Installed Montezuma as first theme - trying to learn mods...bad idea?
 

I really like the layout and everything with my new theme but am having a heck of a time trying to get custom things to do what "I think" they should...based on searching for answers on the web and reading tutorials.

Is this theme different enough that I should start with a basic theme that doesn't do Virtual Files while I am learning all of this? Or will it be simpler once I get the Ah Ha moment I have been waiting for?..lol

Right now I want to make a new template that I can use if I want when posting a single post...and I want it to use the Advanced Custom Fields plugin I downloaded so certain posts will show content if and when I tell them too.

Can anyone help out with this and or tell me if I should be learning wordpress backend stuff with this theme or not?

Thank you.

After more fiddling around I managed to get a new "Page" template to show up after I uploaded it...but it is not showing any header info etc., just the code that is included on the page (and yes it has the get_header and get_footer).

I really want to figure out how to make a page /file that I can edit the PHP to add the custom field code to..but I just can't figure out where to upload it once I make it..or where I should see the drop down or selection field to select that post format.

This is taken off the Front page of the Montezuma theme...For full PHP access you can still work the traditional way by editing templates on your desktop computer and uploading them through FTP.

Would the instructions be the exact same for this theme if I am reading how to do it with other themes..or would there be different locations to upload and files to edit?

Thanks.

Montezuma has some virtual templates (and you can add others) - the advantage of a virtual template is that it is stored in the database so when you do a theme update, it still exists. The disadvantage of a virtual template is that you can add just any PHP to it (there is a wordpress restriction that was added about a year and a half ago that is the cause of this)

If you create a 'actual' template and add it to the theme folder and then do a WordPress automatic update, your 'actual' template will be deleted (wordpress deletes the contents of the theme folder before installing the new version of the theme) so make sure to have a backup.

This holds tru any time you make a change to a themes files, upgrades will wipe out the changes so keep a backup and good notes about what you did.

in this case you will have to create an 'actual' template.

One thing to remember about a plugin like this, if you decide to swap themes, you will have to modify the theme code of what ever theme you pick. (but then again why would you ever switch from this theme :p)