Question: How To Build A WordPress Theme?
Our experts say.
Introduction
Building a WordPress theme on your own can be a great and rewarding experience. In the following steps, you will find out the necessary procedures that you need to undertake and tools that you need to use in order to create a WordPress theme.
Step-by-Step Directions
1. Set up a local environment on your computer using either MAMP, WAMP or XAMPP (10 minutes).
2. Download and install the WordPress software on the local environment which you have created, through the website (20 minutes).
3. Once it is installed, you will have to create a new directory within the ‘theme’ directory in the ‘wp-content’ folder (5 minutes).
4. Create the stylesheet; Create default.css file for the theme within the directory. This should include details about the theme name, URL, author and other version or related information (20 minutes).
5. Create index.php. This should be the base template for all pages of the site, which can be reused for other pages (20 minutes).
6. Download a theme/framework such as Bootstrap, Foundation, or Genesis and place it in the directory that you created earlier (05 minutes).
7. Download a text editor such as Atom, Brackets, or Sublime Text and open the theme files in the text editor (10 minutes).
8. Start customizing the theme, according to your preference and making use of the files included in the theme. This is the creative process which involves adding your own styles, functions and layout (50 minutes).
Estimated Time for Completion: 2 hrs 45 mins
Recommendations
WordPress Plugins: For creating a theme, consider using the following WordPress plugins to help set up your site quickly and securely:
1. Jetpack – helps to provide site security, performance, and traffic growth
2. WooCommerce – lets you add custom e-commerce functionality to your store
3. Yoast SEO – helps with optimizing your content for SEO purposes
4. Akismet – protects your site from spam
Summary
Building a WordPress theme requires setting up a local environment, downloading and installing the WordPress software, creating a directory, a stylesheet and an index file. Additionally, other files such as a theme/framework should be downloaded. Finally, it is necessary to use a text editor and be creative in customizing one’s theme. These steps need to be followed in order to build a WordPress theme and can take approximately 2 hrs 45 mins to complete. Additionally, it may be helpful to make use of certain WordPress plugins like Jetpack, WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, and Akismet.