The only requirements in the .info file are name, core and base theme (for a sub-theme). Description is optional, but highly recommended. Version can be put in for your own usage, but if you are planning on releasing it on Drupal.org, then remove it. Drop the package = Core line.

Yes the database does need to know information about the theme. Whenever you change something in a .info file, add a new .tpl.php or add a template override in your template.php file, you must clear Drupal's cache. If you're doing a lot of this, I highly suggest intalling the admin_menu module so you can clear the cache right from the toolbar (alternatively use Drush). The caching is all tied to performance. Without it Drupal becomes a huge anchor.

If you specify a base theme in your .info file, those CSS files are loaded first. You can then override the rules in your new theme's CSS files. Also any .tpl.php files in the base theme will be used, unless you have those files in your theme. The theme layer will look in your theme, then in any base themes (it's not uncommon to have 2 or even 3 base themes). If not found then it will use the theme function/template specified in the module that declared the theme.

Here's a good page on making a sub-theme of Bartik:

https://drupal.org/node/1114190

But the biggest thing that always catches people is the caching issue. Make sure you clear that cache when making the changes I outlined above, and if something isn't acting right, go ahead and clear the cache anyways. It won't hurt anything and a lot of times you find out that was the culprit.

Jamie Holly http://hollyit.net

On 10/10/2013 11:03 PM, Roger wrote:

<snip> So, either the database must be updated somewhere, somehow, by someone, -- OR -- Drupal must look at the filesystem and realize that there is more to the story than the database knows and extend the list. So, how does Drupal become aware of the custom sub-theme? </snip>

I'm lost as to why you want to do this, because what you want doesn't make sense but here goes:

Drupal default core reads core themes, if theme not found reads /sites/default/themes/

Ok here's what I did just now!. Created /sites/all/themes/Bartik_cfm folder. Underscore not hyphen, explained below! Copied bartik.info over to this folder, renamed it Bartik_cfm.info

Copied stylesheets[all][] = css/layout.css to the Bartik_cfm/css and renamed to stylesheets[all][] = css/local.css

Deleted everything in the .info file except:

name = Bartik_cfm description = Yadda Yadda Yadda stuff about the copy. package = Core version = VERSION core = 7.x

stylesheets[all][] = css/local.css

version = "7.23" project = "drupal" datestamp = "1375928238"

Notes: -- If the Theme name has a hyphen it will not work - It seems to require an underscore. -- Underscore is a recognised variable name separator in php, ruby and other languages, hyphen can be interpreted as a minus sign. Avoid hyphens in names and terms. -- The last 3 lines are required in the info file or it won't work (for me). Don't know why!

Hope this helps Roger