Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

WordPress How to Make a Website with WordPress Customizing WordPress Themes How to Make Child Themes

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

Child Theme

This is exactly what annoys me about these type of courses! I cannot see what Zac is doing. He moves the mouse to the left and a css style sheet appears. Can someone please tell me what he has done? Please bear in mind I am new to this.

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

What are the project files?

9 Answers

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

When I downloaded Wordpress, I placed it on the desktop. I have tested and added themes to the local site. When I look in the wordpress content folder, nothing has changed; no new themes showing up. Confused!

its cool, I would suggest you continue with the wordpress course, It will teach you how to use a local server, and develop your theme.

what is going on is Zac, is showing you two things, first where to put the style.css file, and second is to make sure you have the correct comments at the top of the style.css file.

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

Where does the style.css file come from? He doesn't seem to show this.

Thanks

under the video there is a tab called downloads. Here you can download the project files being used for this project. He is taking the CSS file from that project file and putting into the theme folder.

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

OK, brilliant, I will have a look. Thanks

Not a problem.

I hope this helps!

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

I have my own website, built with wordpress, so I have put an amount of work into it. I am working with this site for your tutorials. If I add the child theme supplied in the project files to this theme, will I lose any changes made?

Thanks

It depends on what you are doing, but generally yes. If you move your current styles from the theme fold out and into another folder then you can save the prior files, if you just copy and pate and then save you will then lose your current styles.

If you want to, I would suggest creating a new folder save your current style.css there and then add a new style.css file into the theme folder.

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

Are you able to instruct me more on this? I am struggling and a little nervous with FTP!!

thanks

sure man, what's up. Have you used ftp before? and do you have one set up?

if so what are you using?

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

I am using Filezilla

okay, so what issues are you having? what do you need help with?

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

I dont understand or know how to create a childs theme. I am using my own website for this course and do not want to mess it up.

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

I dont understand or know how to create a childs theme. I am using my own website for this course and do not want to mess it up.

dude, you'll be fine. first what local server are you using? I would suggest working locally first then pushing the site live via FTP. This course here is more about getting a introduction to wordpress, if you want to build a child theme, after this course I would hold off until you take the theme dev course, there they will go in-depth and teach you about how to create a child theme.

What are the things you are concerned about?

Mark Lawson
Mark Lawson
6,148 Points

OK, I understand. I am using the Desktop Server. I wanted to do this on a local server; not sure where to go to access the files. Total newbie, totally lost!!