I have been developing WordPress Themes by trials that resulted with errors. Yes, mostly I came out with errors for almost five years now. I did not read any books nor articles from anywhere on how to write or develop the WordPress themes. As all of us Melanesians do, we always learn by doing. Our school is in the garden, in the jungle, there is no classroom for theories.
What I did with WordPress themes development was just exactly that. Originally I began with working around with Sandbox WordPress Theme by Andy Skelton & Scott Allan Wallick, far before WordPress Theme Frameworks became familiar in our Internet world. I became familiar with all names of classes and hacks in Sandbox Theme. I there is something missing, then I even can figure it out and type it myself, without looking at the framework anymore. I can even figure out what I should type in the PHP when errors appear in Sandbox WordPress Theme.
After some years of trial and error, I then witnessed how WordPress Blogging Platform developed. Well I followed since version 2.0. I did not know anything about WordPress before, let alone the Internet since then. Latest development of WordPress itself and its theme frameworks happened when I was already actively involved in developing my themes for my websites. [Very sorry to say that all websites that I owned were then discontinued as I was unable to pay for hosting and domain names, well I did not have any credit card to pay them online =, even though I have the money in cash. Banking system in my place is very far from stone age world I guess]. Sad part of the story is that all themes I developed were all gone when the hosting companies and domain registrars disabled/ discontinued my hosting and domain registrations. Domain names like papuaindependent.com, westpapuanews.com, westpapua.org, westpapua.org.uk, kabarpapua.com, and others with all WordPress Themes were gone. But don't worry, I am still alive, and I know how to develop it not by reading but by doing. So, I just re-developed theme themes, again from zero.
By the time I just restarted, I noticed the robust and advanced WordPress Theme Framework called Hybrid Theme by Justin Tadlock was being on the Net, widely discussed and downloaded. I was already using the Options Theme, Tudlock's previous WordPress Theme developed together with Visionary and Structure WordPress Themes. I digged deeply into the Options WordPress Theme and did manage to adapt it to my site. I got the idea already that Tudlock got a clear and complete idea of how to develop a WordPress Theme and to utilise all the facilities and capabilities available at WordPress.com platform.
When http://themehybrid.com was launched, I was already following it from its original article up till now. I am sorry, I cannot register into the Club Section as I do not have the Credit Card/ Visa Card to pay the membership fee.
The Hybrid Theme Framework was launched sometime later than other Theme Framework such as Thematic WordPress THeme Framework, however, I found the logic, the structure and the elaboration of Justin Tudlock makes more sense and therefore understandable and learn-able for me. Well, I mean learn by doing not learn by reading and listening.
Finally, for this moment, I would like to recommend Hybrid WordPress Theme Framework for the development of your own themes, as I am doing right now. Hope this brief story will make you understand that we Melanesians are already in this post-modern world, digging into the internet, but we are not learning by reading nor listening, but by doing. Well, this is the oldest and basic method of learning anyway.