Building a WordPress Theme From Scratch: The Basics (For Designers)

Fully Tested on WordPress 3.8.1

Get up and running fast by following these step-by-step techniques for building a WordPress theme.

Have a design but don't know the first thing about getting that design into WordPress? Read the WordPress documentation and tutorials and still feel like no one is speaking your language?

Building a WordPress Theme From Scratch was written for you. This is your guide book to WordPress themes and a step-by-step guide to getting your design into WordPress. Unlike other WordPress theme books, we don't start with a blank theme or an already convoluted mess that you have to work through. We start with nothing and slowly build, piece by fully explained piece, a full functioning WordPress theme.

Each part is fully explained and illustrated in plain English and complete, tested code. After reading this book, you'll have the basics you need to get your HTML and CSS design into your very own WordPress theme. Topics covered are:

• Required files for your WordPress theme


• How to create specialized looks for your different pages in WordPress


• Adding navigation that hooks directly into WordPress's Menu functions


• WordPress standard naming conventions and how to use them to support your theme


• How to add Widget Areas to your theme to maximize your client's use of your theme


• Basic comment display and handling


• Hooking into WordPress helper methods so that you can make sure your theme will work for international users

Warning: This book just covers the basics

If you already know the basics, this book is not for you. It is the basic of the basic, but if you know nothing about WordPress or are confused and intimidated by other WordPress tutorials out there, this book was designed for you.

If you need help getting started building your first WordPress theme or want to understand what's going on in an existing theme, this book will get you there.