During the preparation for new and much improved xScape Theme Framework 1.7, I did some tests and made several changes to xScape to create ‘xScape Core’ that will be used to separate themes from framework using child themes approach built into WordPress.
In WordPress, you can have a theme that is based on another theme and using parts of that time. Child themes share much of the code with its base theme and if a template or file is missing from child theme, parent theme file is used. When xScape development started, unique structure of the framework wasn’t working for child themes. But now, that has changed.
All the latest improvements that will be in xScape 1.7 will allow for two things: creating child themes and using new xScape Core. When current themes get updated with xScape 1.7 you will be able to create child themes for them, pretty much as with any other WordPress theme.
I will also release xScape Core Theme that will have only framework inside, base template files and standard styling. xScape Core will not work on its own, and will be used by the themes. Some themes will get ‘Core’ versions that contain only theme specific files: templates, styling and layout. They will use xScape Core to load the framework. So, Core themes will be child themes to xScape Core. You can’t create child theme of a child theme, but this will help separate framework from individual themes. So, you can use xScape Theme Framework for child themes in two way: create child theme of a full, normal xScape based theme as they are right now, or make a copy of the Core theme and create own xScape Core Theme child theme.
Once the xScape 1.7 is ready next week, I will post a tutorials how to make both types of child themes.
