that folder.

I was also told that the entire theme did not have to be copied into the child theme folder, merely the parts that received modifications.

Does that mean that if I have one PHP file that I modify, I merely need to put the modifed PHP file in the child theme, and nothing else? Do I have to build the full theme path to the file in the child theme folder?

Answers to these and other questions, such as the meaning of life, will calm my id for at least three hours. Please help me with your advice.

Thanks in advance,
Kirk
#programming #child #themes #wordpress
  • Hi Kirk,

    I think a lot depends on which theme and/or framework you are using.

    Here is a good resource on child themes - Child Themes « WordPress Codex
  • Thanks Dominic ...

    I saw that but didn't understand it as it relates to my situation.

    What I want to do is edit a PHP file that displays help content. The theme developer has the help links going to his site, and advertises his products. I don't want to send my customers away to buy from someone else.

    I want to edit the child theme PHP file so it send them to my help site and not his.
    • [1] reply
    • Depends if the links are hard coded into the php file in which case yes you would have to edit the actual php file. Have you opened up any of the files to locate the links?
  • Yes, they are hard coded, not dynamic.

    I've opened the file and edited the links. I can put my own links in if I want.What I want to prevent is an update of the theme overwriting the file and me having to go through all the editing again on multiple sites.

    Since the file is several layers or sub-folders down from the style.css file, I am thinking that I merely create the same sub-folder path and place a copy of the edited file there. That way, whenever the theme is updated, this particular file "should" be safe and the theme "should" continue to work as desired.

    Is my thinking correct? Does that sound like what the child theme system is supposed to do?

    FYI - What makes the links undesirable is that I bought a developers license that allows me to use the theme on client sites, and the help file takes the user to the vendors site where my client has to pay him to get support for the theme. Since these are customers of mine, I want to provide my own help files, which they can access without having to pay an additional fee. I think his attempt to control his help files is a bit tacky.
  • Kirk,
    I own a Woo Developers License and they also hard code links in their themes. I see this thread is about 1 year old. Did you find a solution?
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    Using Wordpress Child Themes

    I have a "Premium" (meaning I paid for it) theme, that I want to modify. I've been told that the safest way to use a modified theme is to create a child theme from the original, and put all my modifications in that folder. I was also told that the entire theme did not have to be copied into the child theme folder, merely the parts that received modifications.