Title: Centrally located functions.php; maybe?
Last modified: August 21, 2016

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# Centrally located functions.php; maybe?

 *  Resolved [mrcangrejero](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrcangrejero/)
 * (@mrcangrejero)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/)
 * Hope I’m posting to the right place. My apologies if not. This is my issue:
 * I have four different blogs on a multisites setup, each using the same child 
   theme but with different Theme Name and slight variations on their style.css.
   This works OK.
 * Now, each blog has, and will always have the same functions.php on its child 
   theme. The problem is that, when I update one functions.php file, I have to update
   all four. I wonder if I can keep a centrally located functions.php where I can
   make changes and have each child theme’s functions.php read from that central
   file.
 * Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks!

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

 *  Moderator [cubecolour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/numeeja/)
 * (@numeeja)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/#post-4424910)
 * It might be better to take the shared functions out of functions.php and create
   a custom plugin instead
 *  Thread Starter [mrcangrejero](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrcangrejero/)
 * (@mrcangrejero)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/#post-4424938)
 * Thanks, cubecolour, for your prompt response.
 * I read, and tried to follow all the instructions at “[How to write a WordPress plugin](http://www.yaconiello.com/blog/how-to-write-wordpress-plugin/)”
   and must confess that I failed.
 * My PHP file has the following functions:
 * > function new_excerpt_more
   >  function twentythirteen_credits_handler_for_cangrejero
   > function twentythirteen_entry_meta function twentythirteen_entry_date function
   > cangrejero_custom_header_setup function cangrejero_remove_default_headers function
   > cangrejero_add_headers
 * I just don’t know how to incorporate them in the plugin.
 * Hope you can help. If not, thanks anyway and the best to you.
 *  Moderator [cubecolour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/numeeja/)
 * (@numeeja)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/#post-4424939)
 * I notice you have some twentythirteen functions. Are you using a child theme 
   or have you edited twentythirteen directly?
 *  Thread Starter [mrcangrejero](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrcangrejero/)
 * (@mrcangrejero)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/#post-4424949)
 * I’m using a child theme. Actually, four child themes.
 *  Moderator [cubecolour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/numeeja/)
 * (@numeeja)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/#post-4424951)
 * Can you paste the content of the functions.php file you have in one of your child
   themes into a pastebin at [http://pastebin.com](http://pastebin.com) & post a
   link here to that here?
 *  Thread Starter [mrcangrejero](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrcangrejero/)
 * (@mrcangrejero)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/#post-4424954)
 * [Pastebin link](http://pastebin.com/YWXXtKRn). Thanks!!
 *  Moderator [cubecolour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/numeeja/)
 * (@numeeja)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/#post-4424959)
 * You should be able to turn these functions into a new plugin by the following
   method. I don’t have a test multisite installation to test this on, but if there
   are any problems, we are not deleting anything so this is all reversible.
    - Connect to your site files by ftp
    - rename the functions.php in each child theme to old-functions.php
    - Create a new folder in your wp-content/plugins folder called ‘my-twentythirteen-
      functions’
    - In the new folder create a new file called my-twentythirteen-functions.php
    - copy the contents of your functions.php into this file
    - Edit the content you have just pasted into this file & save:
    - Replace
    -     ```
          <?php
          /**
           * Twenty Thirteen functions and definitions.
           *
           * Sets up the theme and provides some helper functions, which are used in the
           * theme as custom template tags. Others are attached to action and filter
           * hooks in WordPress to change core functionality.
           *
           * When using a child theme (see http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Development
           * and http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes), you can override certain
           * functions (those wrapped in a function_exists() call) by defining them first
           * in your child theme's functions.php file. The child theme's functions.php
           * file is included before the parent theme's file, so the child theme
           * functions would be used.
           *
           * Functions that are not pluggable (not wrapped in function_exists()) are
           * instead attached to a filter or action hook.
           *
           * For more information on hooks, actions, and filters,
           * see http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API
           *
           * @package WordPress
           * @subpackage Twenty_Thirteen
           * @since Twenty Thirteen 1.0
           */
          ```
      
    - with
    -     ```
          <?php
          /*
          Plugin Name: My Functions plugin
          Description: My Functions for twentythirteen
          Version: 1.0.0
          */
          ```
      
    - Network activate this plugin
 *  Thread Starter [mrcangrejero](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrcangrejero/)
 * (@mrcangrejero)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/#post-4424971)
 * Thanks, cubecolour! Works like a charm.

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

The topic ‘Centrally located functions.php; maybe?’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [child](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/child/)
 * [functions](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/functions/)
 * [multisites](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/multisites/)

 * In: [Networking WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/multisite/)
 * 8 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [mrcangrejero](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrcangrejero/)
 * Last activity: [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/centrally-located-functionsphp-maybe/#post-4424971)
 * Status: resolved

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