Another wordpress question - Virtual Assistant Forums

wahm3blessings · #1 (**permalink**) 04-07-2008

Ok, I hope I can explain this in a way so that you can understand what I mean.

When I tried to go into the theme editor in the wordpress admin section, it wouldn't let me edit it. It was there and looked as if it had been edited, but there were no changes that took effect. I had uploaded the theme through my hosting controller as a zip file. So I had to go on my computer, extract it, edit the stylesheet, and save that. Then I put it back in a zip file and uploaded it again.

So, I have to do this every time I want to edit it? Or is there an easy way? Even if it takes a little longer now, I would rather do it than have to edit it that way each time.

kathiemt · #2 (**permalink**) 04-07-2008

Unless you have changed the edit settings online you can't edit it via the dashboard theme editor. I always edit mine via Dreamweaver on my computer and then upload - you can do the same with notepad or any other editor for html. I recommend you do that anyway so if you muck something up you can undo the changes you did. Doing it straight online runs you into the danger of not being able to undo what you did, but if you really want to do that, you need to change your settings to 777 I believe for editing online in your control panel for file editing.

jeannedb · #3 (**permalink**) 04-07-2008

When you're in the Theme Editor in WP, is the "Update File" button available at the lower right of the editor screen? If it's not available, then your permissions for those files are not set (or are not set correctly).

To correct this, you will need to either go into your hosting account's control panel and change permissions for your theme's files that you plan to change, or you could download something like FileZilla (if you don't already have an FTP program) and locate the files and change the permissions that way.

I believe that when the files are loaded via Fantastico scripts, the default is 666 (or RW-RW-RW-). This will allow you to edit those files from within WP. But it's always important to create back ups of each of those files. I constantly save via FTP to my hard drive as I go along editing.

Also, when editing, I often will "comment out" items that I don't want. For instance, if I'm not using widget and I'm editing the sidebar and the calendar is part of the sidebar; rather than deleting the code for the calendar, I will simply place comment codes around it. That way if I decide I want it in the future, the code is still there and I can simply remove the comment codes.

I hope I made sense.

Brianna Young · #4 (**permalink**) 04-07-2008

I agree with both Kathie and Jeanne that you should use a text editor or Dreamweaver to edit your files...just in case. But, I think Jeanne might have it right that your permissions are set incorrectly. Let us know if that works! We'll get you fixed up!

wahm3blessings · #5 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008

It's funny, but it started working. I didn't change anything in it. I don't know what happened.

Brianna Young · #6 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008

You know, Wordpress has some really strange quirks that come out of nowhere...that might just have been one of those.

A great place to go for answers is the Wordpress forum on wordpress.org. There are lots of Wordy-Nerdys there to help out, and most are very nice as long as you provide as much detail as possible!

wahm3blessings · #7 (**permalink**) 04-11-2008

Wordy-Nerdys! Lol!

Thanks for the info about the Wordpress forum. I probably saw something about that and it just didn't register through the daze. Lol!

kathiemt · #8 (**permalink**) 04-11-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by wahm3blessings

Wordy-Nerdys! Lol!

Thanks for the info about the Wordpress forum. I probably saw something about that and it just didn't register through the daze. Lol!

I've gone to the wordpress forum a lot of times - I don't always get answers to my questions, at least not directly. Sometimes I'm referred to other threads that might give the direct answer. But it is still a good place to go to when searching for answers as I've often found out about things that are very useful, including heaps of plugins.