Convert modified parent theme into child theme

  • ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)


    12 years, 3 months ago

    Hellllppppp!!!!!!

    I’m lost.

    How do I go about making a heavily modified parent theme into a child theme?

    I’ve been working with WP 3.0, twentyten theme. Did a bunch of mods to different files (I’m not a techie in the least but have figured out a few things and tweaked here and there). Recently read about the suggestion to work with a child theme in order to not lose mods.

    So I backed up/saved all the files from WP 3.0 twentyten theme and upgraded to WP 3.3 which comes with the TwentyEleven theme and would like to use the previously modified parent theme as a child theme to override the updated version. I’ve read about putting the info in the header for the child theme to reference the parent theme however I’m lost. I’ve made changes to the CSS stylesheet, and a quite a few other files How do I get everything that was working together in the previous parent theme (which I want to convert into a child theme) to take effect with the upgrade?

    Let me pre-empt WP veterans first-I’m rather a dunce with coding and terminology so I’d appreciate any and all help to be explained in the most basic of terms. Step by step direction are most appreciated.

    Right now my website is down because of the aforementioned and I’d like to get it up and running with the quickness.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 30 total)
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  • Thread Starter ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    After doing some research the following seems like the steps to follow:

    1) Create the new CSS style sheet and modify the header to refer back to the Parent theme.

    2) Any modified files in the Child theme should override those of the Parent theme.

    Is it that simple?

    Moderator Jan Dembowski

    (@jdembowski)

    Forum Moderator and Brute Squad

    12 years, 3 months ago

    1) Create the new CSS style sheet and modify the header to refer back to the Parent theme.

    Pretty much. As long as you include the import in the style.css file of the parent CSS and put your styling after that (in the same file) your CSS will override the parent. The import is needed to get the styling from the parent as a starting point.

    It’s very cool like that.

    2) Any modified files in the Child theme should override those of the Parent theme.

    Yes. Twenty Ten is also cool like that too. 🙂

    Thread Starter ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    Let me see how this works out.

    I think the import is to be included in the style.css of the child theme.

    Otherwise thank you for the response.

    Thread Starter ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    Okay still a bit lost.

    Do I nest the child theme with its modified files (function.php, images, custom files) and folders within the themes folder of the Parent theme?

    Looking at the file directory I’m not sure what is supposed to go where. With upgrading comes duplicate folders – those of the Parent theme and the already existing Child theme.

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    Do I nest the child theme with its modified files (function.php, images, custom files) and folders within the themes folder of the Parent theme?

    No. It should go into wp-content/themes – just like the parent theme.

    Thread Starter ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    Thanks for responding.

    I’m back tracking here in that Im trying to convert a Parent theme that has already been modified into a Child theme.

    What about other folders and files(function.php, custom image files, etc,) that have either been modified or created? Where do I place these items in relation to the default duplicate folders of the new Parent theme?

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    In the child theme.

    Thread Starter ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    In the actual ‘Theme’ folder? If I recall correctly I tried putting the ‘WP-Content’ in the that folder and I received a notification on the Admin panel that said ‘WP-Content’ was a broken theme without a stylesheet?

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    In the folder of the child theme.

    Thread Starter ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    esmi,

    Stay tuned-your feedback and assistance is priceless. Thank you.

    Thread Starter ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    Does the actual ‘WP-Content’ folder of the Child theme go inside the Child’s theme folder? I don’t think that is correct. Also because of the upgrade there is another ‘WP-Content’ folder from the parent theme.

    Please recall that I’m working with what was a modified parent theme that I’m now trying to change into a child theme. Thus I have 2 WP-Content folders present-one from the upgrade and the previously existing prior to the upgrade. The previous one has custom image files and such in it. Where do I place it in relation to the new parent theme’s WP-Content folder? Do I discard the parent theme’s WP-Content folder?

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    Themes do not have a “wp-content” folder of their own. The only wp-content folder on a WordPress site sits in the root of the install. I have no idea what these folders are doing in your themes. What theme is this and where did you get it from?

    Thread Starter ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    Twentyten theme.

    I think with the recent upgrade came a new WP-Content folder.

    My previous WP-Content folder with custom files is present. So do I move all its contents into the new WP-Content folder or discard the new WP-Content folder?

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    The Twenty Ten theme does not have its own wp-content folder.

    Thread Starter ssguy69

    (@ssguy69)

    12 years, 3 months ago

    I have one. didn’t create it myself.

    Any idea where it came from?

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