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Pixel Happy 1.0 Child Theme Released

2010-03-04T16:27:46Z

We are happy to announce the release of the Pixel Happy 1.0 Child Theme. This new Child theme works on the Genesis Theme Framework and can be downloaded by Pro Plus members in the support forum. All others can purchase the Pixel Happy Child Theme package here.

If you have already purchased the Genesis Theme Framework and any other child theme, you can simply purchase the Pixel Happy Child Theme by itself, otherwise you need the Pixel Happy + Genesis Theme package.

The Pixel Happy Child Theme is great for photobloggers – it uses the WP Cycle plugin to display a slideshow below the header and can use the WordPress gallery implementation with jQuery Lightbox For Native Galleries plugin to display beautiful client pages.

We are also very pleased to announce that the Pixel Happy theme is the first theme to be released as part of our Genesis theme marketplace – Pixel Happy was designed by the very talented Darcy Milder, who has already designed a number of themes that will be made available in the near future here.

Take the Pixel Happy child theme for a test drive…

Here’s a screenshot of the Pixel Happy Child Theme:

Here’s a screenshot of a sample Client Gallery Page:

AgentPress to Become a Genesis Child Theme

2010-03-01T17:48:44Z

In October of last year, we launched the AgentPress website, which provided a solution for real estate agents who wanted to use WordPress. Now, nearly 6 months later, we’ve launched the Genesis Theme Framework which has become the foundation of all of our future themes.

We are very proud to announce that the AgentPress “classic” theme will become a child theme of Genesis (see the child theme demo here). As the continued development of Genesis occurs, it’s a sensible transition that will benefit everyone. The AgentPress “classic” theme code is great, but now that AgentPress will become a child theme, members will find it easier to update and most importantly is on a framework that is our future direction and will include additional features.

Here’s a screenshot of the AgentPress child theme with Image Slider on the homepage:

What Exactly Does All of This Mean?

I’ll cut to the point – when the AgentPress child theme is ready, we’ll be closing down the AgentPress site as it stands now, and move all of the information and support over to StudioPress. It doesn’t make sense to offer a product on a separate site from where the actual support will take place.

We will be importing the current AgentPress members and support forum over to the StudioPress forums, and then all support from there on out will take place in one spot. This allows better support across the board and will keep all of our theme users in one spot.

This also means that the AgentPress child theme will be included in the StudioPress Pro Plus All-Theme package, and we’re happy to offer refunds to members who became Pro Plus members and also purchased the AgentPress theme. If this applies to you, feel free to contact us after the transition takes places.

In Conclusion

The bottom line for us is to provide our users with the very best solution – after the AgentPress theme was released, we began development of the Genesis Theme Framework. In my opinion, it wouldn’t seem fair to neglect those who’ve purchased the AgentPress theme by not moving AgentPress onto this awesome framework. Having said that, it also didn’t make sense to provide a Genesis/AgentPress solution on a separate site from StudioPress. Deductive reasoning consequently shows that the only good solution at that point was to make AgentPress a child theme of Genesis, and make that transition as beneficial to all members involved.

We are very excited about this because it consolidates resources, which in the end means a better experience and further development. Once this transition takes place, we fully intend on working with IDX integration, and taking the AgentPress theme to places you never thought WordPress could go.

Hooks 101 – A Basic Guide for the Genesis Theme Framework

2010-02-27T00:27:33Z

Now that we have launched the Genesis theme framework and have some child themes available, I thought it would be helpful to spend some more time explaining the basics of Genesis. Hooks 101 – A Basic Guide for the Genesis Theme Framework is the second article in the “Genesis Theme Framework – 101″ series.

What is a Hook?

A hook is a piece of code written into a theme, that allows you to attach additional content to the theme itself. In other words, it provides the ability to extend functionality by way of inserting (or hooking) code. The Genesis theme framework has over 40 locations throughout the theme where you can do this – to see a comprehensive list of these locations, you can take a look at the Genesis Hook Reference page.

What Does a Hook Look Like in a Theme File?

If you open up any of the Genesis theme framework files, you’ll be able to spot many of them. For instance, if you open up the footer.php file, you’ll see this code:

The very first line of this code is considered a hook – what this does is allow you the ability to add content (“hook”) the content to a specific location. In this case, you’ll see that it occurs before the footer.

What is an Example of Using a Hook?

Many folks like the idea of a widgeted footer area, but not all of our themes have one. A perfect example of what you can do with a hook is to add a widgeted footer area above the footer. Below is an explanation how you would do that.

Step #1
Create a new file and place it into your child theme folder. Name it something that makes sense for what content it contains… bottom-widgets.php

Step #2
Use this file just like you would use a sidebar.php file. Insert your markup and additional CSS, do the conditional widget calls, etc. For complete code, you can refer to this tutorial.

Step #3
Now, you want to create a function that will allow the contents of your bottom-widgets.php file to be hookable – which you can do by adding this code to your child theme’s functions.php file:

function include_bottom_widgets() {
    require(CHILD_DIR.'/bottom-widgets.php');
}

Step #4
Now we want to instruct the child theme to execute the function from Step #3 directly above the footer. No problem… we’ll use a hook – so you would place this code to do it:

add_action('genesis_before_footer', 'include_bottom_widgets');

What that line of code does is tells the Genesis engine… take the include_bottom_widgets function, and attach it to the genesis_before_footer hook, and execute. If you open up genesis/footer.php you can see the exact location of the genesis_before_footer() hook so you’ll know where your function is going to execute.

The Result
This process is like inserting code directly in the parent theme files, only slightly different. Instead of inserting the code directly, you attach it to hooks that have been placed in various locations throughout the genesis source code. Your final product looks like this in your child theme’s functions.php file:

add_action('genesis_before_footer', 'include_bottom_widgets');
function _include_bottom_widgets() {
    require(CHILD_DIR.'/bottom-widgets.php');
}

Additional Benefits

By using Hooks, you can simplify your design process and future theme management/maintenance because you only need to create the additional functionality code once and have it stored in the file you created (in this example, bottom-widgets.php), but you can hook it into multiple locations on your Theme. No more repetition of code blocks hard-coded into several various templates, you will have it in one file. Whenever you tweak or update it, that change will affect all areas of your theme where you have it hooked to.

Serenity 1.0 Child Theme Released

2010-02-22T03:02:26Z

We are happy to announce the release of the Serenity 1.0 Child Theme. This was developed to work with the Genesis Theme Framework and can be downloaded by Pro Plus members in the support forum. All others can purchase the Serenity Child Theme package here.

If you have already purchased the Genesis Theme Framework and another child, you can simply purchase the Serenity Child Theme by itself, otherwise you need the Serenity + Genesis Theme package.

The Serenity Child Theme is the first StudioPress Theme to begin using a jFlow slider, which is being used at the top of the homepage. Along with that, is the use of “WordPress Post Thumbnails” on the homepage – we’ve created some intermediate sizes to be displayed, which gives the theme a great look.

Take the Serenity child theme for a test drive…

Here’s a screenshot of the Serenity Child Theme:

New Premier Partner: Page.ly WordPress Hosting

2010-02-18T20:27:06Z

With so many Members and visitors, StudioPress is frequently asked for recommendations for all types of services related to WordPress and websites. Giving advice with so many great companies out there is difficult, but from time to time, we get the opportunity to try or test them or we get feedback from a lot of sources about which is best.

With that in mind, we are happy to announce our first Premier Partner: Page.ly. We highly recommend their Website Builder Service for netizens who need an easy WordPress Hosting solution.

Created in 2009 by an Arizona based creative agency, Page.ly makes it easy for anyone to setup a WordPress website with little or no fuss. The monthly service totally automates the setup of WordPress and includes a variety of free themes, important plugins, automatic backups and Automatic WordPress Core Upgrades. Additional PowerUps are available to Page.ly customers that include Premium WordPress themes from top vendors like StudioPress.com and others, along with access to WordPress customization services.

The Page.ly WordPress Hosting service is easy like WordPress.COM, but with all the freedom of a WordPress.ORG install. Page.ly’s 2 minute setup is an end-to-end solution for beginners to WordPress and seasoned users tired of manual setup and upgrading. A Free domain name and email service is included with every account. Page.ly is simply the fastest and easiest way to set-up a WordPress website. Check out the Page.ly 2 minute setup video:

Streamline Child Theme 1.0 Released

2010-02-16T15:27:28Z

We are happy to announce the release of the Streamline 1.0 Child Theme. This was developed to work with the Genesis Theme Framework and can be downloaded by Pro Plus members in the support forum. All others can purchase the Streamline Child Theme package here.

Here’s a screenshot of the new Streamline child theme:

Genesis Theme Framework 1.0.2 Now Available

2010-02-15T18:48:17Z

Genesis Theme Framework – version 1.0.2 is now available. This update addresses a few minor bugs that were in the previous version, and also includes a few elements of additional functionality. It’s always suggested you update to the latest version, and with Genesis, updating is a simple thing to do.

Before You Update to Genesis v1.0.2

It’s always advisable to make a backup of your current /genesis/ directory just to be safe. You can simply rename it /genesis_backup/ and then upload the new /genesis/ directory – that way in the event something goes wrong, you still have your working directory.

How to Update to Genesis v1.0.2

Assuming you haven’t made any changes to the core Genesis files, updating to the latest version of the Genesis Theme Framework is very easy. On your server, simply replace the /genesis/ directory in your /wp-content/themes/ directory on your server, with the new one. In other words, you will be replacing the entire Genesis parent theme folder with the new v1.0.2 version. This is the main reason we’ve encouraged everyone to make changes through the child theme, as updating the Genesis Theme Framework is THAT easy.

Where Can I get Genesis v1.0.2?

You can obtain it in two ways, first, we’ll be sending out an updated theme download link to everyone who has purchased Genesis. Second, you can always find the most current version of the theme in the support forum under the Genesis Theme Support > Genesis Theme Download thread.

Here’s What’s Been Added to Genesis v1.0.2

Fixed PARENT_THEME_VERSION definition
Added missing textdomains to text strings
Fixed uses of the_content filter on things that are not post content
Moved enqueue output to footer
Created genesis_do_header() function that it can be unhooked from genesis_header()

Platinum 1.0 Child Theme Released

2010-02-09T14:46:39Z

We are happy to announce the release of the Platinum 1.0 Child Theme. This was developed to work with the Genesis Theme Framework and can be downloaded by Pro Plus members in the support forum. All others can purchase the Platinum Child Theme package here.

If you have already purchased the Genesis Theme Framework and another child, you can simply purchase the Platinum Child Theme by itself, otherwise you need the Platinum + Genesis Theme package.

The Platinum Child Theme is the first StudioPress Theme to begin using the Dynamic Content Gallery plugin, which is being used on the homepage. Along with that, is the use of “WordPress Post Thumbnails” on the homepage – we’ve created some intermediate sizes to be displayed, which gives the Theme a great look.

Take the Platinum child theme for a test drive…

Here’s a screenshot of the Platinum Child Theme:

Genesis Theme Framework 1.0.1 Now Available

2010-02-08T17:15:38Z

Genesis Theme Framework – version 1.0.1 is now available and we are very happy with the first week of our launch. Our beta period proved to iron out most (if not all) of the obvious bugs. Most of the things that have been put into version 1.0.1 are just additional features, and updating to this version is a breeze.

Before You Update to Genesis v1.0.1

It’s always advisable to make a backup of your current /genesis/ directory just to be safe. You can simply rename it /genesis_10/ and then upload the new /genesis/ directory – that way in the event something goes wrong, you still have your working directory.

How to Update to Genesis v1.0.1

Assuming you haven’t made any changes to the core Genesis files, updating to the latest version of the Genesis Theme Framework is very easy. On your server, simply replace the /genesis/ directory in your /wp-content/themes/ directory on your server, with the new one. In other words, you will be replacing the entire Genesis parent theme folder with the new v1.0.1 version. This is the main reason we’ve encouraged everyone to make changes through the child theme, as updating the Genesis Theme Framework is THAT easy.

Where Can I get Genesis v1.0.1?

Here’s What’s Been Added to Genesis v1.0.1

Fixed bug in /lib/widgets/featured-page-widget.php and /lib/widgets/featured-post-widget.php
Removed the “Note” in the SEO Settings, Link nofollow Settings box, that indicated the nofollow settings weren’t functional (it has always been functional)
Updated /lib/widgets/user-profile-widget.php, lib/widgets/enews-widgets.php and lib/functions/comment_functions.php file with missing textdomains
Updated /lib/tools/breadcrumb.php file to replace ’studiopress’ textdomain with ‘genesis’
Updated /lib/admin/theme_settings.php file to replace ’studiopress’ textdomain with ‘genesis’
Changed orderby in /lib/widgets/featured-posts-widget.php to DESC in lieu of ASC
Added filter to genesis_get_image() return output
Added textdomains in various spots
Rewrote sidebar widget definitions to consolidate
Fixed issue in Featured Posts widget in Safari as reported
Added option to include Home in pages/categories menu on Theme Settings page / give home link a class so we can style it
Added filter for the home link text
Made it so that only admins have access to the Genesis menu in the dashboard
Split navigation into two separate functions, changed references from Sub Navigation to Secondary Navigation in theme options
Added text box for Follow Me on Twitter link in nav from custom text
Pulled all the footer contents into a function, hook to genesis_footer
Created compatibility_functions.php to handle settings upgrades

Child Themes 101 – A Basic Guide for the Genesis Theme Framework

2010-02-24T17:22:38Z

With the launch of Genesis in the rear view mirror, I thought it would be helpful to start introducing some of the elements of a theme framework. They are a relatively new thing in the WordPress world and a lot of people either don’t know what one is or how they work.

What is a Theme Framework?

In short, a theme framework is a robust WordPress theme that can be utilized out of the box as is, but also easily extended with child themes and hooks. Not only do they provide a number of enhancements above a typical WordPress theme, but they also serve as a platform to build upon for additional functionality. This post will focus exclusively on the Genesis theme framework and how it is structured.

What is a Child Theme?

A child theme is an extension of a theme framework which is comprised of typical theme elements – with Genesis, it includes a screenshot, theme files, a stylesheet, a functions file and an images folder. These elements are grouped together in what’s known as a child theme folder and can be activated like any other WordPress theme. To help explain the relationship of a child theme and the parent Genesis theme framework, I’ll go into detail with each one.

A Screenshot

All WordPress themes have a screenshoot image included – typically this is called “screenshot.png”, is 600 x 450 in dimension and is a visual display of the theme, which can be seen on the Appearance > Themes page inside your WordPress dashboard. Since child themes have their own folders and are activated like any other theme, they require a screenshot like a standard theme.

Theme Files

The Genesis theme framework, which in essence is the parent theme, is where all of the theme files are kept. This would include the typical theme files such as 404.php, comments.php, footer.php, header.php, index.php, page.php, single.php and so on. Child themes can also include these files – and the hierarchy works in a way that if any of those files exist in the child theme folder, they will override the parent theme. In other words, if you customize a footer.php file and place it into your child theme folder, that will be used in lieu of the one in the Genesis parent theme. Currently the only theme files that may be found in some of the Genesis child themes are a custom home.php file, which will control the way a site’s homepage will appear. If one is not a part of a child theme, then the theme will use the index.php file, in the Genesis-parent theme, for the homepage.

A Stylesheet

Many theme frameworks are built in a way that imports the parent theme stylesheet, then allows for customizations to be made by way of the child theme stylesheet. While there is nothing wrong with the way that works, we’ve chosen to simplify things and just give the child theme it’s own stylesheet. In other words, if a child theme is being used, the style.css file in the child theme folder has complete control over the way the child theme looks. You don’t have to compare and sift through multiple stylesheets to look for and change style elements.

A Functions File

Most WordPress themes have a functions.php file – which is typically a file where you can control certain behaviors of how WordPress is run or how the theme outputs various things. For instance, a functions file can register sidebar widgets and how they are styled, as well as a number of other “function” related things. With Genesis, the functions.php is simple – it calls the entire theme framework to run and that is the only code found there. The great thing about the way Genesis is built, is that the child theme’s functions file is where a number of things occur – additional sidebar widgets can be registered, and from a development side, custom functions are defined as well as filtered and hooked. (more on that in upcoming posts.)

An Images Folder

This one is pretty self-explanatory – as with any WordPress theme, there is an images folder which is used to hold any images that a theme requires. Use this to hold background images, icons, navbar gradients, and what not.

In Conclusion

The easiest way for me to explain the relationship between a parent theme and child theme, at least in Genesis’ case is to relate it to a cell phone. The Genesis parent theme is the cell phone, and the child theme is the case you hold it in. You’ll always use the same phone, but if you want to change the way it looks on the outside, you put a cover on it to make it look different. The same holds true with a child theme – as that is what “decorates” the way your theme looks.