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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black'>+1.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black'>Agree with this fully.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> theme-reviewers-bounces@lists.wordpress.org
[mailto:theme-reviewers-bounces@lists.wordpress.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Edward
Caissie<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 15 July 2010 15:38<br>
<b>To:</b> theme-reviewers@lists.wordpress.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [theme-reviewers] Change 'add_custom_header' from _must_
include to...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I would like to submit back for discussion to the
mailing-list/Theme Reviewers the "must" requirement of including
'add_custom_header' support to themes.<br>
<br>
The function itself is great and relatively easy to implement but I see it as
focused for use with single banner style image header areas, such as Twenty-Ten
and similarly designed themes. This then presents an issue for themes that do
follow this particular design concept/layout especially themes that do not have
header images per the author's choice; or, a more difficult to address issue of
themes with multiple images in the header ... again a theme author's choice.<br>
<br>
Dictating the use of 'add_custom_header' as a _must_ item in theme development
will start pushing themes to more of a cookie-cutter look and feel, not to
mention the potential for authors to simply lift the code, for example, from
Twenty-Ten and drop it into their own theme to meet the must need of the
requirement. This leads right into originality issues with themes as well ... another
topic for another thread.<br>
<br>
As examples, I will use my own themes (currently in the repository) simply due
to my familiarity with them.<br>
<br>
1) Desk Mess Mirrored: <a
href="http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/desk-mess-mirrored/" target="_blank">http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/desk-mess-mirrored/</a><br>
- three (3) header images; of which each image I have seen modified
individually, or with one other ... or in rare cases all three.<br>
<br>
2) Shades: <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/shades/" target="_blank">http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/shades/</a><br>
- no header image; although 'add_custom_header' should be relatively easy and
straight forward to implement I envisioned this theme to start with no header;
and, to allow end-users to modify the header area as they saw fit.<br>
<br>
3) Ground Floor: <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/ground-floor/"
target="_blank">http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/ground-floor/</a><br>
- no distinct header image; this theme has a dynamically expanding header area
to allow for very long titles, taglines, horizintal top menus etc. Implementing
'add_custom_header' would for all intent and purpose break the theme's look and
feel.<br>
<br>
4) NoNa: <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/nona/" target="_blank">http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/nona/</a><br>
- a distinct header image that is integral to the theme layout itself. To
implement 'add_custom_header' for this theme is possible but would require a
certain level of skill with a graphic program to create additional headers.
Otherwise it is essentially being dictated the theme itself may be required to
be re-written and the graphics re-made to meet the requirement of adding this
function.<br>
<br>
In my opinion, themes similar to 2) and 3) above would be detrimentally
affected by the "must" use criteria placed on 'add_custom_header'.
Themes that follow similarly to 4) above may have limited usability added by
the addition of the function.<br>
<br>
Quite honestly I would like to be able to add the function of custom headers to
Desk Mess Mirrored, but as I wrote at the beginning of this message the
'add_custom_header' function does not appear to directly handle multiple header
images displayed on the same page at the same time; and, from what I am able to
see in the supporting core code it would require a great deal of custom code to
add that functionality to the theme, or similar themes, in question.<br>
<br>
I strongly believe the function has a great deal of use and potential, but I do
not believe it _must_ be included for a theme to be accepted into the repository.
Perhaps suggested, recommended, or simply optional would be a better
requirement benchmark.<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Edward Caissie<br>
<a href="http://edwardcaissie.com" target="_blank">http://edwardcaissie.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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