Customizing a Forum page with twenty eleven

  • My site is, https://www.Theracerslounge.com for those curious I just started messing with the simple press forum, I want to customize this front page, i have the twenty eleven theme installed but I havent been able to do much customizing with it for my forum. So through some research I found how to start a custom template php file within the twently eleven theme. This is it right here, pretty basic I assume, the only customization i see is the full width option to spread the forum across the whole page. What I would like to do is, keep the left of the forum where it is and bring the right side in some for things such as advertising banners. Then I wanted to go with a custom background (which I guess i edit in the theme options) Then a custom header with the links to other sections of my page/other sites. See I get confused because its like I have a twenty eleven theme but I also have a custom template which is over-riding some things the theme calls for. If theres anything you guys could say to help me understand some things i’ll appreciate it greatly. I recently purchased wordpress web design for dummies to help. Need to get reading.

    This is the template I have for the forum.

    [Code moderated as per the Forum Rules. Please use the pastebin]

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

  • Do not edit the Twenty Eleven theme. It is the default WordPress theme and having access to an unedited version of the theme is vital when dealing with a range of site issues. Create a child theme for your changes. Once your child theme is active, we should be able to help with the customisation.

    Thread Starter crazy3rdgen

    (@crazy3rdgen)

    ok, I haven’t edited the theme itself but like you said I did create a child theme to originally change things such as forum width. I understand the child theme over-rides the parent theme when making changes, im not sure why i was told to create a custom template?? With the child theme in place won’t every page have the same lay out as the child theme?

    thanks for your time

    sean

    With the child theme in place won’t every page have the same lay out as the child theme?

    No. Not if you create a custom page template in your child theme and apply that to specific Pages. You should then be able to create the layout you want using CSS and the page template class that is generated on the body tag. You’ll also need a custom header in your child theme that can be called in your custom page template using get_header.

    Thread Starter crazy3rdgen

    (@crazy3rdgen)

    ok I got ya, so my custom templates should actually be in the child theme folder? I have it in twenteleven or it doesnt matter?

    Im a tad confused because whats so different from the theme compared to the templates as for what each of their duties should be. (im thinking) The child theme will be what I want my site to be based off of layout wise? Like basically the same for each page and then my template will be the cusomized information/content? Am i getting this right?

    so my custom templates should actually be in the child theme folder?

    Yes

    The child theme will be what I want my site to be based off of layout wise?

    Yes

    Thread Starter crazy3rdgen

    (@crazy3rdgen)

    So what should my child theme be doing compared to what I want my template to do.. Thats my confusion Like i can change the forum width with both of them. I guess thats what my template would do if I want a different layout for a differnt page I would make a different template. So what should my child theme even do?

    Like i can change the forum width with both of them

    Yes. You should then be able to create the layout you want using CSS and the page template class that is generated on the body tag.

    Thread Starter crazy3rdgen

    (@crazy3rdgen)

    Still confused.. sorry, what im asking is what should I use for the child theme and what should i use for my template.

    Thread Starter crazy3rdgen

    (@crazy3rdgen)

    I understand that a theme is made up of a whole bunch of templates. But most say to create a child theme in order to bypass the default theme on wordpress meaning to just edit what you want on the child theme css style sheet. My question is which content should go where?

    Thread Starter crazy3rdgen

    (@crazy3rdgen)

    ok so css code for my theme cannot go into my php template? Hmm, so ok.. child theme created atleast and I have a template created that doesnt seem to be doing much at all but its calling in things such as the header php and footer.

    Basically i dont want the forum centered, i want it to the left side with a bigger margin on the right for advertising, and then a custom header up top with hyperlinks to other pages built into the header. I think it’ll be best to creat my forum at a fixed with rather then a % fluid width i think its called. So that my content keeps its quality

    Thread Starter crazy3rdgen

    (@crazy3rdgen)

    someone please help me out

    Thread Starter crazy3rdgen

    (@crazy3rdgen)

    bump

    you seem to be using the ‘one-column’ seting under the theme options – switch to one of the ‘content with sidebar’ options.

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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