Child Themes in 3.1-RC2

This is indeed a feature. But let me explain. ??

Basically, when editing a child theme, you were shown the parent theme files as well. This could cause you to accidentally edit the parent theme’s files.

This can be bad, especially if you decide to update the parent theme. Generally speaking, the point of a child theme is so you’re not touching the parent theme. So showing both files without any differentiation is silly.

Hiding the parent theme files and forcing you to go to the parent theme (P2 in this case) to edit those files is specifically the idea. (I wouldn’t edit P2 at all, that way you can update it.) Your child theme only has style.css, which is why that’s the only file listed. Perhaps we’ll add the ability to create files in a future release.

This was basically just a UX stopgap to curtail an issue. I really hope to review the theme editor soon.

Further reading:

https://andrewnacin.com/2010/12/04/incremental-improvements/

https://core.trac.www.ads-software.com/ticket/15672

Hope that helps,
Nacin

And a friend’s horror story that inspired me in particular:

https://www.laurenmichell.com/2010/12/shout-out-of-the-night-nacin/

Wow! So that just added even more frustration to my situation — but also explains what happened to the widget area I had on a not so often used install I’m running with a Twenty-Ten Child theme.

My understanding of child themes is they’re based on hierarchy of files – where WordPress will look for a called file in the child theme directory first and then look in the parent theme if it’s not there.

Not sure why that wouldn’t be the case for the Theme Editor on default as well with an exclusion in place for the parent themes.

I assumed that was always the case since I typically build my child themes by copying the main files (header.php, single.php, sidebar.php, etc. etc.) from the parent theme and making changes that way.

Now I guess I’ll be spending a lot of time today weeding through my child themes and finding out which files I’ve been editing – the parent or child. ??

Perhaps as a matter of clarification…

I’m having some issues with a child theme but I’m not sure if it’s related to the child theme, 3.1 RC2 or the latest update to the P2 theme.

https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/dropdown-category-selection-for-publishing-posts-in-p2-theme-v121

When you have a theme, where does it typically pull Java files and additional files for the theme?

I’ve essentially copied the entire theme (and related files) into a separate directory and set it up as the child theme. But since I’ve lost some functionality after a theme upgrade I wonder if I need to make changes to the original theme files instead of in the child theme files.

When you have a theme, where does it typically pull Java files and additional files for the theme?

From where ever the theme defines them.

If you’re using a child theme, it checks itself first and then the parent.

Thanks!

That’s what I assumed but with the issue Andrew brought up, regarding the WordPress Theme editor, I wanted to be sure I was understanding how child-themes work elsewhere.

Nacin was just talking about the theme editor.