[theme-reviewers] Change 'add_custom_header' from _must_ include to...

[Gavin Pearce]

+1.

 

Agree with this fully.

 

 

From: theme-reviewers-bounces at lists.wordpress.org
[mailto:theme-reviewers-bounces at lists.wordpress.org] On Behalf Of Edward
Caissie
Sent: 15 July 2010 15:38
To: theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
Subject: [theme-reviewers] Change 'add_custom_header' from _must_
include to...

 

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.

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.

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.

As examples, I will use my own themes (currently in the repository)
simply due to my familiarity with them.

1) Desk Mess Mirrored:
http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/desk-mess-mirrored/
- three (3) header images; of which each image I have seen modified
individually, or with one other ... or in rare cases all three.

2) Shades: http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/shades/
- 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.

3) Ground Floor: http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/ground-floor/
- 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.

4) NoNa: http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/nona/
- 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.

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.

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.

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.


--
Edward Caissie
http://edwardcaissie.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.wordpress.org/pipermail/theme-reviewers/attachments/20100715/48c9dd2e/attachment.htm>