I haven't been able to look this information up online. Perhaps I am not searching correctly.
I'm looking for information on the best practices. I have a custom built Wordpress theme that I want to implement on several similar websites. On each of the websites, I then intend to implement a child theme so that parts of each site can be customized, while still utilizing the parent theme.
I don't want my parent theme to be downloadable for other users, just myself.
I'm sure that "copying and pasting" the main theme from one of the sites to the others isn't best practice, because if an update needed to be made, I'd have to do it across all the sites. Ideally, I'd like to able to apply an update, and then within the dashboard of each of the sites, just "update" the theme.
What would be the best practice for this? Or am I misinformed about how this all works? Any insight would be appreciated.
You can perhaps try multisite - https://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network.
Related
I know it can be a very dummy question but I'm trying to figure out how I can develop and make changes in an already existing wordpress page (write new code, etc)? Before the changes go online, I must be able to save it somehow and I also need approval from its owner.
What is the best practice for it? It has some paid plugins also, I was thinking that I should create a parallel wordpress site exporting everything from the existing one and work locally.. how does it sound? Any suggestions?
I work on mac and use Docker.
Many thanks in advance!
Cheers!
Have a read on Wordpress Developers relating to Child Themes. Tou can get started here - https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/advanced-topics/child-themes/
This will allow you to activate a child theme over a normal theme and any changes you make to its functions.php will not be overridden when the parent theme updates.
You will just need to maintain the code incase major updates are undertaken on the parent theme.
First of all i don't have any experience on wordpress.. So please forgive my ignorance.. I've found a theme on themeforest. Unfortunately it's a wordpress theme. I want to develop my own admin panel. I don't want to use wordress. Is it possible?
Anything is possible, however this is a gum in hair scenario. Ask the theme author if there is an HTML version which is common on ThemeForest. If you do try to "extract" the layout:
Begin with the stylesheet and match up the styles with each page template's markup.
Also, why not use WordPress? The Redux theme options framework is very easy to use.
Since a wordpress theme is just a bunch of html/css/js/php files, yes, it is possible. Depending on what language/framework will used backend side, the easiest way would be to extract the html/css/js parts of the theme and than add your own "content-placeholders" which will be used by your own backend.
But: Think twice about doing this. First, there could be a conflict with the license of the theme (depending on what type of license is used by the author of the theme). And more important, second, you should think twice about building your own backend.
For the case this isn't an experiment and you're building a productive website, building you're own backend is a lot of work. Unless you need some special functionalities (or you would like to keep it very slim and basic), I would suggest using a ready made CMS for this - like wordpress.
My opinion: 95% of self-made backends for basic cms features I've seen (and was forced to work with) are very messy and far beyond available open source cms. It seems like many people don't balance the pros and cons of building an own CMS-backend and undervalue the effort to build a state-of-the-art CMS.
There are quite a few days now, since I started to think about creating a WP theme framework backend. Working with wordpress for some time, I studied a lot of themes from "wp theme clubs" and their backend. All settings sections are organised in vertical tabs, nothing more. Same thing again and again and again. I think 90% of the buyers (customers) will never use those options. Am I right or this is just in my mind ?
Should I create a theme backend using the same old/booooooring style or better try to think outside of the box and create some new, intuitive and innovative ?
Thanks.
Even if 90% of your users don't want to customize the theme then you will leave 10% out that would like to customize your theme.
I suggest you implement 2 things to let your users customize things.
theme customizer
Since 3.4 there is the theme customizer. It already works in twentyeleven and twentytwelve.
Take a look at it if you haven't it's quite easy to use for users and can be extended.
Read more:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Customization_API
http://ottopress.com/2012/making-a-custom-control-for-the-theme-customizer/
http://wp.tutsplus.com/tutorials/theme-development/digging-into-the-theme-customizer-overview/
Actions and filters
You probably used add_action() and add_filter() before. You can add your own filters to your theme so more advanced users can modify stuff. It costs you less effort then making an option of it while keeping your theme easy to modify (for users who know how to code)
Check out some more extensive themes, they are full off do_action() and
apply_filters().
An example. Before you start your loop you might add an do_action('before_content'). Now a user can add an add_action('before_content', 'add_breadcrumbs_callback_fnc');. Now your theme will execute the add_breadcrumbs_callback_fnc function so the user can add breadcrumbs without editing you theme.
Read more:
http://themeshaper.com/2009/05/03/filters-wordpress-child-themes/
http://wp.tutsplus.com/tutorials/the-beginners-guide-to-wordpress-actions-and-filters/
Attempt to introduce a set of default hook for each themes:
http://literalbarrage.org/blog/2012/06/29/wordpress-theme-hook-alliance/
https://github.com/zamoose/themehookalliance
I don't necessarily think the issue is mutually exclusive.
Users with simple needs might want simplicity, right up until options are needed. A broad and ambiguous answer to a open-ended question.
Check out the wp-svbtle theme: https://github.com/gravityonmars/wp-svbtle
He did a separate boiled down back end.
I started using WordPress just a few hours ago because I need to develop a couple of blogs to a client. I understand that WordPress is the best solution if you want something fast but flexible. But, the first thing that I wanted to do was just change the font of the post and I didn't find how to do it (for all the posts, because I changed it on this one using the HTML editor). I've read something about editing the CSS, but it turns that I need to buy the Pro upgrade to be able to use the custom design.
Is this the same if I use WordPress in my server?
I need someone to guide me on this one. I need WordPress as customizable as it can be. But, I prefer not to pay! :) Unless that's the only way to do it.
If you use WordPress on your own server, you can do anything you like to it - it's open source. The "Pro" upgrade is just for WordPress blogs hosted on the commercial WordPress.com platform.
Do note that running your own installation means you're responsible for adding plugins, themes, keeping the code up-to-date, etc. That has a cost too, even if it's not money directly out of your pocket.
If you are using wordpress on your own server - you are free to do anything with it. The best way to customize your site then is using a child theme. It will contain your customization, overriding styles from previously loaded parent theme (and/or adding some scripts). You will be able to upgrade parent theme then without loosing your customization (until parent theme owners deprecate something you use, but it must not happen often). There are some plugins for simplifying working with it as well. There are also some easier customization ways, if you want just minor changes - such as Custom CSS in Jetpack plugin, which works in similar way, as far as I know.
If you're using a wordpress.com account, you have less freedom in modifying things, consider using paid custom CSS plugin maybe. Or maybe mentioned above jetpack will do.
Also, as mentioned in other answers - there are wordpress codex, wordpress.org forums, and wordpress stackexchange, they seem to be better place for such questions.
In your wordpress admin section of your site (usually www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin) on the left hand side nav bar, you will find a section called "appearance", if you expand this and click "editor" you can edit all of the files that your current theme uses. A quick warning, if you are doing this on a live server, the changes you make are live as soon as you save them!!
Hope this helps
I'm pretty sure you do not have to pay to customize CSS. Check your server installation... particularly in the folder $wordpress_install_home/wp-content/themes/default.
You should have access to all the CSS files in there.
I am a web Designer that recently decided to expand into developer waters as well :). What I have in mind is to build an elaborate portfolio site that will also contain a blog. The sites sections will be standard for such a project - something like Home, About, Portfolio, Contact and Blog.
The Home page will contain some static parts but also feeds from the latest additions to the portfolio and the blog.
The Portfolio page will have sections on the different types of portfolio pieces (like logo, print, web etc).
The About will be completely static.
The Contact page will be static and will have a contact form.
The Blog page will basically have your standard WordPress blog structure.
At first I was thinking of doing the whole thing in WordPress (since I already have some experience with it) but what got me thinking about different options was the portfolio part. I want the portfolio page to be quite differently stylized than the blog page and yet I want to have the possibility of doing quick and easy additions to it trough an admin panel.
So please give me suggestions and direction about what would be best for me to do? Is this thing possible with WordPress? Should I instead code the whole project with CodeIgniter (or a similar framework)?
I am quite good with HTML & CSS. Comfortable with jQuery. Trying to get better with PHP :).
I am willing to learn and improve and wouldn't mind trying a CMS or a Framework that Ive not had experience with before.
Thank you.
Wordpress is more than sufficient. You might want to find some plugins that allow you to add special content like videos, scripts and other things to portfolio pages. Also knowing html, css well is important if you want to build or modify a theme a lot to your liking. It is also very helpful to know some php if not be very experienced with it. MySql is helpful as well but not as need to know.
This Wordpress PHP function sheet is very helpful at times.
The Wordpress Codex page is also very good. Not an end all be all, you'll still need to know how to do things on your own, but it defiantly will get the ball rolling if want want any custom functions, or want to modify functions.
If you know wordpress a little bit, I hope you will able to make your desired project. Using wp you can do several types of project.
Read some wp books or tutorial and learn wp functions.
Essential wp functions sheet https://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference
I hope it will help you.