I am with Emil on this one. When shortcodes come with the theme, unless the theme author has put in a UI for insertion of a shortcode, the user makes use of them in full recognition of the fact that the shortcode is custom to the theme and that if the user switches themes these will have to be accounted for explicitly. In other words, the use of a shortcode is a conscious acknowledgement by the users that they are writing content specifically tailored for the theme. In that sense the lock-in is the same that you get with a plugin: you install a plugin, then start using its shortcodes, and when a few months later the developer stops supporting the plugin, you are locked in. Changing plugins at that point is not going to help users.<br>
<br>If standards are being considered, I would like to propose the following:<br><ol><li>To minimize conflicts and to make the notion of a lock-in more explicit, theme authors can use the theme slug as a prefix for their shortcode, e.g. [twentyeleven_current_year]. That way if there is a plugin that explicitly offers [current_year] as a shortcode, there will be no scope for a conflict.</li>
<li>If the theme offers a shortcode without a prefix, there can be an option to disable the same, so that a plugin can override it.<br></li><li>Every shortcode bundled with a theme can be noted in the readme.txt file<br></li>
</ol><br>By mandating themes to not include shortcodes we will be running into a dangerous situation. There are themes with shortcodes whose users run in hundreds of thousands, and if from one release to another the shortcodes get removed, users will have a situation much worse than a lock-in.<br>
<br>Sayontan.<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 4:13 PM, Emil Uzelac <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:emil@themeid.com">emil@themeid.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<font color="#333333"><font><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Absolutely, there can be a guidelines which I think is this <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Shortcode_API" target="_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/Shortcode_API</a>. It's safe to say that we're wasting too much time on something so simple. If the shortcodes are by </font></font></font><font color="#333333" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Shortcode_API" target="_blank">http://codex.wordpress.org/Shortcode_API</a> it should be ok and if they're not author can either remove them or comply with the API. If we need to focus on more simpler stuff we could. Google Maps, Charts etc should be accepted, well they already are in repository. Holding back for something useful is huge minus for us and users as well.</font><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><div>
<font color="#333333" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><br></font></div></font></span><div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><div><font color="#333333" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div>
<font color="#333333" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Emil</font></div></font></span><div><div class="h5">
<div><font color="#333333"><font><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></font></font></font><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 6:00 PM, Chip Bennett <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:chip@chipbennett.net" target="_blank">chip@chipbennett.net</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">I disagree; I see no reason that we should be unable to establish guidelines regarding content creation by Themes.<div>
<br></div><div>The purpose of Themes is to *present* content. *Creation* of content is not a legitimate purpose for a publicly distributed Theme. On the other hand, one legitimate purpose of a Plugin very well may be to *create* content. Such use of a Plugin isn't "lock-in" in the same way that similar content-creation in a Theme would be "lock-in", because the user can switch among all Themes that properly *present* the content *created* by the Plugin.<div>
<br></div><div>This discussion correlates quite closely to our earlier discussions regarding custom post types in Themes. IIRC, the general outcome of that discussion is that, as a general rule, CPTs are Plugin Territory, but exceptions could be made where appropriate. It makes sense to me to approach shortcodes in the same way.</div>
<span><font color="#888888">
<div><br></div></font></span><div><span><font color="#888888">Chip</font></span><div><div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 5:51 PM, Emil Uzelac <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:emil@themeid.com" target="_blank">emil@themeid.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<font color="#333333"><font><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I understand that, but we can't really dictate shortcode integration nor usage by users can we? Potential problem could be even if you're using this as the plugin, same lock-in effect. Sure they can delete the plugin, however user can switch the Theme as well. This is the area where it's up to authors to integrate and for users to use. And us to check if they're properly done. No more, no less :)</font></font></font><div>
<div><div>
<font color="#333333"><font><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></font></font></font><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 5:27 PM, Justin Tadlock <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:justin@justintadlock.com" target="_blank">justin@justintadlock.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
Remember that shortcodes are sometimes added for reasons other than
being placed in post content. It's when the shortcode's purpose is
to be placed in post content that it becomes problematic, causing
the lock-in effect.<br>
<br>
For example, most of my themes have some simple shortcodes for
outputting footer credit/copyright related stuff in a theme setting.
One for getting the current year is actually one of them.<div><div><br>
<br>
On 2/16/2012 5:15 PM, Emil Uzelac wrote:
<blockquote type="cite"><font color="#333333"><font><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Agreed with the Chip on a
plugin territory, however if the shortcodes are properly
implemented it should not be holding down the approval. I
would not fail a Theme for shortcode usage, if everything
else including this checks out.</font></font></font>
<div>
<font color="#333333"><font><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br>
</font></font></font></div>
<div><font color="#333333"><font><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Emil<br>
</font></font></font><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 4:35 PM, Chip Bennett <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:chip@chipbennett.net" target="_blank">chip@chipbennett.net</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
As with (almost) every guideline: exceptions are allowed, on
a case-by-case basis. So, it's certainly up for discussion.
:)<span><font color="#888888">
<div><br>
</div>
</font></span>
<div><span><font color="#888888">Chip</font></span>
<div>
<div><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 4:31
PM, Mario Peshev <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mario@peshev.net" target="_blank">mario@peshev.net</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Does
it apply for very serious and powerful themes
(like lite version of premium themes that ask for
submission in WPORG repo)?
<div>
<br>
I have a similar case right now, very powerful
portfolio theme with a custom post type that
asks for permission. Does it stand a chance?<span><font color="#888888"><br clear="all">
<br>
Mario Peshev<br>
Training and Consulting Services @ DevriX<br>
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/mpeshev" target="_blank">http://www.linkedin.com/in/mpeshev</a><br>
<a href="http://devrix.com" target="_blank">http://devrix.com</a><br>
<a href="http://peshev.net/blog" target="_blank">http://peshev.net/blog</a></font></span>
<div>
<div><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Feb 17,
2012 at 12:29 AM, George Mamadashvili <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:georgemamadashvili@gmail.com" target="_blank">georgemamadashvili@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
I'm 100% agree with that, but can we
not-approves theme by this resolution?
and suggest author to remove them for
the next release?
<div>
<div><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Feb
17, 2012 at 2:14 AM, Chip Bennett
<span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:chip@chipbennett.net" target="_blank">chip@chipbennett.net</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Such
shortcodes are Plugin territory.
They create content, and
represent a means of Theme
lock-in.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
Chip<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div>On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at
4:11 PM, George
Mamadashvili <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:georgemamadashvili@gmail.com" target="_blank">georgemamadashvili@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>Do we have any rules
about using shortcodes
in theme? This theme
registers 19, they've
shortcode for every
simple thing like - get
current year.
<br>
</div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Sayontan Sinha<br><a href="http://mynethome.net" target="_blank">http://mynethome.net</a> | <a href="http://mynethome.net/blog" target="_blank">http://mynethome.net/blog</a><br>
--<br>Beating Australia in Cricket is like killing a celebrity. The death gets more coverage than the crime.<br><br>