If I want to modify a parent’s functions.php, how can I do this in the child?
there is no generalized answer – you will need to be specific on what you want to change – pluggable functions, filter, actions…
Thread Starter
Jam
(@pimaniii)
I guess I can see why!
I want to update a function ‘register sidebar’ with two more sidebars. I’m not sure how I can just add on a new function, or modify it in my child theme.
The beginning starts like:
if ( function_exists('register_sidebar') ) {
register_sidebar(array(
'name' => 'Pages Sidebar',
'description' => esc_html__('A widget area, used as a sidebar for regular pages.', 'udesign'),
'before_widget' => '<div id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s substitute_widget_class">',
'after_widget' => '</div>',
'before_title' => '<h3 class="widgettitle">',
'after_title' => '</h3>',
));
you can simply register the (two) new sidebars in functions.php of the child theme;
example from a Twenty Twelve child theme:
function twentytwelvechild_widgets_init() {
register_sidebar( array(
'name' => __( 'Third Front Page Widget Area', 'twentytwelve' ),
'id' => 'sidebar-4',
'description' => __( 'Appears when using the optional Front Page template with a page set as Static Front Page', 'twentytwelve' ),
'before_widget' => '<aside id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s">',
'after_widget' => '</aside>',
'before_title' => '<h3 class="widget-title">',
'after_title' => '</h3>',
) );
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'twentytwelvechild_widgets_init', 15 );
(the priority 15 lets this ‘sidebar’ appear after the original ones)
http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/register_sidebar
http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgetizing_Themes#Another_complete_example
Thread Starter
Jam
(@pimaniii)
Wow awesome! So I put the following but it causes a server error. Is there some small syntax error? I know my register_sidebars work. Can I simply put these new registers in a unique function in the child theme?
I think my error is with the last add_actions. Is ‘widgets_init’ almost universal to all themes?
function u-design-register-new-sidebars() {
register_sidebar(array(
'name' => 'PagesSidebar_HR',
'description' => esc_html__('A widget area, used as a sidebar for the Page Template HR.', 'udesign'),
'before_widget' => '<div id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s substitute_widget_class">',
'after_widget' => '</div>',
'before_title' => '<h3 class="widgettitle">',
'after_title' => '</h3>',
));
register_sidebar(array(
'name' => 'PagesSidebar_IT',
'description' => esc_html__('A widget area, used as a sidebar for the Page Template IT.', 'udesign'),
'before_widget' => '<div id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s substitute_widget_class">',
'after_widget' => '</div>',
'before_title' => '<h3 class="widgettitle">',
'after_title' => '</h3>',
));
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'u-design-register-new-sidebars()', 17 );
php function name: no hyphens, just underlines;
http://www.php.net/manual/en/functions.user-defined.php
add_action uses the function name only, not the brackets:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/add_action
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'u_design_register_new_sidebars', 17 );
you also need to correct the function name at the top of the code.
needless to say that a functions.php needs to start with <?php at the very start in the first line.
Thread Starter
Jam
(@pimaniii)
What do you mean by
you also need to correct the function name at the top of the code.
Right now I have (with the php at the top)
// Register new sidebars
function customsidebars() {
register_sidebar(array(
'name' => 'PagesSidebar_HR',
'description' => esc_html__('A widget area, used as a sidebar for the Page Template HR.', 'udesign'),
'before_widget' => '<div id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s substitute_widget_class">',
'after_widget' => '</div>',
'before_title' => '<h3 class="widgettitle">',
'after_title' => '</h3>',
));
register_sidebar(array(
'name' => 'PagesSidebar_IT',
'description' => esc_html__('A widget area, used as a sidebar for the Page Template IT.', 'udesign'),
'before_widget' => '<div id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s substitute_widget_class">',
'after_widget' => '</div>',
'before_title' => '<h3 class="widgettitle">',
'after_title' => '</h3>',
));
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'customsidebars', 15 );
It doesnt crash, but does not properly register the sidebars. Am I missing something?
does not properly register the sidebars.
what are the results?
do you get the two new ‘sidebar’ areas under ‘appearance – widgets’?
your last posted code works in a child of Twenty Twelve;
if you have problems, this might come from your used theme – ‘u design’?
if so, try to contact the theme’s developer for support.
Thread Starter
Jam
(@pimaniii)
Oh I see that it created a new widget instead of using the old one in the parent theme.
Thank you very much for your time and help!!
