Most of the time when a new version of the theme is released you do not need to do anything to your Child Theme. This is the main advantage of using one. Your modifications remain in place while changes to the parent theme can continue without interruption.
The exception to this rule is when a theme template file changes. These files are files that control the actual output of elements on your page. They include header.php
, sidebar.php
, etc.
If you see an entry in the theme’s changelog similar to:
Template: Actions in `content-job_listing.php` template added. Please update your child theme.
You should check to see if your child theme includes a version of this file.
If you have not previously duplicated and modified this template file you do not need to do anything. Continue using your child theme as before.
Updating a Template File
If you have previously modified a template file that has been updated in the latest version of the theme please do the following:
1. Backup Your Modified File.
In the above example rename content-job_listing.php
to content-job_listing-old.php
.
2. Copy the New Template File
Now from the updated parent theme copy the updated content-job_listing.php
template file to your child theme.
3. Implement Your Changes
With the updated file now in your child theme you can copy/paste the changes from your original content-job_listing-old.php
template. file.
4. Verify Changes
Verify that the reimplementation of your changes is successful then delete your content-job_listing-old.php
template file.