[wp-hackers] Theme structure

[Eric Marden]

> That's certainly one possible direction.  From one perspective it  
> would be easier to build the interface using desktop tools, and  
> actually the whole app may be easier.  But it would be much harder  
> to test whether the edited template is any good.  I think it would  
> require users to setup PHP and Apache on the local machine.  On the  
> web, the interface may be harder, but you have near-instant feedback  
> as to your changes.
>
> Please explain why you think a desktop tool is better than a webtop  
> tool.
>

You need something to act as an interpreter of PHP, with awareness of  
wp template tags. It needs to generate and edit theme files that not  
only are whole and complete html files, but have all the appropriate  
tags, file names and other bits that turns it from a template to a  
fully functional wp theme. The tool should tell them the theme is okay  
- forcing them to check it out on the web is kludgy and inefficient.

If the user (or your tool) outputs a bad set of files, then you've  
just corrupted their site. Easy to reverse maybe, but most users will  
probably not go through the trouble of setting up a local server, so  
you can be sure your tool will be used on their live site.

All in all, I think that you haven't thought through the problems your  
app is trying to solve enough. And given your insistence on doing it  
on the web says to me that you are limiting yourself and your thinking  
to what you know. When you only have one hammer, everything looks like  
a nail... even when its a screw.

Its not whether or not it would work on the web or not, I just don't  
think PHP is an appropriate tool to use.

Good Luck,

-e