Wordpress Theme Stylesheet Question

Hello everyone,

I’m in the process of making a WordPress theme and have a question around the stylesheet. Is there a demo stylesheet that contains all of the required WordPress default styling ? Can this be copied into my theme, legally ?

I am really struggling to ensure that no default WordPress styling functionality is missing or not working but it seems unclear what is mandatory and what is optional.

I know there are theme test content you can apply and run through but this does not feel like it would catch all styling issues and or classes.

Any help would be really appreciated,

Tom

If you generate a theme using the WP-CLI command:

wp scaffold _s yourslug

then you get a pretty solid structure, include a stylesheet that looks like this (envato wouldn’t let me upload the .css):

/ *
Theme Name: Testtheme
Theme URI: http://underscores.me/
Author: Me
Author URI: http://underscores.me/
Description: Custom theme: Testtheme, developed by Me
Version: 1.0.0
License: GNU General Public License v2 or later
License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
Text Domain: testtheme
Tags:

This theme, like WordPress, is licensed under the GPL.
Use it to make something cool, have fun, and share what you've learned with others.

Testtheme is based on Underscores http://underscores.me/, (C) 2012-2015 Automattic, Inc.
Underscores is distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL v2 or later.

Normalizing styles have been helped along thanks to the fine work of
Nicolas Gallagher and Jonathan Neal http://necolas.github.com/normalize.css/
*/

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
>>> TABLE OF CONTENTS:
----------------------------------------------------------------
# Normalize
# Typography
# Elements
# Forms
# Navigation
    ## Links
    ## Menus
# Accessibility
# Alignments
# Clearings
# Widgets
# Content
    ## Posts and pages
    ## Asides
    ## Comments
# Infinite scroll
# Media
    ## Captions
    ## Galleries
--------------------------------------------------------------*/

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Normalize
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
html {
    font-family: sans-serif;
    -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;
    -ms-text-size-adjust:     100%;
}

body {
    margin: 0;
}

article,
aside,
details,
figcaption,
figure,
footer,
header,
main,
menu,
nav,
section,
summary {
    display: block;
}

audio,
canvas,
progress,
video {
    display: inline-block;
    vertical-align: baseline;
}

audio:not([controls]) {
    display: none;
    height: 0;
}

[hidden],
template {
    display: none;
}

a {
    background-color: transparent;
}

a:active,
a:hover {
    outline: 0;
}

abbr[title] {
    border-bottom: 1px dotted;
}

b,
strong {
    font-weight: bold;
}

dfn {
    font-style: italic;
}

h1 {
    font-size: 2em;
    margin: 0.67em 0;
}

mark {
    background: #ff0;
    color: #000;
}

small {
    font-size: 80%;
}

sub,
sup {
    font-size: 75%;
    line-height: 0;
    position: relative;
    vertical-align: baseline;
}

sup {
    top: -0.5em;
}

sub {
    bottom: -0.25em;
}

img {
    border: 0;
}

svg:not(:root) {
    overflow: hidden;
}

figure {
    margin: 1em 40px;
}

hr {
    box-sizing: content-box;
    height: 0;
}

pre {
    overflow: auto;
}

code,
kbd,
pre,
samp {
    font-family: monospace, monospace;
    font-size: 1em;
}

button,
input,
optgroup,
select,
textarea {
    color: inherit;
    font: inherit;
    margin: 0;
}

button {
    overflow: visible;
}

button,
select {
    text-transform: none;
}

button,
html input[type="button"],
input[type="reset"],
input[type="submit"] {
    -webkit-appearance: button;
    cursor: pointer;
}

button[disabled],
html input[disabled] {
    cursor: default;
}

button::-moz-focus-inner,
input::-moz-focus-inner {
    border: 0;
    padding: 0;
}

input {
    line-height: normal;
}

input[type="checkbox"],
input[type="radio"] {
    box-sizing: border-box;
    padding: 0;
}

input[type="number"]::-webkit-inner-spin-button,
input[type="number"]::-webkit-outer-spin-button {
    height: auto;
}

input[type="search"] {
    -webkit-appearance: textfield;
    box-sizing: content-box;
}

input[type="search"]::-webkit-search-cancel-button,
input[type="search"]::-webkit-search-decoration {
    -webkit-appearance: none;
}

fieldset {
    border: 1px solid #c0c0c0;
    margin: 0 2px;
    padding: 0.35em 0.625em 0.75em;
}

legend {
    border: 0;
    padding: 0;
}

textarea {
    overflow: auto;
}

optgroup {
    font-weight: bold;
}

table {
    border-collapse: collapse;
    border-spacing: 0;
}

td,
th {
    padding: 0;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Typography
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
body,
button,
input,
select,
textarea {
    color: #404040;
    font-family: sans-serif;
    font-size: 16px;
    font-size: 1rem;
    line-height: 1.5;
}

h1,
h2,
h3,
h4,
h5,
h6 {
    clear: both;
}

p {
    margin-bottom: 1.5em;
}

dfn,
cite,
em,
i {
    font-style: italic;
}

blockquote {
    margin: 0 1.5em;
}

address {
    margin: 0 0 1.5em;
}

pre {
    background: #eee;
    font-family: "Courier 10 Pitch", Courier, monospace;
    font-size: 15px;
    font-size: 0.9375rem;
    line-height: 1.6;
    margin-bottom: 1.6em;
    max-width: 100%;
    overflow: auto;
    padding: 1.6em;
}

code,
kbd,
tt,
var {
    font-family: Monaco, Consolas, "Andale Mono", "DejaVu Sans Mono", monospace;
    font-size: 15px;
    font-size: 0.9375rem;
}

abbr,
acronym {
    border-bottom: 1px dotted #666;
    cursor: help;
}

mark,
ins {
    background: #fff9c0;
    text-decoration: none;
}

big {
    font-size: 125%;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Elements
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
html {
    box-sizing: border-box;
}

*,
*:before,
*:after { /* Inherit box-sizing to make it easier to change the property for components that leverage other behavior; see http://css-tricks.com/inheriting-box-sizing-probably-slightly-better-best-practice/ */
    box-sizing: inherit;
}

body {
    background: #fff; /* Fallback for when there is no custom background color defined. */
}

blockquote:before,
blockquote:after,
q:before,
q:after {
    content: "";
}

blockquote,
q {
    quotes: "" "";
}

hr {
    background-color: #ccc;
    border: 0;
    height: 1px;
    margin-bottom: 1.5em;
}

ul,
ol {
    margin: 0 0 1.5em 3em;
}

ul {
    list-style: disc;
}

ol {
    list-style: decimal;
}

li > ul,
li > ol {
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 1.5em;
}

dt {
    font-weight: bold;
}

dd {
    margin: 0 1.5em 1.5em;
}

img {
    height: auto; /* Make sure images are scaled correctly. */
    max-width: 100%; /* Adhere to container width. */
}

table {
    margin: 0 0 1.5em;
    width: 100%;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Forms
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
button,
input[type="button"],
input[type="reset"],
input[type="submit"] {
    border: 1px solid;
    border-color: #ccc #ccc #bbb;
    border-radius: 3px;
    background: #e6e6e6;
    box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5), inset 0 15px 17px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5), inset 0 -5px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
    color: rgba(0, 0, 0, .8);
    font-size: 12px;
    font-size: 0.75rem;
    line-height: 1;
    padding: .6em 1em .4em;
    text-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);
}

button:hover,
input[type="button"]:hover,
input[type="reset"]:hover,
input[type="submit"]:hover {
    border-color: #ccc #bbb #aaa;
    box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8), inset 0 15px 17px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8), inset 0 -5px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.02);
}

button:focus,
input[type="button"]:focus,
input[type="reset"]:focus,
input[type="submit"]:focus,
button:active,
input[type="button"]:active,
input[type="reset"]:active,
input[type="submit"]:active {
    border-color: #aaa #bbb #bbb;
    box-shadow: inset 0 -1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5), inset 0 2px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
}

input[type="text"],
input[type="email"],
input[type="url"],
input[type="password"],
input[type="search"],
input[type="number"],
input[type="tel"],
input[type="range"],
input[type="date"],
input[type="month"],
input[type="week"],
input[type="time"],
input[type="datetime"],
input[type="datetime-local"],
input[type="color"],
textarea {
    color: #666;
    border: 1px solid #ccc;
    border-radius: 3px;
}

select {
    border: 1px solid #ccc;
}

input[type="text"]:focus,
input[type="email"]:focus,
input[type="url"]:focus,
input[type="password"]:focus,
input[type="search"]:focus,
input[type="number"]:focus,
input[type="tel"]:focus,
input[type="range"]:focus,
input[type="date"]:focus,
input[type="month"]:focus,
input[type="week"]:focus,
input[type="time"]:focus,
input[type="datetime"]:focus,
input[type="datetime-local"]:focus,
input[type="color"]:focus,
textarea:focus {
    color: #111;
}

input[type="text"],
input[type="email"],
input[type="url"],
input[type="password"],
input[type="search"],
input[type="number"],
input[type="tel"],
input[type="range"],
input[type="date"],
input[type="month"],
input[type="week"],
input[type="time"],
input[type="datetime"],
input[type="datetime-local"],
input[type="color"] {
    padding: 3px;
}

textarea {
    padding-left: 3px;
    width: 100%;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Navigation
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
/*--------------------------------------------------------------
## Links
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
a {
    color: royalblue;
}

a:visited {
    color: purple;
}

a:hover,
a:focus,
a:active {
    color: midnightblue;
}

a:focus {
    outline: thin dotted;
}

a:hover,
a:active {
    outline: 0;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
## Menus
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.main-navigation {
    clear: both;
    display: block;
    float: left;
    width: 100%;
}

.main-navigation ul {
    display: none;
    list-style: none;
    margin: 0;
    padding-left: 0;
}

.main-navigation li {
    float: left;
    position: relative;
}

.main-navigation a {
    display: block;
    text-decoration: none;
}

.main-navigation ul ul {
    box-shadow: 0 3px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
    float: left;
    position: absolute;
    top: 1.5em;
    left: -999em;
    z-index: 99999;
}

.main-navigation ul ul ul {
    left: -999em;
    top: 0;
}

.main-navigation ul ul a {
    width: 200px;
}

.main-navigation ul ul li {

}

.main-navigation li:hover > a,
.main-navigation li.focus > a {
}

.main-navigation ul ul :hover > a,
.main-navigation ul ul .focus > a {
}

.main-navigation ul ul a:hover,
.main-navigation ul ul a.focus {
}

.main-navigation ul li:hover > ul,
.main-navigation ul li.focus > ul {
    left: auto;
}

.main-navigation ul ul li:hover > ul,
.main-navigation ul ul li.focus > ul {
    left: 100%;
}

.main-navigation .current_page_item > a,
.main-navigation .current-menu-item > a,
.main-navigation .current_page_ancestor > a,
.main-navigation .current-menu-ancestor > a {
}

/* Small menu. */
.menu-toggle,
.main-navigation.toggled ul {
    display: block;
}

@media screen and (min-width: 37.5em) {
    .menu-toggle {
        display: none;
    }
    .main-navigation ul {
        display: block;
    }
}

.site-main .comment-navigation,
.site-main .posts-navigation,
.site-main .post-navigation {
    margin: 0 0 1.5em;
    overflow: hidden;
}

.comment-navigation .nav-previous,
.posts-navigation .nav-previous,
.post-navigation .nav-previous {
    float: left;
    width: 50%;
}

.comment-navigation .nav-next,
.posts-navigation .nav-next,
.post-navigation .nav-next {
    float: right;
    text-align: right;
    width: 50%;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Accessibility
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
/* Text meant only for screen readers. */
.screen-reader-text {
    clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);
    position: absolute !important;
    height: 1px;
    width: 1px;
    overflow: hidden;
}

.screen-reader-text:focus {
    background-color: #f1f1f1;
    border-radius: 3px;
    box-shadow: 0 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6);
    clip: auto !important;
    color: #21759b;
    display: block;
    font-size: 14px;
    font-size: 0.875rem;
    font-weight: bold;
    height: auto;
    left: 5px;
    line-height: normal;
    padding: 15px 23px 14px;
    text-decoration: none;
    top: 5px;
    width: auto;
    z-index: 100000; /* Above WP toolbar. */
}

/* Do not show the outline on the skip link target. */
#content[tabindex="-1"]:focus {
    outline: 0;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Alignments
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.alignleft {
    display: inline;
    float: left;
    margin-right: 1.5em;
}

.alignright {
    display: inline;
    float: right;
    margin-left: 1.5em;
}

.aligncenter {
    clear: both;
    display: block;
    margin-left: auto;
    margin-right: auto;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Clearings
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.clear:before,
.clear:after,
.entry-content:before,
.entry-content:after,
.comment-content:before,
.comment-content:after,
.site-header:before,
.site-header:after,
.site-content:before,
.site-content:after,
.site-footer:before,
.site-footer:after {
    content: "";
    display: table;
    table-layout: fixed;
}

.clear:after,
.entry-content:after,
.comment-content:after,
.site-header:after,
.site-content:after,
.site-footer:after {
    clear: both;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Widgets
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.widget {
    margin: 0 0 1.5em;
}

/* Make sure select elements fit in widgets. */
.widget select {
    max-width: 100%;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Content
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
/*--------------------------------------------------------------
## Posts and pages
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.sticky {
    display: block;
}

.hentry {
    margin: 0 0 1.5em;
}

.byline,
.updated:not(.published) {
    display: none;
}

.single .byline,
.group-blog .byline {
    display: inline;
}

.page-content,
.entry-content,
.entry-summary {
    margin: 1.5em 0 0;
}

.page-links {
    clear: both;
    margin: 0 0 1.5em;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
## Asides
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.blog .format-aside .entry-title,
.archive .format-aside .entry-title {
    display: none;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
## Comments
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.comment-content a {
    word-wrap: break-word;
}

.bypostauthor {
    display: block;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Infinite scroll
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
/* Globally hidden elements when Infinite Scroll is supported and in use. */
.infinite-scroll .posts-navigation, /* Older / Newer Posts Navigation (always hidden) */
.infinite-scroll.neverending .site-footer { /* Theme Footer (when set to scrolling) */
    display: none;
}

/* When Infinite Scroll has reached its end we need to re-display elements that were hidden (via .neverending) before. */
.infinity-end.neverending .site-footer {
    display: block;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
# Media
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.page-content .wp-smiley,
.entry-content .wp-smiley,
.comment-content .wp-smiley {
    border: none;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    padding: 0;
}

/* Make sure embeds and iframes fit their containers. */
embed,
iframe,
object {
    max-width: 100%;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
## Captions
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.wp-caption {
    margin-bottom: 1.5em;
    max-width: 100%;
}

.wp-caption img[class*="wp-image-"] {
    display: block;
    margin-left: auto;
    margin-right: auto;
}

.wp-caption .wp-caption-text {
    margin: 0.8075em 0;
}

.wp-caption-text {
    text-align: center;
}

/*--------------------------------------------------------------
## Galleries
--------------------------------------------------------------*/
.gallery {
    margin-bottom: 1.5em;
}

.gallery-item {
    display: inline-block;
    text-align: center;
    vertical-align: top;
    width: 100%;
}

.gallery-columns-2 .gallery-item {
    max-width: 50%;
}

.gallery-columns-3 .gallery-item {
    max-width: 33.33%;
}

.gallery-columns-4 .gallery-item {
    max-width: 25%;
}

.gallery-columns-5 .gallery-item {
    max-width: 20%;
}

.gallery-columns-6 .gallery-item {
    max-width: 16.66%;
}

.gallery-columns-7 .gallery-item {
    max-width: 14.28%;
}

.gallery-columns-8 .gallery-item {
    max-width: 12.5%;
}

.gallery-columns-9 .gallery-item {
    max-width: 11.11%;
}

.gallery-caption {
    display: block;
}