Joomla is a very variable system and in addition to the ability to install and use templates also offers the use of child templates.
In short: Child templates are descendants of standard templates and allow you to customize your own site design without having to modify the main template and not lose the changes when updating the template. You can only choose certain template files to modify. The other files will remain untouched and will be loaded from the parent template. You can read more about child templates in the following article: Sweet child o' mine... A deep dive into Joomla Child Templates
So how to install Child template?
This process consists of two steps one step:
- Create child template in administration
- Install package with custom files.
Create child template in administration
Child template is actually composed with custom files and before we install such files in our own site, we need to define which template will be the parent template. From which template we will actually make a child.
In our case we will install the child template "Phoca Cart" for the parent Joomla default Cassiopeia template:
- Go to Joomla administration - System - Site Templates - click on Cassiopeia Details and Files link to edit it
- A popup window will appear where you set the name in the form field Child Template Name to phocacart and then click the Create Child Template button
- Now the child template has been created and you can upload the installation package.
Install package with custom files
As we wrote above, in our case we will install the child template "Phoca Cart" for the parent Joomla default template Cassiopeia.
Go to Phoca Cart extensions website (templates) and download Phoca Cart Child Template.
Install this child template in your Joomla administration:
Go to Joomla administration - System - Install - Extensions and upload the installation package.
The installation package includes custom files which will be copied to these folders:
- templates/cassiopeia_phocacart
- media/templates/site/cassiopeia_phocacart
How to uninstall child templates
Go to Joomla administration - System - Manage - Extensions and search for "cassiopeia_phocacart"
If you uinstall "cassiopeia_phocacart" type Template, then child template including its all files will be removed.
If you uinstall "cassiopeia_phocacart" type File only, then only custom files in templates folder will be removed (not custom files in media folder).
In conclusion, let's recap. Child templates consist mostly of custom modified files and therefore their installation consists of two steps. The child template is defined and created and then the custom files are uploaded to your site using the installation package.
See Cassiopeia Phoca Cart child template demo website.