WordPress Themes are the collection of PHP, JavaScript and CSS files. Themes are used to create a unique look and design for our website or blog. A theme with unique design and the best color combination can really improve the user experience.
As we discussed earlier, WordPress Themes are files that work together to create the design and functionality of your blog or website.
Each WordPress Theme may be different, offering many choices options and features for you to instantly change your website look.
Related article: How to choose a perfect theme for your business blog?
WordPress Themes typically consist of three main types of files, in addition to images and JavaScript files. WordPress includes few default themes in each new installation. You can call them Parent themes.
If you want to modify few sections of our default theme, You can create a child theme.
A child theme is a theme that inherits the functionality and styling of another theme, called the parent theme. Child themes are the recommended way of modifying an existing theme. WordPress Codex
why creating a child theme is important?
Here are few advantages of creating child themes.
- If you modify a WordPress theme or few files of your WordPress theme directly and it is updated, then your modifications may be lost.
- By using a WordPress child theme you will ensure that your modifications are preserved.
- Using a child theme can speed up WordPress development time.
- Using a child theme is a great way to learn about WordPress theme development.
- Creating WordPress child theme is easy for beginner WordPress users and developers. With the basic understanding of HTML and CSS, You can edit your themes.
- With child themes, You can quickly change the style of different sections of your website.
- You can add new features to your existing themes with child themes.
- You don’t need to learn advanced HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, JQuery and WordPress coding standards to create themes from scratch.
- With child themes, You can completely change the look and feel of a WordPress site, It saves your development time.
- With child themes, You can add new features or remove unwanted features from your parent theme.
- It’s an opportunity to learn more about CSS, HTML, and PHP.
- It’s an opportunity to put your expertise with CSS, HTML, and PHP to work.
- You can even publish your child themes on WordPress.org
- You can create new child themes based on your fresh new designs, that will be based on your robust and reliable parent theme.
- With the child theme, You won’t lose your customization, when WordPress updates are made.
Warning: If you don’t create a child theme, and choose to edit core WordPress theme files, you will lose your modifications every time you perform an update.
How to create a WordPress Child Theme?
There are many ways to create child themes If you are a technical person you can create child themes manually, but if you are a beginner and don’t want to edit core files, you can use child theme plugins.
Read this step by step guide to learn how to create WordPress child themes manually.
We have also created a list if 10 free Plugins to create WordPress child themes.
Final Words
at the time of writing this article, We are using a TwentySixteen based child theme at JustLearnWP. You can see that this child theme look completely different from the parent theme.
I have added a feature box below main navigation menu, reduced the height of site header, changed the color of the main navigation menu, added a widget below the post and in primary sidebar section.
Do you create child themes manually or prefer plugins to create a child theme? share your views in comments below.