[theme-reviewers] Theme Scan Failing

Fri Dec 3 07:04:23 UTC 2010

Thanks Mike and Otto. I will investigate this route further (though I am
sure my user base will have something to say!).

On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 11:01 PM, <michael at mfields.org> wrote:

> Sayontan,
>
> I agree with Otto here and I use method #1 in my plugins when I need to
> generate dynamic css. If the overhead of processing php on each request is
> an issue for you, might it be a good idea to store the dynamic css in an
> autoloaded option and print the value of the option to the head?
>
> -Mike
>
> > Otto,
> > Method 1 is not better than Method 2 if a lot of your CSS is dynamic, as
> > is
> > the case with most themes that offer a lot of styling options. In such a
> > case using Method 1 you would be repeatedly running a lot of PHP calls to
> > dump the same CSS each time into your HTML. This is really inefficient
> > particularly in contrast to one extra HTTP request to get a pre-generated
> > file. Hence it is not something that can be shoved aside by saying "get
> > over
> > it" - Method 2 does improve caching performance significantly on several
> > occasions.
> >
> > Sayontan.
> >
> > On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 10:13 AM, Otto <otto at ottodestruct.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Ugh. Okay, this may be a bit long winded.
> >>
> >> For the cases where you're creating dynamic CSS, then there is one
> >> correct way to do it, and several incorrect ways to do it. Let's go
> >> over the possibilities.
> >>
> >> Method 1: Insert the dynamic CSS directly into the HTML using the
> >> wp_head
> >> call.
> >>
> >> Method 2: Write dynamic CSS to a file, link to the file in the head.
> >>
> >> Method 3: Hook into the template-loader or init to create CSS output
> >> based
> >> on
> >> a special GET variable you define.
> >>
> >> Method 4: Style.php, which is linked to from the head, and outputs
> >> dynamic css. Usually this has to include wp-load.
> >>
> >>
> >> I listed those in that order because they go from "best" to "worst".
> >> I'll explain why now. :)
> >>
> >> Method 1 has the lowest server impact. When you make the call to get
> >> the page, it creates the page and outputs all the dynamic stuff in one
> >> shot. Some people find the CSS in the html to be aesthetically
> >> displeasing, but the fact of the matter is that this is the fastest,
> >> simplest, and best way to do it.
> >>
> >> Method 2 has a problem in that you're doing file writing from the
> >> theme. This is bad because you cannot guarantee that you have
> >> permissions to even write files. Assuming you try to write them to the
> >> uploads folder, then part of your theme is now outside the theme
> >> directory, which is confusing. Also, by including the CSS as a
> >> separate file, you're creating another call to the server, which even
> >> Google Webmaster Tools will tell you is a thing to avoid.
> >>
> >> Method 3 is the same as method 2, except now instead of writing the
> >> file, you make a call to http://example.com/?css=whatever and then
> >> your code intercepts that and produces the CSS on-the-fly, via
> >> whatever means, then exits. This avoids the file writing problem, but
> >> now it's not
> >> only making an extra server call, but it's also loading all of
> >> WordPress up again, which creates a higher server CPU impact.
> >>
> >> Method 4 is the same as method 3, basically, except that you're
> >> referencing some PHP file directly, which now has to a) find wp-load,
> >> b) load WordPress, and c) produce the resulting CSS output. Worst of
> >> all cases: two calls to the server, WordPress loads twice, and you're
> >> now having to search around to figure out how to load WordPress again
> >> just so you can access the database.
> >>
> >>
> >> So the end statement here is to always use method 1. Okay, so you find
> >> CSS in the HTML header code to be unpleasant. My advice: get over it.
> >> Every other way of doing things not only requires an extra HTTP
> >> request to the server, but most of them also require a whole lot of
> >> extra PHP processing. Think about it this way: You've already got
> >> WordPress loaded up to generate the page. The most sensible thing to
> >> do is to go ahead and generate the dynamic part of the CSS right now
> >> as well. Just make that dynamic part as small as possible. Minify it
> >> into one-line if you want.
> >>
> >> Note that WordPress itself uses method 1 for the custom background
> >> image and custom header image stuff. It does it this way because it's
> >> the best way to do it.
> >>
> >> -Otto
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 11:57 AM, Simon Prosser <pross at pross.org.uk>
> >> wrote:
> >> > There is a more sensible way to do this. Use a style.php file that
> >> > prints your custom css
> >> > with text/css header and a far future expires, then the browser will
> >> > cache it locally.
> >> >
> >> > My theme [JustCSS] uses this to cache the css.
> >> > https://github.com/Pross/JustCSS
> >> >
> >> > On 2 December 2010 17:46, Sayontan Sinha <sayontan at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >> What about instances of caching? E.g. I have a lot of look and feel
> >> options
> >> >> that can be set by the user. However if you attempt to print them out
> >> as
> >> >> dynamic CSS on the fly it creates extra server load, not to mention
> >> an
> >> ugly
> >> >> lot of CSS before the content in the page's source. Instead the CSS
> >> is
> >> saved
> >> >> as a local file at the time of saving the options and then that file
> >> is
> >> >> linked in the source.
> >> >>
> >> >> On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 8:50 AM, Otto <otto at ottodestruct.com> wrote:
> >> >>>
> >> >>> On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 3:02 AM, Sayontan Sinha <sayontan at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> >>> > I am curious as to what qualifies as a better way of doing things.
> >> E.g.
> >> >>> > I
> >> >>> > have code where depending on selections certain stylesheets are
> >> grouped
> >> >>> > together, then either they are compressed and/or minified.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> See, that sounds awfully functional to me. Why would you want the
> >> >>> theme to be doing that?
> >> >>>
> >> >>> A theme is supposed to describe how the site looks, not how the site
> >> >>> works. Sure, for custom jobs, we all do it and put this sort of
> >> thing
> >> >>> in the theme, but remember that the directory is supposed to hold
> >> >>> themes to be used for public consumption. Anybody can use them.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> So doesn't it make a bit more sense to make this sort of
> >> >>> compression/minification more generic, able to apply to any theme,
> >> and
> >> >>> then to put it in a plugin?
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Also, look into wp_enqueue_style, which is capable of minification
> >> and
> >> >>> combining css files.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> -Otto
> >> >>> _______________________________________________
> >> >>> theme-reviewers mailing list
> >> >>> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
> >> >>> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> Sayontan Sinha
> >> >> http://mynethome.net | http://mynethome.net/blog
> >> >> --
> >> >> Beating Australia in Cricket is like killing a celebrity. The death
> >> gets
> >> >> more coverage than the crime.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> theme-reviewers mailing list
> >> >> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
> >> >> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > My Blog: http://www.pross.org.uk/
> >> > Plugins : http://www.pross.org.uk/plugins/
> >> > Themes: http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/profile/pross
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > theme-reviewers mailing list
> >> > theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
> >> > http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
> >> >
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> theme-reviewers mailing list
> >> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
> >> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Sayontan Sinha
> > http://mynethome.net | http://mynethome.net/blog
> > --
> > Beating Australia in Cricket is like killing a celebrity. The death gets
> > more coverage than the crime.
> > _______________________________________________
> > theme-reviewers mailing list
> > theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
> > http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>

-- 
Sayontan Sinha
http://mynethome.net | http://mynethome.net/blog
--
Beating Australia in Cricket is like killing a celebrity. The death gets
more coverage than the crime.
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