Post on 15-May-2015
Sunday Funday:Plugins, Widgets,
Customizing Themes, Publishing
Today's Plan● Plugins● Widgets● Themes and extension - "child themes"● Review
Goals● You will understand what widgets are and how to use them● You will know the 'definition' of a plugin● You'll have the basics of child themes down, and might
have one of your own!● If we have time, we have a review game to solidify
concepts, or we can workshop
Plugins extend the functionality of WordPress.
Exercise: PluginsComplete/Answer the following:
● Toggle the activation of the Hello Dolly plugin. What does it do?
● Delete the Hello Dolly plugin. What are the two components of deletion you're warned about?
● Go to Featured plugins and install and activate the Theme Check plugin.
Gold Star! [Extra Credit]● Add the Hello Dolly plugin back. You miss it.● How can you find the lines that Hello Dolly
choses lyrics from?● Search and add the WP PHP widget to your
site. Activate. [You'll have more to play with in the Widgets exercise!]
Widgets are a form of plugin that can add functionality to different areas of your site, without needing to code.
Exercise: WidgetsComplete/Answer the following:
● Use a widget in your site's theme● How can you remove a widget but keep its settings?● Can you use a widget more than once?
Gold Star! [Extra Credit]● If you installed the PHP widget, play with
running "Hello World" PHP code in a widget area
● Does the PHP widget support HTML?● Change themes - did widget support change?
Widgets.
Lessons LearnedCan you ...
● Define what plugins (and widgets) do?
Are you ...● Able to install and activate plugins?
Are you ...● Able to customize your site with widgets?
Customizing Themes, Publishing, &
Review
Customizing with Child Themes
● A Child Theme is a theme based on another theme (the parent)
● It uses all components of the parent theme unless you specify otherwise
● http://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Hierarchy ^ This is very useful
Two Steps to a Child Theme
A folder and a style.css file
Child Theme Review
If file exists, use it. If not...
Go get it from the parent
CHILD
PARENT
Exercise: Child Themes
Make a Child Theme.
Gold Star! [Extra Credit]● PLAY
(start customizing the theme!)
Exercise: Leveraging Your Child ThemeComplete/Answer the following:
● Create a 404 template. ○ Start by copying the code from the parent as an
example into your text editor○ Edit it○ Save as 404.php in your child theme○ Go to a page that does not exist to test
Gold Star! [Extra Credit]● Customize the archive or loop templates,
such as making the title a different HTML tag ... get creative!
● Can you figure out what "The Loop" is? (see archive.php & content.php in twentyeleven) Ask a TA to see how you did
Publishing Your Site in 3 Steps
1.Setup your base (WordPress)
2. Install your theme and plugins
3.Transfer your data
Publishing: 3 Steps
1.Setup your base (WordPress)Host can take care of this (usually)
2. Install your theme and pluginsFTP!
3.Transfer your dataWordPress Export/Import
REVIEW TIME!
Jeopardy!
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