I want to customize WP theme but some elements are missing!

by osekdomains

Posted: 14 years ago 7 replies

WEB DESIGN

Let me just say upfront I don't really do much programming and I don't understand PHP. But I do basic HTML syntax and I can call for external CSS file (learned that for SEOing simple sites

I need to customize my theme but I want to use that particular one because no other fits. The theme is called Buddy Press Columns.

The reason why I'm using this theme is because it's one of the very few on which I can have left and right sidebar. I've tried to use Pagelines but it was kinda complicated for me to setup.

I need to remove search bar in the header and I also wanted to customize Buddy Bar. I have found an article for customizing it and if I want to follow it but I ran into problems. The theme folder does not contain adminbar.css nor header.php files.

Can someone help me? Maybe it's somewhere else, maybe I need to edit some core files?

#customize #elements #missing #theme

osekdomains 14 years ago

OK I searched around and found out that the theme is a "child theme" which means I need to make changes to header.php in default theme.

While I managed to get rid of search bar and search button, the header sort of changed its size and now the header image is cropped and the border is too.

Where can I set fixed height for headers?
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- Istvan Horvath 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by osekdomains
  
  OK I searched around and found out that the theme is a "child theme" which means I need to make changes to header.php in default theme.
  
  That is an incorrect conclusion you made there...
  
  The whole idea of child themes is NOT to make changes in the "parent" theme
  
  Child Themes « WordPress Codex
  
  In the stylesheet of the child theme you define what template (theme) to be used: i.e. the parent theme.
  
  Then, whenever you create a template file (e.g. header.php) in your child theme's directory - that will automatically override the original file with the same name from the parent theme!
  
  In other words: you should have created your own header.php in the child theme directory and not mess with the default header.php.
  
  Thanks
  
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Holmstrom 14 years ago

Hi, try this one; Absolum , its working fine for me.
"Build your attractive theme from color options, custom header (8 preinstalled) and background (7 preinstalled) – that’s Absolum. Use your imagination and get a theme layout which you like. You may decide if you want right, left or disabled sidebar. Add up to 7 subscribe/follow buttons. Display last post(s) as static, as a slideshow or cool Nivo Slider. Choose content font or add your own CSS style. The Absolum also comes with Custom menu (8 preinstalled color schemes), 6 widgetized areas and the admin Visual Editor. Absolum is cross-browser compatible."
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osekdomains 14 years ago

That theme doesn't cut it for me. It either lets me have sidebar on left or right, I need both of them at the same time.
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osekdomains 14 years ago

Oh ok thanks for clearing that up. I didn't know I'm allowed to create my own files.

Good thing I backed up all the original files of the parent theme.
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londoncoffee 14 years ago

You need to create a child-theme and then create a functions.php file and a css file. You can then customise the parent theme without affecting its core coding.
PM if you want
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osekdomains 14 years ago

Yeah I am just figuring out now that whole time I was wasting time modifying the parent theme. Well... I'll just leave it as it is, I backed up some files so I put most of the stuff back in place.
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