Title: Modifying a function in a child php file
Last modified: August 20, 2016

---

# Modifying a function in a child php file

 *  [bobwp](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobwp/)
 * (@bobwp)
 * [13 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/modifying-a-function-in-a-child-php-file/)
 * I’m trying to add a function to a functions.php file in my child theme that removes
   the dates in Posts, and also removes “Posted on” preceding where the dates go.
 * For the first part, I had success by adding a function from this web site:
 * [http://johnlamansky.com/wordpress/remove-post-dates/](http://johnlamansky.com/wordpress/remove-post-dates/)
 * That worked. Then I added the function twentyeleven_posted_on() function from
   the parent theme functions.php file, removing “Posted on”. This did work, however
   today when I tried to login to WP, I get a blank screen consistently. When I 
   rename functions.php in the child theme, I’m able to log in. I’m not sure if 
   my commenting is incorrect, or if it is something else.
 * I’m not even sure my overall approach of bringing in the parent function and 
   modifying it is correct, but that’s what I’ve found so far. Thanks.
 * functions.php follows:
 *     ```
       <!-- comment -->
   
       <?php
   
       /*
       This code removes the dates in Posts, but still leaves "Posted on"; so not a complete solution yet.
       */
   
       function jl_remove_post_dates() {
       	add_filter('the_date', '__return_false');
       	add_filter('the_time', '__return_false');
       	add_filter('the_modified_date', '__return_false');
       	add_filter('get_the_date', '__return_false');
       	add_filter('get_the_time', '__return_false');
       	add_filter('get_the_modified_date', '__return_false');
       } add_action('loop_start', 'jl_remove_post_dates');
   
       /*
       Remove "Posted on". Function from parent theme.
       */
   
       if ( ! function_exists( 'twentyeleven_posted_on' ) ) :
       /**
        * Prints HTML with meta information for the current post-date/time and author.
        * Create your own twentyeleven_posted_on to override in a child theme
        *
        * @since Twenty Eleven 1.0
        */
       function twentyeleven_posted_on() {
       	printf( __( '<span class="sep">  </span><a href="%1$s" title="%2$s" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date" datetime="%3$s" pubdate>%4$s</time></a><span class="by-author"> <span class="sep"> by </span> <span class="author vcard"><a href="%5$s" title="%6$s" rel="author">%7$s</a></span></span>', 'twentyeleven' ),
       		esc_url( get_permalink() ),
       		esc_attr( get_the_time() ),
       		esc_attr( get_the_date( 'c' ) ),
       		esc_html( get_the_date() ),
       		esc_url( get_author_posts_url( get_the_author_meta( 'ID' ) ) ),
       		esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'View all posts by %s', 'twentyeleven' ), get_the_author() ) ),
       		get_the_author()
       	);
       }
       endif;
   
       ?>
       ```
   
 * _[Moderator Note: Please post code or markup snippets between backticks or use
   the code button. Or better still – use the [pastebin](http://wordpress.pastebin.com/).
   As it stands, your code has been permanently damaged/corrupted by the forum’s
   parser.]_

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

 *  [Michael](https://wordpress.org/support/users/alchymyth/)
 * (@alchymyth)
 * [13 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/modifying-a-function-in-a-child-php-file/#post-3039404)
 * is this
 *     ```
       <!-- comment -->
       ```
   
 * part of your functions.php?
 * if so, remove it, and also remove any space characters and/or empty lines before
   the first `<?php` in functions.php
 * to get better error messages and warnings, consider to edit wp-config.php to 
   allow DEBUG while you are customising your site:
 * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Editing_wp-config.php#Debug](http://codex.wordpress.org/Editing_wp-config.php#Debug)
 *  Thread Starter [bobwp](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobwp/)
 * (@bobwp)
 * [13 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/modifying-a-function-in-a-child-php-file/#post-3039481)
 * That html comment is above (thus outside of) the php open/close tags, but, yes,
   in the functions.php file. I thought I had it working with that comment in yesterday(
   and this is confounded by some earlier problems with the host), but after removing
   it, all seems OK now. Can html comments not be used in WP in php files if they
   are not inside the open/close php code?
 * I’ll try the debug tip.
 * Most appreciated!
 *  [Rev. Voodoo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvoodoo/)
 * (@rvoodoo)
 * [13 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/modifying-a-function-in-a-child-php-file/#post-3039514)
 * html comments will work fine outside of php in other templates, but functions.
   php is a sensitive file. Introducing any whitespace there will usually kill a
   site. You need to keep that opening php tag first and foremost…. within functions.
   php, best to stick to php comments
 *     ```
       <?php
   
       // single line comment
   
       /*
       Block
       comment
       */
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [bobwp](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobwp/)
 * (@bobwp)
 * [13 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/modifying-a-function-in-a-child-php-file/#post-3039537)
 * Rev. V., those are gems of information, that you so much!
 *  [Rev. Voodoo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvoodoo/)
 * (@rvoodoo)
 * [13 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/modifying-a-function-in-a-child-php-file/#post-3039589)
 * I’m glad you found that helpful!

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

The topic ‘Modifying a function in a child php file’ is closed to new replies.

 * 5 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Rev. Voodoo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvoodoo/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/modifying-a-function-in-a-child-php-file/#post-3039589)
 * Status: not resolved

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