Update New Theme Framework – Function Files

Some WordPress theme frameworks like the Woo framework are updated every 1-2 weeks.

This means the theme developers have fixed bugs and improved the framework your theme is built on. This is normally the case with the Woo framework.

Not all themes created by the same theme developer are built using the same framework however, many of the best themes are.

Three of the biggest and most popular theme creators build all their themes on the same framework:

• Studiopress themes – Genesis framework
• Woo themes – Woo framework
• Thesis themes – Thesis framework

Normally you can update your theme framework automatically by clicking the theme update button in the backend of your WordPress  site.

However, sometimes this doesn’t work because your host may not allow it for security purposes, you don’t have your server configured to allow this to happen, or your file permissions aren’t set to allow this to happen.

The solution is to update your theme framework manually@ wp-content/themes/yourtheme/

Updating Theme Functions Manually

When a theme framework has been updated this means you’ll receive access to a new theme functions folder.

1. Download this zipped folder and extract the contents to another new folder on your local computer
2. Login to your FTP client and upload the new framework files to your parent themes functions folder
3. Make sure you overwrite all your old theme functions files with the new theme functions files

You’ll find your theme framework files are located in your themes functions folder

Example: wp-content/themes/yourtheme/functions/

Customization to Theme Function Files

If you have made any changes to the code in any of your themes core functions files these will be lost when you update your theme framework.

Check the changelog before updating your framework and uploading the new framework files to your themes functions folder.

The best way to avoid losing changes you make to your themes functions is to create a child theme. This way any customization of your themes functions files are stored in a separate folder and won’t be effected when you update your framework manually or automatically.

If you’re using a free theme other than one of the WordPress default themes like Twenty Eleven or Twenty Twelve, you’ll probably never have to update your themes functions folder because they rarely get updated.