Child theme : how to insert code?

Here two examples of what I have done with a child theme for the Thematic Framework theme. The code below has been appended to the function.php file of the child theme.

The first one: it customizes the “post header meta information” (“Published by: … Date:…”):

function my_postheader_postmeta(){
	$postmeta = '<div class="entry-meta">';
	// $postmeta .= thematic_postmeta_authorlink();
	// $postmeta .= '<span class="meta-sep meta-sep-entry-date"> | </span>';
	$postmeta .= thematic_postmeta_entrydate();
	$postmeta .= thematic_postmeta_editlink();
	$postmeta .= "</div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n";
	return $postmeta;
}
add_filter('thematic_postheader_postmeta','my_postheader_postmeta');

The seconde one customizes the footer of the whole website (sorry, in French):

function my_footer($thm_footertext) {
	$thm_footertext = 'Propulsé par
        <a href="http://www.ww.wp.xz.cn">WordPress</a>.
        Construit avec le
        <a href="http://www.themeshaper.com/thematic">
        Thematic Theme framework</a> et mon propre thème dérivé:
        <a href="http://www.antanarive.com/blog/prodigal-son/">
        Prodigal Son</a>.';
        return $thm_footertext;
}
add_filter('thematic_footertext', 'my_footer');

How does it work? In both examples, you have to find the name of the function that you want to “override”. You write your own version of it (removing or adding instructions), then you add a “add_filter” instruction to inform WordPress to take into account your function instead of the original one.

If you want to add some HTML code, you’ll just have to find the original PHP function that is generating the HTML for that area where you want to insert your additional code.

Most real functions are not in the single.php, header.php, etc but in the content-extension.php, and others. A full text search on the files may help. You can also find some tutorials by googling CHILD THEME FUNCTION FILTER HOOK.. etc.. These kind of keywords.

Good luck!

As I am slowly building a child theme, I post all the changes I make here:
http://www.antanarive.com/blog/prodigal-son/.

Salut!

Sorry for the misunderstanding. A quick google search seems to indicate that you can just copy the header.php in your child theme folder, and modify it. It would then be taken into account automatically.

This is what I understand when reading this:

Copy header.php to your Child Theme folder and edit it there. In WP 2.6 you’ll need to use WordPreciousss for WP to see it but 2.7 will recognize it automatically.

I have never done it… but I’ll be interested to hear the result of your testing… 🙂

Well.. You can’t have all at the same time! 🙂

By using a separate file in your child theme, you ensure that
1) you don’t overwrite the current parent theme
2) you don’t overwrite your child theme / changes when updating the parent theme
3) you can easily remove your child file if it seems incompatible with the updated parent child
4) you can then take your time to rebuild your child file, mixing your changes with the new parent file…

But yes, it will still require some work…