Creating my first WP site, I chose Montezuma. I want to avoid hacks and use best practices, so I created a child theme. Unfortunately, nothing I placed into my child style.css had any effect.

In http://forum.bytesforall.com/showthread.php?t=19722, I read that:

Montezuma has a series of options for editing the CSS. When you use the options in the theme, the changes are stored in the database as a theme option. No need to create a child theme or use a plugin. My suggestion is to add any CSS overrides to the end of the 'clearfix.css' so you can find them quickly and they are all grouped together.

I have a few questions:

• Does this mean Montezuma does not support child themes?
• Is editing Montezuma's one CSS files the only way to modify the base theme?
  • If so, will my overrides be wiped out when the theme is updated?
  • On the flipside, if your CSS + my overrides are stored in the DB, when the theme is updated, should I assume the DB will prevail? Would that mean that the theme would ignore some of its CSS updates if the corresponding CSS file (overridden) has been duplicated into the DB?

I've spent two frustrating days trying to get even the simplest overrides working, in a child theme, before I found the post above. Any answers will go a long way towards helping me understand Montezuma better.

Thanks for your help.

The modifications made in the virtual css files in the theme options will not get overwritten in a theme update making a child theme unnecessary as these options are stored in the database.

When using Montezuma only make changes in the virtual files not in the theme files and forget about a child theme.

MZ is so customizable you don't need a child theme.

Originally Posted by UTAN_dev

nothing I placed into my child style.css had any effect.

This post shows one way, and links to a post with my favorite way, of overriding the theme css.

last update that there 'was, I changed my customizations.
Fortunately I had made ​​copies of the style.css file which I then reported about the one again.
unfortunately this is a known problem in all updates of a theme or plugin

I would like to say to the author of montezuma to mention the changes of updates, this allows to realize.

regards
max

Larry, you posted that theme updates won't wipe out virtual CSS files in the theme options. What happens when a new theme version uses new CSS?

Say I add changes to, for example, layout.css. Then an update comes along with a modified layout.css. Apart from some advanced (and unreliable) automated diff voodoo, I can't understand how the update function would be able to apply new rules to the layout.css virtual CSS while preserving my changes. If I understand masmaz correctly, this isn't the case — the update would replace layout.css, losing my changes in the process. I would then have to reapply my changes after the update, which sounds more plausible.

Can you clarify? Again, my tone is not that of someone arguing "you're lying! This theme sux!", rather someone new to WP trying to learn how things work. Thanks for your insight.

when you install and activatethe theme, the theme options (including all the CSS) is stored in the database. Updates will not change what you have.

If new things are added to one of the css files, say layout.css - you will have to copy your changes, reset that css file and add your settings back in.

Maybe I can say this in a different way that might help. Here's my understanding:

If you make change directly in the physical files, such as with FTP or cpanel, they get wiped out in updates. If you make changes via the dashboard, they're virtual, and don't get overwritten with updates. I know for sure it works this way for templates and subtemplates, and I'm pretty sure the css is the same.

Juggledad, Larry, is this correct? Does it apply to css the same way it does to templates and subtemplates?

Originally Posted by UTAN_dev

Apart from some advanced (and unreliable) automated diff voodoo, I can't understand how the update function would be able to apply new rules to the layout.css virtual CSS while preserving my changes.

I don't think it's that complicated. I expect it's something more like:

for each file:

if the virtual file exists,

use it;

else,

use the physical file;

Juggledad might know for sure. He's been inside most of the underlying files.

Originally Posted by UTAN_dev

Larry, you posted that theme updates won't wipe out virtual CSS files in the theme options. What happens when a new theme version uses new CSS?

Say I add changes to, for example, layout.css. Then an update comes along with a modified layout.css. Apart from some advanced (and unreliable) automated diff voodoo, I can't understand how the update function would be able to apply new rules to the layout.css virtual CSS while preserving my changes. If I understand masmaz correctly, this isn't the case — the update would replace layout.css, losing my changes in the process. I would then have to reapply my changes after the update, which sounds more plausible.

Can you clarify? Again, my tone is not that of someone arguing "you're lying! This theme sux!", rather someone new to WP trying to learn how things work. Thanks for your insight.

The way I would get "comfortable" with what is happening is build a sandbox site with an older version, make some changes in the virtual files, and then update to the newest version. Then you will have first hand experience with how it all works. You can download a previous version here or here. You can read more about the theme here.