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Feature request: separate updatable instances of Helix Ultimate (child template) or per-style CSS/overrides

Asked by Gianluca Pantaleo 2 months ago Last activity 1 month ago

Hello,

I'm using Helix Ultimate on a Joomla project and need to create two visual variants of the same site (a restyle), while keeping both able to receive official template updates — especially security updates.

The issue I've run into:

If I manually duplicate the template folder (e.g. shaper_helixultimate2), I get two independent templates with their own custom.css and overrides — but the copy no longer receives automatic updates, since Joomla treats it as a separate extension disconnected from the update system.
If instead I use a single Helix Ultimate template and create two different Template Styles, both correctly receive updates, but custom CSS and layout overrides remain shared between the two styles, since they're tied to the template folder rather than the individual style.

What I would need:

A child template system, similar to WordPress child themes: a lightweight second folder that automatically inherits all files from the main template, while allowing independent custom.css and overrides, and still receiving updates (particularly security patches) from the main template.

I understand this isn't a native Joomla feature, but I wanted to ask:

Does Helix Ultimate already offer something similar that I may have missed?
Are you planning to introduce a child template mechanism, or truly separate per-style CSS/overrides?
Do you have a recommended workaround for my use case, other than the ones I've already considered (manual duplication with diffing, or multiple styles with conditional PHP overrides)?

Thank you in advance for your support

Accepted answer

Marked as the solution

Mehtaz Afsana Borsha Staff

2 months ago

Hi,

Thank you for the detailed explanation.

Currently, Helix Ultimate does not support a WordPress-style child template system, and we cannot confirm whether this will be added in a future release.

For your use case, the safest approach is to keep one official Helix Ultimate installation and create two Joomla Template Styles. You can place style-specific CSS under Template Options → Custom Code → Custom CSS, as this field can be configured separately for each style. However, the physical custom.css file and template override folders are still shared.

For different markup or layouts, you would need to use Joomla alternative layouts, page-specific classes, or conditional logic based on the template style or menu item. If completely separate PHP overrides are required, duplicating the template and manually tracking upstream changes through Git or a comparison tool remains the practical workaround.

Your request for child-template inheritance or truly per-style CSS and override folders is valid, and it can be considered as a feature request for the development team. However, we cannot provide any commitment or timeline at this stage.

Best regards.

3 more replies

Gianluca Pantaleo Asked this

2 months ago

Yes, it would be excellent to have a "Child Template" feature in the future, similar to WordPress child themes and the native Joomla Cassiopeia template (which has supported child templates since Joomla 4.1).

In the meantime, I'd prefer not to use Template Options → Custom Code → Custom CSS, because that field doesn't format the code and advises against having more than 15 lines. So I'd rather use the custom.css file, even though it's shared across all styles.

One question: how can I print the active style's ID into the body tag, so I can create different class selectors for different styles? Thank you.

Mehtaz Afsana Borsha Staff

2 months ago

Could you please create a new forum post anout this new topic? So that our team can help you.

Mehtaz Afsana Borsha Staff

1 month ago

Hi,

If you dont have any other queries, you can then close this post by accepting the answer.

Mehtaz Afsana Borsha Staff

1 month ago

Thanks for accepting the answer.