How WP backend handles theme preferences

  • rhythmo

    (@rhythmo)


    9 years ago

    I would like to know if adjusting preferences to a theme in the WP admin panel would result in losing existing code. It seems to me that it would be logical to assume that if I were to experiment with checking a checkbox which is provided to me as an option in a theme’s preferences (for a theme which was currently active) and make no other changes, I could simply uncheck that option if the results were unsatisfactory and the theme (thus live website) would revert to its previous state.

    For instance, if a theme has a responsive checkbox and a layout toggle with the choice of fixed and flexible in that theme’s prefs, could I check those without risk of losing any of the site’s CSS or HTML? It would be great if I could toggle them on and off without losing anything.

    So I am not asking about a specific theme but more about the way the admin backend works in general. Any thoughts?

    Thanks very much and apologies for my newbie-ness.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • leejosepho

    (@leejosepho)

    At least in theory, theme preferences would simply enable or disable specific theme features without changing any site content (text, images, etc.) or any code that is not part of the theme. So yes, it seems logical to assume theme options could be checked to take a look and then unchecked to return to a previous state.

    For instance, if a theme has a responsive checkbox and a layout toggle with the choice of fixed and flexible in that theme’s prefs, could I check those without risk of losing any of the site’s CSS or HTML?

    At least in theory, yes, but it is not impossible for me to imagine a given theme being written to occasionally do more than to simply display site content without ever making changes to it or adding database entries of its own such as a plugin might do. So to protect your site, always have a current backup of your database handy.

    Thread Starter rhythmo

    (@rhythmo)

    Thanks, leejosepho.

    I am doing this for someone else, and it was a bit of work just getting the necessary login data for their backend. So I guess I need to go through all that again to get their host login info, so I can back up their MySQL databases. Anything else I should backup?

    And all this work when probably toggling won’t even change anything.

    leejosepho

    (@leejosepho)

    Whether or not any toggling is planned, every site should still have a backup of its database, /wp-content/ (folder and contents), wp-config.php and possibly htaccess. Unless index.php has been modified, all else can come from a fresh download of WordPress.

    Thread Starter rhythmo

    (@rhythmo)

    OK, thanks. I plan to use WP Stagecoach to run a clone locally and test changes there. At the same time I will get the host login info to make backups of their DB.

    Appreciate the feedback.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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