[theme-reviewers] Theme Development Checklist: Theme Standard?

[Edward Caissie]

It's an interesting idea but I can see there being issues with setting a
"Standard".

The plugin "readme" standard is a good idea mostly because it has virtually
nothing to do with the plugin's functionality. I look at it as more an
extended book index, footnotes, or similar layouts.

If you start setting theme standards you start pushing themes into much to
familiar cookie-cutter forms ... and from the themes I have reviewed so far
there are an awful lot of cookie cutters already out there. Now, given that
statement a standard would be just fine for them (*grin*).

Perhaps a suggested template base rather than a standard that includes all
of the items you have noted. TwentyTen is an interesting theme and a lot of
the code is easily transplantable to other themes, but I do not see it as a
means to an end with providing a standard either.

Perhaps something that extends the Template Hierarchy codex entries ... code
snippets that would be expected if they use this or that particular template
file.

Just some thoughts ...


Cais.

On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 3:17 PM, <chip at chipbennett.net> wrote:

> As I'm working through the Theme Development Checklist (in the hopes of
> cleaning it up and making it more straight-forward for theme developers
> and reviewers to follow, especially using the Unit-Test data), I'm struck
> by a thought:
>
> Would it be useful/helpful/feasible to develop a "Theme Standard" (perhaps
> similar to the "Readme Standard" that exists for plugin developers)? I
> could see the following:
>
> 1) index.php
>
> A simple "index.php" that incorporates all of the code/structure
> requirements from the TDC. (Perhaps other files could be split out - such
> as header.php or loop.php - but it might be easiest just to have all code
> in a single PHP file.)
>
> This file could then incorporate all of the required hooks, functions,
> template tags, etc.
>
> 2) functions.php
>
> A sample "functions.php" file that incorporates the necessary functions,
> such as widget and menu support.
>
> 3) style.css
>
> A style.css that demonstrates the proper header information, as well as
> all of the base element/ID/class declarations that need to be styled.
>
> NOTE: I don't think using twentyten would work for this exercise, as it is
> far more advanced than what would be most helpful for theme developers and
> reviewers.
>
> What are your thoughts?
>
> Chip
>
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