That's a good distinction: simply bundling "plugin.zip" into the Theme is, IMHO, absolutely inappropriate. Simply add installation instructions that the Theme relies on "Plugin X', and to install the Plugin from the repository. Also, in all instances, any Theme dependent upon a Plugin MUST degrade gracefully, such that it functions acceptably without the Plugin.<div>
<br></div><div>As to what Plugin code is suitable for incorporation: I think that, as long as the functionality is Theme-related (and, clearly, SEO functionality IS Theme-related, since SEO is entirely Theme-dependent), it is fair game. But, the Theme developer who chooses to incorporate such functionality into the Theme then bears the burden of fully maintaining that incorporated code. It is an issue for the Theme Review Team, since we then take on the burden of reviewing such extra functionality - but then, in the end, that's our job.</div>
<div><br></div><div>On the other hand, just as we exclude non-Theme-related functionality as "Plugin territory", I think we should hold the same standard for incorporated Plugins. To be explicit: Theme functionality should involve the *presentation* of content; anything that involves the *creation* or *management* of content should be left to Plugins.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Also, regarding "best practices", I will add: I think the "best practice" recommendation should be that Themes, if they choose, should incorporate *support* for a given Plugin, rather than incorporating the Plugin code itself. One example might be the WP-PageNavi Plugin, which can be supported as easily as adding:</div>
<div><br></div><blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, freesans, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; "><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Monaco, 'Courier New', 'DejaVu Sans Mono', 'Bitstream Vera Sans Mono', monospace; line-height: 1.4em; font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans Mono', 'Courier New', monospace; font-size: 12px; ">
<div class="line" id="LC558" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "><span class="k" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; ">if</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">(</span> <span class="nb" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(0, 134, 179); ">function_exists</span><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">(</span> <span class="s1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(221, 17, 68); ">'wp_paginate'</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">)</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">)</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">{</span></div>
<div class="line" id="LC559" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "> <span class="nx" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">wp_paginate</span><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">(</span> <span class="s1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(221, 17, 68); ">'title='</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">);</span></div>
<div class="line" id="LC560" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">}</span> <span class="k" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; ">else</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">{</span> <span class="x" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; "></span></div>
<div class="line" id="LC561" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "><span class="x" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; "> <font class="Apple-style-span" color="#999999"><b>// do something else instead</b></font></span><span class="x" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; "></span></div>
<div class="line" id="LC562" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">}</span></div>
</pre></span></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Or, for Yoast Breadcrumbs:</div><div><br></div><blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, freesans, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; "><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Monaco, 'Courier New', 'DejaVu Sans Mono', 'Bitstream Vera Sans Mono', monospace; line-height: 1.4em; font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans Mono', 'Courier New', monospace; font-size: 12px; ">
<div class="line" id="LC2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "><span class="k" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; ">if</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">(</span> <span class="nb" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(0, 134, 179); ">function_exists</span><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">(</span><span class="s1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(221, 17, 68); ">'yoast_breadcrumb'</span><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">)</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">)</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">{</span></div>
<div class="line" id="LC3" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "> <span class="nx" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">yoast_breadcrumb</span><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">(</span><span class="s1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(221, 17, 68); ">'<li id="breadcrumbs">'</span><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">,</span><span class="s1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(221, 17, 68); ">'</li>'</span><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">);</span></div>
<div class="line" id="LC4" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">}</span> <span class="k" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; ">else</span> <span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">{</span></div>
<div class="line" id="LC5" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "> // do something else instead</div>
<div class="line" id="LC6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; "><span class="p" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; ">}</span> <span class="cp" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-weight: bold; ">?></span></div>
</pre></span></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>This method allows for graceful degradation, and does not encumber the Theme developer with maintaining someone else's code.</div><div><br></div><div>Chip<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 8:57 AM, Ryan Hellyer <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ryan@pixopoint.com">ryan@pixopoint.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div>There are situations in which it makes sense to build a theme which relies on specific plugins to function, but it is often not a good idea to incorporate the entire code base into the theme since the plugin may be under active development. In this situation I tend to have the plugin automatically install and activate the plugin(s). I think it would be a good idea if this sort of situation was allowed in the theme repository.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Simply bundling the plugins zip file into the theme and requiring the user to copy the files over seems counter productive though and shouldn't be allowed IMO since the user could just as easily get the plugin from the repository instead.</div>
<div><br></div><div>There are some excellent themes in the repository which incorporate large amounts of "plugin like" functionality so I would assume that seamlessly integrated functionality would be deemed appropriate for the repository.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Just taking something like Yoasts SEO plugin and dumping it verbatim into a theme would be plain weird and shouldn't be allowed though IMO, as it would include a bunch of text unrelated to the theme and create confusion for the user. However if it were integrated seamlessly and cleanly, then I don't see any problems with that approach, albeit I personally would never roll that much SEO functionality into a theme.</div>
<div><br></div><font color="#888888"><div><div>Ryan,</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div><br></div>
</font><br>_______________________________________________<br>
theme-reviewers mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:theme-reviewers@lists.wordpress.org">theme-reviewers@lists.wordpress.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers" target="_blank">http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers</a><br>
<br></blockquote></div><br></div>