Title: Custom Template – Child theme issue
Last modified: August 30, 2016

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# Custom Template – Child theme issue

 *  [randomizor](https://wordpress.org/support/users/randomizor/)
 * (@randomizor)
 * [11 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-template-child-theme-issue/)
 * I attempted to set a custom template using the below in my functions.php
 *     ```
       function custom_timeline_express_template_file( $template_file ) {
         	$template_file = 'single-express-announcement.php';
         	return $template_file;
         }
         add_filter( 'timeline_express_custom_template' , 'custom_timeline_express_template_file' , 10 );
       ```
   
 * I had an issue, however because Timeline Express looks for the template using
   the TEMPLATEPATH which points to the Parent theme, instead of my currently active
   theme which is a child.
 * Changing TEMPLATEPATH to STYLESHEETPATH fixes the issue, but obviously if I make
   this change to the plugin myself it will be wiped out on next update.
 * Would it be worth considering using STYLESHEETPATH so that Timeline Express can
   integrate with child themes correctly?
 * [https://wordpress.org/plugins/timeline-express/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/timeline-express/)

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  Plugin Author [Evan Herman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/eherman24/)
 * (@eherman24)
 * [11 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-template-child-theme-issue/#post-6229753)
 * Hi Randomizor,
 * Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I will certainly switch over that variable
   to use the path to the active stylesheet so that it uses the path to the active
   theme instead of the parent theme.
 * Keep an eye out for the update!
 * Thanks,
    Evan
 *  [leofrish](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leofrish/)
 * (@leofrish)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-template-child-theme-issue/#post-6229888)
 * But can’t we just make that change ourselves in the functions.php file? This 
   is exactly the problem I’ve been facing today:
 * I’ve created a child theme of Emphasize (great theme, btw).
 * Emphasize has great customizability – including right or left (or none) sidebars
   for posts. I’ve decided some of my posts will need left sidebars, so I’ve specified
   that as the default.
 * But I’ve formatted all of my TE events with the expectation they would be “no-
   sidebar.”
 * With the change I made to Emphasize’s default formatting for posts, all of my
   TE events are now formatted poorly.
 * Here’s the challenge:
    If I override the single.php file by putting a copy in
   my empathize-child, I’ll lose the default left-sidebar for normal posts (but 
   I’ll get the effect I need in TE). If I place a unique template in Emphasize (
   parent) and point to it using TE’s supplied filter it works great, but I’ll lose
   that file when Emphasize updates.
 * So, I figured I’d have the TE filter look in the child root for the unique file
   using your supplied code in the functions.php file in my child theme, substituting
   the straight file name of the template with a call to the stylesheet directory.
 * $template_file = get_stylesheet_directory() . ‘/single-te.php’;
 * But it does not return the desired results. The container, rather than having
   the Emphasize margins (as specified in the template file), returns with no margins.
 * For now, I’m keeping my unique file in the parent folder, but if you could help
   me understand why this call isn’t working (or couldn’t work because of how you
   treat it) I’d appreciate it.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘Custom Template – Child theme issue’ is closed to new replies.

 * ![](https://ps.w.org/timeline-express/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=1007462)
 * [Timeline Express](https://wordpress.org/plugins/timeline-express/)
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 * 2 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [leofrish](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leofrish/)
 * Last activity: [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-template-child-theme-issue/#post-6229888)
 * Status: not resolved