[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #37974: Add multi-panel feature to pages through add_theme_support

[WordPress Trac]

#37974: Add multi-panel feature to pages through add_theme_support
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 Reporter:  karmatosed       |       Owner:
     Type:  feature request  |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal           |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Themes           |     Version:
 Severity:  normal           |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                   |     Focuses:
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Comment (by ThemeZee):

 I would really like to see a Core solution for multi-panel pages, we need
 this :)

 However, I am not in favor of implementing this by just adding Multi Panel
 settings to Core. I do not see the benefit in standardization here. It
 made sense to add the custom logo feature since all themes can use the
 same setting now.

 But IMHO static front pages are far to different between themes to have
 standard Core settings. The screenshot shows layout/column settings for
 example, which could be totally different in the next theme. Or think of
 magazine themes which would more likely use category sections instead of
 pages for their front page.

 A few simple settings to select featured pages for the front page can be
 easily added by themes. It is more flexible than Core defining standard
 settings.

 > I wonder whether we might be able to accomplish something similar with a
 more straightforward UI if it were based on widgets, and new core widgets
 that supported this type of functionality were introduced. That way we'd
 be able to leverage the existing core UI for adding/reordering/number of
 items/etc, and on a technical level things like selective refresh and the
 work on storing widgets as post objects. This idea is generally related to
 widgets as "content blocks".

 +1 for Content Blocks. I would really like a Content Block API on top of
 the Widget API, or simply a new type of Widget for these. Just some way of
 separating them from normal widgets.

 I see serveral advantages over static settings:

 1) Flexibility: Think of plugins registering content blocks for displaying
 custom post types. Think of magazine themes adding category blocks. Or
 Core adding adding a Image Gallery block. And there can be a "Featured
 Page" content block as well.

 2) Usage: Content Blocks could be used on multiple pages, not just a front
 page.

 3) Order: Re-ordering Content Blocks like Widgets is powerful.

 4) Data Storage: Sometimes users just want to add a Text Block on there
 front page, but don't want a new page with its own URL for it.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/37974#comment:10>
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