Comment on Stallion Responsive WordPress Child Theme by SEO Dave.

Stallion Responsive Child Theme When WordPress updates a theme like Stallion Responsive it downloads the zip file, extracts the contents into a temp directory (like /wp-content/updates/stallion-responsive/), DELETES the original theme folder (so for Stallion deletes /wp-content/themes/stallion-responsive/), and moves the new folder from the temp location to /wp-content/themes/…

If you made any modifications to a parent theme they are lost because the old folder is deleted/replaced. That’s why we have WP child themes for modifications, although everything under /wp-content/themes/stallion-responsive/ is deleted and replaced, anything under /wp-content/themes/stallion-responsive-child/ (the child theme) is left as is.

Since WordPress child themes are aimed at modification of parent theme features it wouldn’t be a good idea to have an auto update feature (you’d loose your changes) which is why it’s a manual process: download zip file, extract, upload using FTP.

Child theme files that have been modified by the theme developer (me) are replaced with new files that are uploaded via FTP, what’s modified by the user (you) should first be updated to the new files anything new added (like custom images) won’t be overwrote.

It’s not a perfect setup, a user who doesn’t understand the above can loose modifications they’ve made to a child theme if they don’t keep backups, but it’s a much better system than modifying parent theme files where a user could modify dozens of files. I’ve kept the Stallion child theme simple (most of the child theme is images), in this update only three files changed:

style.css : just changed the version number to 8.2.
timthumb.php : latest version of Timthumb.
st_responsive_child.php : added one new option that match new main theme features related to font schemes.

For those who use the child theme for the free header images etc… and don’t mess around with changing PHP code all you have to do is upload the new files over the old using FTP and your done.

There’s only one new feature in the child theme related to the new fonts schemes, if you don’t update to 8.2 it still works in the parent theme, just means there’s less options if you want to build custom font schemes. Also added three new header/banner image sets dogs, kittens and wild flowers. So 24 new header/banner images.

For those who modify theme files.

I recommend any code modifications are put in functionsplus-child.php so that would be the most likely file to use a users modified version. So if you are a person who modifies code just make sure your modifications are backed up and you re add them at each child theme update.

OK, if you are seeing no available options on the child theme options page you haven’t got the Stallion Responsive child theme active, you have the parent theme active.

Check the child theme option: Child Stallion 2011 Header Images are there should be around 2 dozen options? If not go to Appearance >> Themes : Find the Stallion Responsive Child Theme

At the bottom of the image it should say:

Active: Stallion Responsive Child Theme

With a blue Customize button to the right.

If you don’t see this it’s not active. Click the Activate button and the child theme will activate. All your Stallion Responsive options will stay as is, but because you’ve switched themes any menus set under Appearance >> Menus won’t be set, set them to how you had them.

You can only have one theme active at a time.

If you activate Stallion Responsive that’s it, no child theme options.
If you activate Stallion Responsive Child Theme that’s the theme that’s active, but because it’s a child theme it uses all the Stallion Responsive parent theme options/features as well.

So all you do is activate the Stallion Responsive Child theme, not the Stallion Responsive Theme and the Stallion Responsive Child theme.

You should always update the parent theme first.

Stallion Responsive Child Theme v8.2 might not work with Stallion Responsive 8.1 (would probably work, haven’t checked).
Stallion Responsive 8.2 will work fine with Stallion Responsive Child Theme 8.1.

David