I don’t understand Kevin. Throughout all the documentation, snippets etc there are recommendations to use a Child Theme with warnings that you will lose any customisations you make on core files.
I don’t understand why you’d expect the Developers to release another version and how that would change the fundamental premise that you should use a Child Theme? Did I miss something?
Best advice is to sort this once and for all. Will cost you effort but you’ll be safe in the future.
There was a blip in this release but it was of no fault of the Developers.
I understand this blip in this release was of no fault of the developers. At this point can I create a Child Theme and save it before I delete and reinstall or should I wait for the next customizr update. (I really don’t want to lose it).
No need to wait for next release, nothing will change.
Are you editing the live site directly, or do you have any staging sites? Various ways of taking a backup before you start. My preferred plugin is Duplicator
Thanks for understanding rdellconsulting.
I was thinking if I waited for the next release my theme would be able to load again because it would have the stylesheet.
I do edit the live site directly and have no other staging sites. I Hope that gives you the info you may need if you choose to help me.
Another plugin I swear by is Desktop Server. It works on both PC & Mac and enables you to keep a test site on your localhost. Then when you’re ready, you can deploy to your live site.
For you, the free version allows 3 sites and would recommend you sort out your problems in localhost. You can use Duplicator to backup your live site, then import to localhost using Desktop Server.
Bit of work to set up but I’m sure it will help you learn. You can make mistakes in localhost, then scrub and start again until you have your desired site..
I could see these helping to have a backup if this is to happen again, but will they help today when the theme is broken and is missing a stylesheet?
The theme isn’t broken, your copy of the theme is. You have made some changes to core files so you need to take a copy of the .php files you have changed. You need to use an FTP client (eg Filezilla) to download those files from Server back to local (PC or Mac?) so you have a backup of the changes you made. Use the date/timestamp to identify those files easily as it will be different to the core theme.
Next, reinstall Czr. You will lose your customisation but the site should work. The Theme stylesheet will be rescued.
Next, set up a Child Theme which will basically be 2 files, style.css and functions.php.
Next, need to understand what changes you made. CSS changes are added to CT style.css. php changes need to be reworked as functions and added to functions.php. This is the difficult step. If you’ve used snippets then it should be clear where they go. If you’ve edited php code in core files then you’ll need to document what you’ve done.
It’s a bit tricky as you start with little understanding, but you will learn so much and get it right for next time. The only other way is to find yourself someone who can help you through it.
Correct my copy is the one broken not the theme. I will go through these steps when I have some time. One last question: If I wait for the theme to update to a newer version (1 week, a month or year from now?) will I be able to update my broken copy to the updated version and it will work again? At that time it may be easier for me to add a child theme.
Thanks!
If you have edited core files as part of your customisation then the next version (whenever) will overwrite them and you will lose your customisations. You need a Child Theme to prevent this happening again.
The fundamental question is – what exactly are the customisations you have made that you don’t wish to lose? I am wondering if there is some confusion and that things are not as bad as you think.
The customizations I have made are simply in the theme you are able to change the skin color, background color, the picture for the slide, the three buttons on the home page for featured pages and the 3-4 sentences that are under each button, all the social links, favicon, logo, I changed the slider to have a button that if clicked would take you to a different page in the site, added to the footer my contact information next to 2015.
oh and I believe also added google analytics in the editor.
Ah, so maybe I’m right! You should be safe to update without losing any of those customisations. A lot of people go further than what Czr allows which is when Child Theme kicks in.
The changes you’ve made are stored in the database, which will not be affected by an Update. Updates generally add/change core files found in wp-content/themes/customizr.
So after all that agony, I finally asked the right question!
Recommend you take a backup before updating, but 99% sure you will not lose anything and can live happily ever after!
Thanks for helping me. So to be clear I will need to wait for an update (whenever that is released) and do not delete and reinstall customizr. Correct?
Nope, you can delete and reinstall Czr right now. No need to wait.
The wp.org problems are now resolved so you should get a clean install.
So by deleting the theme I’m not deleting the database?
Nope. For example, if you had various Pages/Posts in the database then if you decided to change to a different Theme (eg twentyfifteen) then all your posts would be styled to the new Theme, none of the content would be lost.
Go on, you know you’re dying to try it 😉 To convince yourself, go to Appearance>Themes and switch to a different Theme (if you already have one (else Add New and choose one). There’s even a Preview button to help you view without Activating the different theme.
