Developing integrating design’s theme

What is a theme, anyway?

Conceptually, the theme of a WordPress site is its personality. Differences between themes are intended to make visiting each site built using WordPress a unique experience.

Technically, WordPress themes range from

• a single file (style.css) containing a few CSS rules customizing colors
• to a sophisticated framework of programs written in a variety of languages intended as a base on which other people can build themes.

integrating design’s theme evolution

Thematic, parent of the current theme

• Thematic
• ThemeShaper (home of the Automattic Theme Team)
• Wiki Guide to Thematic
• Visualizing Thematic’s Action Hooks
• Visual guide to Thematic’s box layout
• ThemeShaper’s guide to Child Themes
• How to make a child theme for WordPress: A pictorial introduction for beginners (being kept up to date!)

Clear Line, inspiration for look and feel

• Clear Line
• Ivan’s Tutorials, tips and tricks

Boilerplate: Starkers, a solid foundation

• HTML5 Boilerplate project
• Boilerplate: Starkers blog post
• Boilerplate: Starkers theme in the raw
• Getting Started Using HTML5 Boilerplate

Theme Development

• WordPress: Design and Layout
• Yoast’s Theme Infographic
• WordPress: Site Development
• WordPress: Theme Development
• ThemeLab
• WordPress: Functions File about functions.php
• WordPress: Function Reference
• Know Your Sources, WP’s resource list
• Online PHP manual, absolutely superb

Tools

• WordPress: Validating a Website
• WordPress: Theme Unit Test
• W3C Markup Validation Service
• W3C CSS Validation Service
• Theme Check, also Getting the most from Theme-Check
• DeBogger
• Log Deprecated Notices, great for finding problems in older plugins, too.
• Selenium
• MAMP
• WordPress: Developer Documentation