Developing a theme requires an effective approach to get started. Themes are the most important element responsible for driving a site because they determine how the site will look and behave. A theme consists of several template files that are present in the “Themes” folder in WordPress under wp-content/themes. Every theme has two main files, namely style.css and index.php. The former decides upon the content that is to be shown, while the latter is responsible for the styling. The theme’s meta information is required for correct functioning of the theme. With so much to do and so much to take care of, you can understand how important the theme development process is. And, to boost up the process, you will require the wonderful tips and tricks listed in this blog below. Or, you can hire qualified website development services in Bangalore to get the job done easily as they know all the ins and outs of the trade, and are always updated on the latest movements.
Building your theme
Remember that there are multiple options to help you build a theme. Choosing the right option from the list will help you achieve a great theme with robust coding that will lessen the task of revision that you will have to do later. The various options you can choose from include –
- Using a WordPress theme framework
- Building an entirely new theme from scratch
- Modifying a theme using ‘Theme Customizer’
- Editing an existing WordPress theme to add/remove features
- Building a child theme to edit an existing theme
- Creating your own parent theme
Considering a few important elements
There are lots of considerations you need to make before getting started to build your WordPress theme. These include –
- The amount of knowledge you have about PHP, CSS and other elements
- The amount of time you have to accomplish the development task
- Your budget as to whether you can afford a premium theme or a framework
- The possibility of creating similar site later using the codes you use today
Coding your theme
You need to consider quite a few things while coding too. Variable naming, spacing, indenting and commenting are some of the most important aspects. Use good namespace for every function by using short common function names. Use self-describing names for variables and functions, but remember to keep them short. Another thing you must keep in mind is that if you use an outdated code in your theme, it could be vulnerable to exploitation by hackers, or your theme could stop working in later versions of WordPress. So, make sure you check that your code is not outdated.
Caching regularly
WordPress has an internal cache that can also be used for extensions. Make sure you cache results from the database and the generate output at every level to boost up your process. All the functions of cache can be seen in the Codex.
Browser testing
Although some browsers like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox are highly used, there are many other lesser popular ones that are being used by internet users too. And, you need to make sure that your website functions well on all the major browsers. So, you need to keep a check on the look and feel of your website in multiple browsers as you go along. You can consider your website to be cross-browser compatible if it looks and functions same on all browsers.
