Title: Child Theme – functions.php
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Child Theme – functions.php

 *  [twohoots](https://wordpress.org/support/users/twohoots/)
 * (@twohoots)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/)
 * Hi folks,
 * I recently started my first WordPress blog, making alterations by tweaking the
   style.css functions.php files etc directly, however after reading time and again
   that you should be rocking a child theme, I figured before investing too much
   time, I should go down that avenue.
 * (note: I’ve done a clean install)
 * So, I now have a Twenty Twelve child theme, it seems to be running fine, I’ve
   got my first bit of code in the style.css file and that seems to be working a
   treat. However I’m struggling with functions.php and content.php.
 * For example, to remove the “This entry was posted in …” text from each post, 
   I was using this code in my functions.php file:
 * [http://pastebin.com/0XNw9VMb](http://pastebin.com/0XNw9VMb)
 * Compared to the unmodified version which looks like this:
 * [http://pastebin.com/J641gXFp](http://pastebin.com/J641gXFp)
 * From what I can gather, because I’m looking to change a function, rather than
   add a new one, I need to use a different technique, is that right? I hope that
   makes sense, I’m a complete WordPress / coding novice, but I’m trying to make
   an effort to get this thing running the ‘proper’ way.
 * Thanks in advance.

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

 *  [Josh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/josh401/)
 * (@josh401)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120399)
 * What is it exactly you are trying to do?
 * Functions in the child theme will modify current theme or core files via hooks
   and filters. You will usually see this in the form of:
 *     ```
       add_filter()
       ```
   
 * or
 *     ```
       remove_filter()
       ```
   
 * It’s not a method of simply copying and pasting a function from the parent theme
   into the child theme and modifying it. Instead, you have to write a new function(
   with a new name) and modify the content from there using a hook or filter.
 * Here is a GREAT place to learn!
    [http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API](http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API)
 *  Thread Starter [twohoots](https://wordpress.org/support/users/twohoots/)
 * (@twohoots)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120401)
 * Hi Josh,
 * Please excuse my ignorance, this is all totally new and confusing for me.
 * So, using my example above, I want to use my child theme’s function.php file 
   to remove some of the meta (?) info at the end of each post.
 * From:
 * This entry was posted in Uncategorized on October 16, 2012.
 * To:
 * October 16, 2012.
 * I know what code is responsible for generating it and in turn what I need to 
   remove, but I’m unsure how I go about that when using a child theme.
 * Hopefully that makes a bit more sense.
 *  [Josh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/josh401/)
 * (@josh401)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120403)
 * Hmmm… this might be easier with CSS… if your theme is setup that way.
 * What’s the url to a page where you want to remove this content?
 *  Thread Starter [twohoots](https://wordpress.org/support/users/twohoots/)
 * (@twohoots)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120405)
 * [http://www.turning-monster.com](http://www.turning-monster.com)
 * I want to make the meta info change as mentioned above and move the “leave a 
   reply” link to after the post.
 *  [Josh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/josh401/)
 * (@josh401)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120408)
 * Okay… to remove the aforementioned text.. add this to your stylesheet (style.
   css) file.. at the very bottom on a new line:
 *     ```
       footer.entry-meta {
           display: none;
       }
       ```
   
 * Unfortunately, the leave a reply is going to require modifying theme files. I’m
   not sure if you can “grab” it in the loop. I don’t think so. I believe that part
   is hard-coded into your theme using HTML.
 * You would need to remove the `<div class="comments-link">` out of the `<header
   >` part of the template and add it to the `<footer>` part of the template.
 *  Thread Starter [twohoots](https://wordpress.org/support/users/twohoots/)
 * (@twohoots)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120409)
 * Thanks for helping.
 * If I wanted to keep just the date in the meta info, would that be possible?
 * _[[No bumping](http://codex.wordpress.org/Forum_Welcome#No_Bumping), thank you.]_
 *  [Josh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/josh401/)
 * (@josh401)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120430)
 * Nope… again, sorry.
 * The CSS is written to display that entire meta info in a single class. Only the
   entire class can be targeted via css.
 * See.. that content isn’t written into the loop. It’s added after the loop is 
   executed. Hence, the hard-coded HTML. I’m honestly not sure if you can modify
   this info via a function from the child theme.
 * Does your theme have a support forum where you can ask?
 *  Thread Starter [twohoots](https://wordpress.org/support/users/twohoots/)
 * (@twohoots)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120436)
 * It’s the semi-official WordPress theme, but from my understanding, it’s not long
   been released. I can make all the changes I want by directly modifying the functions.
   php file, but I was hoping I could do it through the child theme.
 * I appreciate all your help.
 *  Thread Starter [twohoots](https://wordpress.org/support/users/twohoots/)
 * (@twohoots)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120438)
 * [not a bump, this is an update]
 * I’m looking through the comments in function.php of the parent theme and it states
   the following about the meta tag.
 *     ```
       if ( ! function_exists( 'twentytwelve_entry_meta' ) ) :
       /**
        * Prints HTML with meta information for current post: categories, tags, permalink, author, and date.
        *
        * Create your own twentytwelve_entry_meta() to override in a child theme.
       ```
   
 * So, that means I can create my own function called twentytwelve_entry_meta and
   it will automatically take priority, is that right?
 *  [Josh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/josh401/)
 * (@josh401)
 * [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120441)
 * Yes… very good. That should be how it works.

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

The topic ‘Child Theme – functions.php’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 10 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Josh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/josh401/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-functionsphp-3/#post-3120441)
 * Status: not resolved

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