Genesis Framework Simple Reference Guide

In Genesis Framework Simple Reference Guide, Let’s start with a small intro about Genesis framework. Genesis framework is most flexible WordPress theme with more customization option. Genesis framework let you develop a site on WordPress in a way you want it. If you prefer WordPress for development this framework will give you more power and flexibility to develop the website. You can create your own customized theme using Genesis framework.

Genesis framework is one-time purchase.

So, it’s worth buying and use it for multiple site development

Genesis Framework Simple Reference Guide

Genesis framework’s customization based on the hooks, filters. Using these options you can develop a website right from the scratch.

Hooks –   Inject the desired code at desired place without changing any WordPress default file.

Filters – allow you to modify/decorate  the existing function

Download and install the Genesis Theme and also install the child theme for Genesis and activate it.

Do all the customization in child themes function.php

This will keep the parent theme clean.

You can put your custom contents section in the required place by creating/registering the sidebar and  hook it in function.php ( child theme)

Refer the below image for the Genesis Hook guide. 

the hook guide will help you to understand the names given to refer section of the website. Use this hook name to replace it with required custom contents.

Registering sidebar in Genesis

If you want to put your custom HTML code or content in place of the hook names, first you need to register the sidebar. The registered sidebar will appear in the Appearance – > Widget section of the WordPress.

Once the register sidebar appears in the widget section drag drop the require widget to the corresponding sidebar. You can also insert custom content blocks to the registered sidebar. These content block let you add custom codes.

genesis_register_sidebar( array(
 'id'          => 'menu_header_right',
 'name'        => __( 'Menu - Header Right', 'custom_name' ),
 'description' => __( 'custom_description.', 'custom_name' ),
) );

Add the above code snippet to the child themes function.php. Now you can see the new sidebar available in widget page with the name mentioned in the code.

Hook the registered sidebar

After registering the sidebar,  we need to determine the place where the appropriate sidebar needs to be hooked.

add_action( 'genesis_header_right', 'menu_header_right');

function menu_header_right() {
 if (is_active_sidebar( 'menu_header_right' ) ) {
   genesis_widget_area( 'menu_header_right', array(
  'before' => '<div class="menu_header_right widget-area"><div class="wrap">',
  'after' => '</div></div>',
  ));
 }
}

This piece of code will hook the custom sidebar in the place of  “genesis_header_right”  as mentioned in the hook guide. With the help of  ‘before’ & ‘after’ attribute, you can wrap side bar with a custom HTML & class for styling.

Genesis Filters

Filters in Genesis tends access to modify the result of the existing function. I will explain the filter concept with the example.

In a breadcrumb, the default separator will be “/” and the breadcrumb will look like “Home/some_page”,  If I want to modify the default separator of the breadcrumb from “/” to “>” which can be achieved by filters.

function change_breadcrumb_separator( $args ) {
   $args['sep'] = ' > ';
   return $args;
}
add_filter( 'genesis_breadcrumb_args', 'change_breadcrumb_separator' );

Genesis general settings

Apart from the custom hooks & filters Genesis framework has some general settings.

• Default site layout
• Section for adding logo image
• Breadcrumb options
• Comment and Track Backs
• content archive
• Blog page template
• Header / footer scripts.

These titles itself reveal the core purpose of the settings.

Genesis framework simple reference guide gave a basic idea about implementation for more hooks and filters visit the link below.

Most common hooks in genesis framework used for website development are available here.

Ready made themes also available in Genesis framework. Check it out!