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

[Edward Caissie]

If our options are: require, recommended, or optional ... I would lean
heavily towards optional.

If suggested (as noted below) is an available option I would be fine with
that designation.


Cais.

On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 7:48 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net> wrote:

> +1
>
> (Note: I originally put it in the "must" category - along with everything
> else
> - as a basis to begin discussion. So, I'm glad we're having that
> discussion!)
>
> Sounds like a good, convincing argument to me! :)
>
> But, where to put it? I think our options are "required", "recommended",
> and
> "optional".
>
> What about "suggested (unless the theme design/layout would be adversely
> affected)"?
>
> If not something along those lines, then I'd say just make it optional.
>
> --
> Chip Bennett
> chip at chipbennett.net
> www.chipbennett.net
>
> On Thursday 15 July 2010 9:38:02 am Edward Caissie wrote:
> > 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
>
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