id summary reporter owner description type status priority milestone component version severity resolution keywords cc focuses 7086 Look for Template Files in Stylesheet Directory First ThemeShaper westi "'''PROBLEM:''' I can make new, CSS-only, child themes by including ""TEMPLATE: define-parent-theme-here"" in the comments of my stylesheet, inheriting all the page templates of a parent theme. I can override and add new functions by including a functions.php file with this child theme. BUT! What if I want to add new page templates? Can I add foo.php or bar.php in the folder of my child theme and make it available in WRITE > PAGE? Nope, I can't. WordPress Should change this. '''EXAMPLE:''' {{{ sandbox ..header.php, sidebar.php, etc. ..links.php ..archives.php }}} ''Links'' and ''archives'' are existing custom template files {{{ child-theme ..style.css ..functions.php ..foo.php ..bar.php ..header.php }}} ''foo'' and ''bar'' are new page templates that should become available in WRITE > PAGE when ''child theme'' is the active theme—but they currently don't. Plus, WordPress should use the header template from child-theme. '''BONUS:''' Why would I want to do this? More custom themes, less work. A blog is a blog is a blog: most custom theming work happens on the home page. Make a new home-page.php file in a child theme and with some fun CSS and javascript you can make a host of easily maintained themes; most of the code is recycled from the pristine ""parent theme"". Imagine a hundred clients with drastically different sites, all with easily upgraded code: overwrite the parent theme, tweak home-page.php. Done. This should also add a lot more options and possibilities to the coming WordPress Theme Marketplace, speeding up theme vetting (most of the code being inherited from The Sandbox) while providing some even more dramatically new variations. " enhancement closed normal 2.7 General normal fixed has-patch needs-testing