[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #55023: get_header() notice: Theme without header.php is deprecated

Sun Sep 4 01:41:45 UTC 2022

#55023: get_header() notice: Theme without header.php is deprecated
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 Reporter:  kpdaa         |       Owner:  audrasjb
     Type:  defect (bug)  |      Status:  accepted
 Priority:  normal        |   Milestone:  6.1
Component:  Themes        |     Version:  5.9
 Severity:  normal        |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  has-patch     |     Focuses:  multisite
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Comment (by manfcarlo):

 Replying to [comment:22 lgedeon]:
 > If block themes do not require header.php and footer.php, then they must
 have an alternative. If that alternative is in place then the
 compatibility files will never be reached and so they are still
 deprecated.
 >
 > The solution of only showing the deprecation for classic themes misses
 the point that these files should not be used for either block or classic
 themes. They contain hard-coded <hr /> tags and other content that does
 not make sense for block themes.
 >
 > These files should never be loaded. Deprecation is correct, but it needs
 to be expanded with an explanation of how block themes can avoid these
 files being loaded.

 Agreed. The patch essentially un-deprecates these files for block themes,
 which was probably not the intention.

 I previously suggested to use `block_header_area` and `block_footer_area`
 and a few other people suggested the same, but after a closer look, I have
 changed my mind about this.

 The issue is that `header.php` is expected to include `<!DOCTYPE html>`,
 `<html>`, `wp_head();`, `<body>` and also typically includes the opening
 tag of a max-width container, while `footer.php` will close all of these
 tags and also call `wp_footer();`. Block headers and footers do not and
 can not do any of these things, because it is not possible to open and
 close the same block in two different template parts.

 In other words, using `block_header_area` and `block_footer_area` in this
 context will not only put browsers into quirks mode, but will also fail to
 apply any max-width containers to the signup form, which will leave the
 page looking rather ugly.

 The code that is really needed here is located in
 https://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/6.0/src/wp-includes/template-
 canvas.php and one suggestion is to move this code directly into the
 `get_header` and `get_footer` functions for block themes and also call
 those functions from the template canvas file.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/55023#comment:23>
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