In a child theme, I set a constant to load JS via a URL. When including PHP files with require_once, I need a local file path. Use get_stylesheet_directory() instead.
define('MY_CHILD_PATH', get_stylesheet_directory());
wp_enqueue_script('child_script', MY_CHILD_PATH . '/assets/js/main.js', array('jquery'));
require_once MY_CHILD_PATH . '/modules/helper.php';
i’ve been using get_stylesheet_directory() as well, works awsum for childs. its so much easier and prevents mixups in file paths when switching enviroments or updating themes. really helpful for both assets and php file includes.
I have found that using get_stylesheet_directory() works well for child themes, especially in cases where you have a mix of local file includes and enqueued resources. On several occasions while updating a project, I encountered issues because path constants were hardcoded. Using this function made my code much easier to maintain and portable, since it automatically reflects the current directory of the child theme. It also avoids potential errors that happen when switching environments or device setups, which has saved me both time and debugging headaches.
I have found that get_stylesheet_directory() is an elegant solution for child theme file paths. In my experience, it not only simplifies managing assets and includes but also improves code portability across different environments. By dynamically referencing the child theme directory, it reduces errors arising from hardcoded paths during theme updates or deployments. Additionally, this method helps to avoid common pitfalls associated with relative and absolute path issues, making it a robust approach for file management in WordPress child themes.