Designing a theme – Where to start

  • jaredcunha

    (@jaredcunha)


    19 years ago

    I’m designing a new theme for my blog. I’ve already written my validating CSS and XHTML samples, I’m just wondering what’s the best approach to taking a single html reference file and building the templates from there. The new design has 3 fixed columns, with the main content on the left.

    What’s the best way to start turning this into my own custom theme? Should I take the Kubrik theme and refit that with my new div id names, classes, xhtml structure, and whatnot? Is there a nice blank theme that I can install and modify?

    Any help or advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

  • So you’ve got a single html file? No need to re-do everything, really.

    All you do is break up your html file into chunks with the appropriate names (header, footer, sidebar) and .php on the end, and the styleshet.

    I wouldn’t even think of working off Kubrick. If you look at how the classic theme is structured, how to do your own will make a lot more sense.

    Make sure your stylesheet is called style.css.
    Clip off the header stuff in the HTML and place that in a file called header.php. In some themes, this includes everything dow to inside the body tag, but I don’t like to do that. ??

    That should be enough to get you started anyway.

    Also, if you really wanted, it would work as a theme if you just had the stylesheet and the file named as index.php (assuming you have the Loop and all WP calls in it), all in its own theme folder.

    Thread Starter jaredcunha

    (@jaredcunha)

    Andrea,

    The more I’ve been researching this, the more I think you’re right. It seems like a huge pain to take some one else’s theme, rewrite the stylesheets, and then try and fit everything in the template files. It will be much easier to just seperate what I’ve already written, then copy and paste the PHP where it needs to go. I guess, since I wasn’t able to find a place to start for a 3 column layout, just doing it myself is the best way. Thanks!

    You are welcome. Make sure you show us when you’re done. ??

    And on the subject of a plain 3 column theme, I have one here:
    https://atypicalife.net/blog/?page_id=131

    I probably should put the updated version up sometime soon, in case someone else is looking for a plain 3col to start from. ??

    Thread Starter jaredcunha

    (@jaredcunha)

    Finished creating my new template files last night! It only took me about two hours to complete with everything validating! Not too sure what I was stressing over, the process was suprisingly easy.

    Check it out:
    https://www.jump-punch.com

    I still have a bunch of tweaks to do, plugins to add, and general house cleaning, but the design and functionality are there. Again, thank you for all your help. Your advice definitely saved me a lot of time.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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