# Setting up a solid workflow for custom theme development

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-up-a-solid-workflow-for-custom-theme-development/103841>\
**Category:** Development\
**Created:** [December 9, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-up-a-solid-workflow-for-custom-theme-development/103841 "2018-12-09T17:12:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

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**Author:** ![Graphiwiz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/graphiwiz/32/126393_2.png) [@Graphiwiz](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Graphiwiz)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-up-a-solid-workflow-for-custom-theme-development/103841/1 "2018-12-09T17:12:46Z")

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Hello everyone!

I’m new here but I’d like to give Discourse a try before deciding what platform to build my community on, since I consider this the most exciting prospect out there.

Currently I’m having trouble setting up a consistent workflow.

**Preferably I’d like to either:**

a) code in the cloud using an IDE like Cloud9 ([https://c9.io](https://c9.io))  
or  
b) code locally using something like Atom

..and then preview the changes using live refresh for HTML/CSS/JS.

Whenever I’m satisfied I just push a new commit to Github. Then I import the theme remotely to my hosted Discourse install (I’ve chosen Nodechef [https://nodechef.com/discourse-hosting](https://nodechef.com/discourse-hosting) for now).

As far as I understand it I will need to be using the Discourse Theme CLI ([Install the Discourse Theme CLI console app to help you build themes](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-theme-cli-console-app-to-help-you-build-themes/82950)) but I’m having trouble setting everything up.

**Reference Post:** [Install the Discourse Theme CLI console app to help you build themes - #58](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-theme-cli-console-app-to-help-you-build-themes/82950/58)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

* * *

**Notes:**

- I’ve read the basic & advanced guides to Discourse theme development several times
- If everything goes well I will probably be releasing the theme to the community probably using Theme Creator? ([https://theme-creator.discourse.org](https://theme-creator.discourse.org))
- I am not a professional coder and I don’t have much Ruby experience, I’m just a regular front-end designer/dev looking to learn and build cool stuff

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