You can emulate the functions.php in theme directories quite easily in 0.9
Put this into a regular plugin and I suggest naming it _functions.php with a leading underscore so you don’t even have to activate it. Install it and then when a functions.php is found inside the currently active theme, it will be loaded with the regular plugins. Since it’s so tiny, if you have a collection of mini-plugins you can just put it in there instead.
<?php
/*
Plugin Name: functions.php
*/
$template_functions_include = bb_get_active_theme_directory() . 'functions.php';
if ( file_exists( $template_functions_include ) ) { require_once( $template_functions_include ); }
?>
In theory you might even be able to put that code into the header.php inside of the templates if you are making a theme you want to distribute for 0.9
If changes made by you are not reflecting in CSS, then there is something which is over riding it. You need to catch that.
Like the priority order in Inline, Internal and then External.
Read more here – http://www.plus2net.com/html_tutorial/css-types.php
Hope that helps 
@maramac
Did you read my reply over bbshowase? Thats the way it can be solved. To help you in your aim, install Firebug on Firefox. Run it using F12 and then you can catch the DIV you want.
Hope that helps
Just for “fun” I’ve tallied the bbPress release history so far:
2009-07-08 03:59 1.0.1
2009-07-03 03:54 1.0 Bechet
2009-06-17 13:09 1.0-rc-3
2009-06-10 14:41 1.0-rc-2
2009-06-03 23:02 0.9.0.5
2009-05-12 13:38 1.0-rc-1
2009-01-07 20:00 1.0-alpha-6
2009-01-02 05:06 0.9.0.4
2009-01-02 05:05 1.0-alpha-5
2008-12-14 10:21 1.0-alpha-4
2008-12-10 02:20 0.9.0.3
2008-10-08 20:04 1.0-alpha-2
2008-08-09 13:11 1.0-alpha-1 (backpress)
2008-04-25 11:41 0.9.0.2
2008-04-03 10:54 0.9.0.1
2008-04-02 22:45 0.9 Brubeck
2008-01-02 20:03 0.8.3.1
2007-09-26 19:59 0.8.3
2007-06-19 16:04 0.8.2.1
2007-06-18 19:06 0.8.2 (pretty permalinks, plugin management, sub-forums)
2007-02-21 01:53 0.8.1 (timezone configuration, forum deletion)
2007-02-08 15:47 0.8 Desmond
2007-01-15 14:56 0.75
2007-01-05 20:01 0.74
2006-10-27 18:51 0.73 (installer, rewrite rules, multi-language support, new template)
2006-10-13 20:38 0.72 Bix (first public release)
2004-12-26 03:20 0.70 (live on WordPress.org 2004-12-28)
Being there, read that – still it’s not it. I’m trying to figure our the BB_Query function by reading about WP_Query on Codex . Anyone have other ideas?
I think this will get you the numeric topic id:
<?php topic_id(); ?>
Just put that in your template file wherever you want to show the id. This is with version 0.9 and the id is echoed, so there’s no need to do that. Just put it next to topic_title(); wherever you want to show it.
Place the navigation DIV code just after the
<div id="header">
.......................
</div>
and before the
<div id="main">
<?php if ( is_bb_profile() ) profile_menu(); ?>
Please don’t use Capital letters. Its considered as shouting.
Glad that you did it. 
@Jason
The issue is that I don’t know where to add those. Read this post.
As soon as I add the include line like
locations /forums/
{
include ...
}
even my WP stops working.
@ashfame – Have you studied WordPress plugins at all? The approach is pretty similar, and there’s a nice codex over there too:
https://codex.wordpress.org/Writing_a_Plugin
Are you on v1.0 now? If yes you are out of luck as most of the plugins won’t work with the newer version due to a lot of code which has been changed in bbPress.
P.S. – You can email me at ashishsainiashfame@gmail.com
<div id="blah">
<div class="box">
Content
</div>
<div class="box">
Content
</div>
<div class="box">
Content
</div>
</div>
These are containers to hold data. A bigger container can have a smaller container
Page contents are divided in DVIs and then styling to these contents is applied through CSS.
Got it now?
Now that DIV you need to find out yourself.
Install Firebug (Firefox Add-on).
Open your forum and press F12.
Now find the respective DIV.
You are new to CSS. So go by Hit n Trial method
I got it! No issues. Well, Can you recommend what approach should I have to grasp all the code of bbPress as there is no Codex at the moment. I remember you stating earlier that you learnt by studying others’ plugins. Any suggestions in this regard would be of great help. Thanks
Add that in style sheet. I use Notepad++ for all my coding needs.
You need to check out where you want the background i.e. the background of which DIV and then you can add this into style sheet :
#DIV_WHERE_YOU_WANT_BG {
background-image:url('img.gif');
}
and the path to the image is relative to the file. make sure it is correct too.
in header.php where the body tag starts.
After this
<body id="<?php bb_location(); ?>">
<div id="wrapper">
<div id="header" role="banner">
ashfame I appreciate your enthusiasm but I personally will have to comb through all the changes in 1.0 and look for new problems it’s causing my techniques- some things will not be immediately noticeable as a plugin will appear to run but then not in all cases or not update database info, etc. I’ll organize a way for people to report specific problems as it gets closer towards December.
As I have repeatedly mentioned it’s also a matter of waiting for 1.0 to settle.
I see many little problems with it that will have to be fixed – there will likely be at least a couple more releases by December and probably many more little tweaks put in the trunk for 1.5 that might affect my plugins again.
Your energy is better spent debugging bbPress 1.0, or writing/porting other plugins for bbPress as there’s always something else needed.
Good!
For body use
body {
background-image:url('img.gif');
}
By editing the style.css file.
body {
[...]
background-image: url(path/to/the/image/relative/to/the/css);
background-repeat: no-repeat; /* or whatever you like */
[...]
}
Of course I cannot give a full CSS introduction here, but there are lots of good and helpful introduction available online.
@swaymedia: Any comment on _ck_: “there have only been 4 donations this year despite thousands of users of my plugins”
Maybe you’re one of the four? Reminds me of this discussion:
http://weblogtoolscollection.com/archives/2009/07/10/is-wordpress-a-thankless-community/
Don’t take the lack of reply as an answer, everyone here (except Sam) are volunteers. And everyone (including Sam) have real lives and weekends and such.
So _ck_ will get back to you whenever she does. Just take it cool, man
Where exactly would I put that code?
@_ck_
Was the earlier post missed or the answer was no? Just be frank and tell me. I am cool either way.
I understand your reasons very well.
My first attempt with bbPress and it’s pretty basic at the moment:
http://www.modus-operandi.co.uk/forum
As I get my head around templating and the like, I’m sure I’ll make future changes
