WordPress Theme

A basic Wordpress theme starter code base to jump start for your website theme. Main theme files and code are placed in wp-content > themes > demo folder.

Wordpress theme is a layout of your website. There are endless ways to create your theme. Quality of a great theme is to engage your users with beautiful content presentation. Wordpress theme is a collection of files.

Basic Required Files

index.php and style.css are the most required files for a wordpress theme.

GPL License

Freedom is an important part of developing WordPress themes. If you plan to distribute your theme, it is a good idea to license it fully under the GPL, so others can enjoy the same freedoms that you did when creating it.

Test Data

• Theme Unit Test
• Theme Test Data

Plugins

• Debug Bar - adds an admin bar to your WordPress admin providing a central location for debugging.
• Query Monitor - allows debugging of database queries, API request and AJAX called used to generate theme pages and theme functionality.
• Log Deprecated Notices - logs incorrect function usage and the use of deprecated files and functions in your WordPress theme.
• Monster Widgets - consolidates the core WordPress widgets into a single widget allowing you to test widgets styling and functionality in your theme.
• Developer - helps optimize your development environment by allowing easy installation of tools and plugins that help in troubleshooting and ensuring code quality.
• Theme-Check - tests your theme for compliance with the latest WordPress standards and practices.

WordPress Coding Standards

The best way to understand coding standards is to review the default Twenty themes. Underscores is another well-coded and standardize theme. A more detailed overview is available on Underscores’ website.

Common WordPress template files

Below is a list of some basic theme templates and files recognized by WordPress.

• index.php The main template file. It is required in all themes.

• style.css The main stylesheet. It is required in all themes and contains the information header for your theme.

• rtl.css The right-to-left stylesheet is included automatically if the website language’s text direction is right-to-left.

• comments.php The comments template.

• front-page.php The front page template is always used as the site front page if it exists, regardless of what settings on Admin > Settings > Reading.

• home.php The home page template is the front page by default. If you do not set WordPress to use a static front page, this template is used to show latest posts.

• header.php The header template file usually contains your site’s document type, meta information, links to stylesheets and scripts, and other data.

• singular.php The singular template is used for posts when single.php is not found, or for pages when page.php are not found. If singular.php is not found, index.php is used.

• single.php The single post template is used when a visitor requests a single post.

• single-{post-type}.php The single post template used when a visitor requests a single post from a custom post type. For example, single-book.php would be used for displaying single posts from a custom post type named book. The index.php is used if a specific query template for the custom post type is not present.

• archive-{post-type}.php The archive post type template is used when visitors request a custom post type archive. For example, archive-books.php would be used for displaying an archive of posts from the custom post type named books. The archive.php template file is used if the archive-{post-type}.php is not present.

• page.php The page template is used when visitors request individual pages, which are a built-in template.

• page-{slug}.php The page slug template is used when visitors request a specific page, for example one with the “about” slug (page-about.php).

• category.php The category template is used when visitors request posts by category.

• tag.php The tag template is used when visitors request posts by tag.

• taxonomy.php The taxonomy term template is used when a visitor requests a term in a custom taxonomy.

• author.php The author page template is used whenever a visitor loads an author page.

• date.php The date/time template is used when posts are requested by date or time. For example, the pages generated with these slugs: http://example.com/blog/2014/ http://example.com/blog/2014/05/ http://example.com/blog/2014/05/26/

• archive.php The archive template is used when visitors request posts by category, author, or date. Note: this template will be overridden if more specific templates are present like category.php, author.php, and date.php.

• search.php The search results template is used to display a visitor’s search results.

• attachment.php The attachment template is used when viewing a single attachment like an image, pdf, or other media file.

• image.php The image attachment template is a more specific version of attachment.php and is used when viewing a single image attachment. If not present, WordPress will use attachment.php instead.

• 404.php The 404 template is used when WordPress cannot find a post, page, or other content that matches the visitor’s request.

Resource

For Official WordPress Theme Guide Goto

Chapters links are as follows:

1. Getting Started
2. Theme Basics
3. Template Files Section
4. Theme Functionality
5. Theme Options - The Customizer API
6. Theme Security
7. Advanced Theme Topics
8. Releasing Your Theme
9. References
10. Credits

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