And we’re back.
Modularity and High-Def have been overhauled and updated for WordPress 2.7. As a special treat, I’ve included a new “app” in the multimedia theme framework, but you’ll need to download and replace your current version to see it. You can check the new theme options page for details. The update makes use of the following features included in WordPress 2.7:
- Threaded comments
- Inline comment replies
- New microformats for css classes
- Sticky post integration
The new release of Modularity is a must have for current Modularity and High Def users. NOTE: This release is for WordPress 2.7 only. Upgrade now.
In other news, new “child themes” for Modularity will be released very soon. Child themes are perhaps most well known amongst WordPress developers and designers. Let me try to explain how they work, what they do, and why you should use child themes.
A child theme uses all the code of its parent theme, but has the capability of overriding each and every file or style in the parent theme. Consider this example: Tom downloads Modularity (a parent theme) because he thinks it would work for his site. But, Tom wants to make changes to the colors, tweak the archive page and change the header. Tom should create a child theme for all of his changes. Why? Because when a new version of Modularity (the parent theme) is released, Tom can simply replace Modularity (the parent theme) and maintain all of his original customizations in his child theme. Make sense?
During 2009, Graph Paper Press will focus on building a handful of minimal, feature-rich parent theme frameworks with equal, if not more, time and energy spent on building child themes. What this means for you is more theme designs. What this means for us is more streamlined development, quicker updates and better themes. Plus, Graph Paper Press is no longer just a one man show. I’m teaming up with designers and developers to provide you with customization options, private support, and a leaner, meaner theme building team. I’ll post details here soon.
Quite a few of you have asked if your “Get All Theme Package” will continue into 2009. The simple answer is yes. For 2009, Graph Paper Press will become a subscription-based web design and support system for our WordPress themes. This will enable us to continue to focus on minimalist themes for WordPress that provide you with maximum functionality and flexibility. The proof is in the pudding.
Parallax is the name of our next child theme for the Modularity framework. It will hit the streets next week. In the mean time, what functionality would you most like in a theme?