[theme-reviewers] regarding Theme Check plugin

[Chip Bennett]

Per the Codex, "Appearance" is the correct place for Theme options page
entries:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Administration_Menus

Appearance<http://codex.wordpress.org/Administration_Panels#Appearance_-_Change_the_Look_of_your_Blog>Displays
controls for manipulation of theme/style files, sidebars, etc.


See also:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Administration_Panels#Appearance_-_Change_the_Look_of_your_Blog

Theme Options

The Theme Options
Screen<http://codex.wordpress.org/Appearance_Theme_Options_Screen>
displays
the settings that can be customized for a specific theme. This option will
only be present if the Theme author has configured the theme to allow this
capability. For instance, the WordPress Twenty Twelve
theme<http://codex.wordpress.org/Glossary#Twenty_Twelve_theme>
provides
a screen that allows the user to set the color scheme, the links colors,
and the default layout.

The Appearance Theme Options
Screen<http://codex.wordpress.org/Appearance_Theme_Options_Screen>
describes
the details of this feature.

WPORG-hosted Themes are required to standardize on this practice for the
end users' benefit. In my experience, for the vast majority of cases, using
a top-level menu entry for a Theme serves no real purpose other than to
promote the Theme's visibility/implied importance in the menu hierarchy.
Providing a consistent location for end users to find Theme options far
outweighs such a purpose.

If you need to break up your options into manageable groups, you can use
settings sections. If you need more segregation than that, the accepted
method is to use tabs on your settings page.

If you need an example of a tabbed options page layout, I welcome you to
take a look at my Theme, Oenology:
https://github.com/chipbennett/oenology

And I'm sure there are many other great examples available.


On Sat, Jul 6, 2013 at 5:22 AM, Jonathan Marzullo
<jonathanfever at gmail.com>wrote:

> Thank you for your reply, but I understand that the Appearance menu is the
> appropriate place, which was stated in  my question.  But the majority of
> themes have their options as top level menu items. Not to mention the fact
> that wordpress codex has add_menu_page() as an available method to use. So
> I dont see the reason why using add_menu_page() should be Required instead
> of Recommended when test results come back. Especially if you need a top
> level menu, that will also need to use add_submenu_page() to add submenu
> items under that top level menu item. So this way you can group your menu
> options together, especially if you have various options and functionality
> your offering. It would be impractical to put all your options under the
> Appearance Menu, since your restricted to just being a submenu with no
> children. And since you could not group your various options in a logical
> way making it very confusung to the end user.
>
> Thanks again for any feedback!
>  On Jul 6, 2013 3:25 AM, <theme-reviewers-request at lists.wordpress.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I notice that in the *Theme Check* plugin when running tests, it displays that it is *REQUIRED* for *add_theme_page()* to be used in place of *add_menu_page()*.
>>
>> Im not understanding why it is not allowed? Since add_menu_page adds a top level menu item, whereas add_theme_page() only adds a submenu under the Appearance
>> top level menu. So basically I don't understand why its required instead of recommended, when Wordpress Codex has that method available for wp developers to use?
>> Thank you for any help regarding my question! And thank you for such a cool Theme Check plugin tool.. Its very helpful!
>>
>> ~ Jonathan
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> theme-reviewers mailing list
> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.wordpress.org/pipermail/theme-reviewers/attachments/20130706/3e2e2497/attachment.html>