[geeklog-devel] New GL default theme

=MF=Geiss geiss at midnightforce.com
Sun Oct 21 14:02:18 EDT 2007 

Just doing a follow up, has anyone with CVS admin rights had the 
opportunity to review the XHTML conversion code provided by dengen on 
Sept. 17 in this thread: 
http://eight.pairlist.net/pipermail/geeklog-devel/2007-September/002350.html. 


Thx! :-)

Eric 'Geiss' Warren

=MF=Geiss wrote:
> Quoting Oliver: "I don't know about the XHTML changes submitted. 
> However, a LOT of the HTML code created in the functions is pure HTML, 
> not XHTML. I would suggest that we start using XHTML after the 
> complete PHP-generated HTML is able to output both depending on a 
> config setting."
>
> I may be mistaken, but I believe that the translation to XHTML 
> included all the core php files, not just the .thtml files. If you 
> look in the original archive (which I've attached to this email), 
> you'll see that it looks like a full GL rewrite (at least to my 
> untrained eye ;-) ). Also, if you visit the test site referenced in 
> http://eight.pairlist.net/pipermail/geeklog-devel/2007-September/002350.html 
> which is http://www.trybase.com/~sun/ you can see that it validates 
> XHTML 1.0 Transitional.
>
> From lib-common.php line 903:
>                          $feed_url[] = '<link rel="alternate" 
> type="application/'
>                          . $format_type . '+xml" hreflang="' . 
> $A['language']
>                          . '" href="' . $baseurl . $A['filename'] . '" 
> title="'
>                          . $format_name . ' Feed: ' . $A['title'] . '" 
> />';
>
> From story.php line 550:
> $featured_options = "<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"featured\" 
> value=\"0\" />";
>
> So, can someone confirm this? I believe, dengen 
> (http://eight.pairlist.net/pipermail/geeklog-devel/2007-September/002350.html) 
> went to a lot of effort to go through this. I'm sure there have been 
> code changes since they converted to XHTML from the CVS snapshot of 
> Sept. 17th. I would think it important to capitalize on these 
> wonderful changes before the codebases become too different.
>
> Thx!
>
> Eric "Geiss" Warren
>
> Oliver Spiesshofer wrote:
>> Geiss,
>>
>> I have submitted a change to the CVS that removes the 
>> left-blocks-in-footer variable from the config.php and defaults it to 
>> true. In adition, I added the right-blocks-in-footer variable and 
>> defaulted it to false.
>> If you change one of them now in the function.php of the template, 
>> you can create CSS themes w/o any tables.
>>
>> I dont know about the XHTML changes submitted. However, a LOT of the 
>> HTML code created in the functions is pure HTML, not XHTML. I would 
>> suggest that we start using XHTML after the complete PHP-generated 
>> HTML is able to output both depending on a config setting.
>>
>> The new theme looks great. If you want to take the CVS and remove all 
>> the tables from your layout please go ahead. I am a bit off for the 
>> coming 6 days so dont expect quick answers from me :-)
>>
>> Oliver
>>
>> =MF=Geiss wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I didn't receive any feedback on my previous thoughts re: a new GL 
>>> default theme, so I decided to go ahead and do a mockup (since a 
>>> picture is worth a 1000 words :-) ). Please check it out at 
>>> http://geiss.getmyip.com/gl141/ and give me your thoughts.
>>>
>>> I am also wondering if anyone with admin rights to CVS has added the 
>>> XHTML changes submitted by  mystral-kk/ /in this devel email: 
>>> http://eight.pairlist.net/pipermail/geeklog-devel/2007-September/002350.html 
>>> . This would be a big help in moving forward with new themes.
>>>
>>> Thx!
>>>
>>> Eric "Geiss" Warren
>>>
>>>
>>> =MF=Geiss wrote:
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> Long time lurker, first time contributor. Go easy! :-)
>>>>
>>>> It sounds like the real question is, does one bite the bullet now 
>>>> or later? Personally, I would like to see now. XHTML and CSS 
>>>> layouts are the way to go IMHO. The landscape is changing rapidly, 
>>>> and I know everyone hates to hear it, but GL's layout shows its age 
>>>> more and more every day. If the steps aren't taken now, then when? 
>>>> If one waits 2-3 releases, they are very realistically talking 
>>>> about year(s) until a layout revisit.
>>>>
>>>> I have some ideas for a new default theme, basically a Frankenstein 
>>>> of the existing Refresh_F theme (re-worked colors, etc.) and the 
>>>> header background at http://www.bartelme.at. I also think the main 
>>>> site needs to be re-designed to be more "surfer" friendly. Let me 
>>>> explain. Like others have said before, the average joe coming to 
>>>> gl.net to check it out will get their first impression (like it or 
>>>> not) from the way the site looks. Too much info (especially 
>>>> text-based stuff) on the main page is overwhelming. There are ways 
>>>> to still incorporate a lot of info, but let the user experience it 
>>>> at their own pace. For example, I like the Extras tab toward the 
>>>> bottom of http://complementaryduo.com/ that expands and repositions 
>>>> itself at the top of the page. Something similar could be tied into 
>>>> the static pages in that when you set a static page to be the 
>>>> Extras section, its content would appear in the slide-down box. 
>>>> Almost like a "featured" static page. Also, more block real estate 
>>>> could be saved by moving login/my account info into a slide-down 
>>>> header similar to http://www.builtbybuffalo.com. I would be willing 
>>>> to proceed with work on a new theme, and gl.net re-layout, if of 
>>>> course I have the blessing of the core team and the help of all the 
>>>> wonderful people here. :-) My goal is to make GL eye catching and 
>>>> interesting. Yes, some of the javascript I mentioned above is 
>>>> eye-candy, but there needs to be a certain amount of it, if gl is 
>>>> going to appeal to a wider base of users.
>>>>
>>>> GL does a lot of things right, I think a theme's functions.php file 
>>>> should be put to more use with regards to selecting column layout, 
>>>> etc. The person who converted the GL layout to transitional XHTML 
>>>> already put forth a lot of effort that would be a great place to 
>>>> start, and it sounds like Oliver is willing to put forth additional 
>>>> backend effort to make it a reality. I see a need for a developer 
>>>> road map, as organization of teams and a clear vision for the 
>>>> future of GL are lacking. But other than that, it sounds like there 
>>>> are those willing to make it happen. They're just waiting for a 
>>>> green light from... somebody.
>>>>
>>>> What time frame are we shooting for the 1.5 release? Like I said, I 
>>>> am willing to put in some significant hours, but I don't want to 
>>>> see things drag on forever. Again, I think a clear road map and 
>>>> timetable would be beneficial to help everyone focus and 
>>>> prioritize. GL has a great core, a great forum, and a great media 
>>>> gallery. Now it needs a great look. ...maybe a new name and 
>>>> tagline... gl - the cms for the rest of us. :-)
>>>>
>>>> Respectfully,
>>>>
>>>> Eric aka "Geiss" Warren
>>>>
>>>> Oliver Spiesshofer wrote:
>>>>> Here is the current state of affairs regarding the layout:
>>>>>
>>>>> It would be quite easy to do CSS-only layouts, as I found out now. 
>>>>> Only very minor changes are necessary to create a 
>>>>> center-left-right HTML/CSS, one of them being to add a 
>>>>> right_blocks_in_footer config to the left_blocks_in_footer, and 
>>>>> the other a flag to COM_showBlocks that makes the function simply 
>>>>> return if there are left or right blocks in the layout and 
>>>>> therefore assign different classes to elements in either footer or 
>>>>> header.
>>>>>
>>>>> Now the problem: If we want a layout that has the center in the 
>>>>> html before the left and right blocks, we cannot have a footer 
>>>>> anymore that spans the whole page as far as I could find out. The 
>>>>> ideal layout for center-first HTML is described here: 
>>>>> http://glish.com/css/7.asp If anyone manages to put a footer 
>>>>> there, please tell me how. The footer would have only the width of 
>>>>> the story, if the left/right blocks are shorter, there will be a 
>>>>> blank space.
>>>>>
>>>>> So the only thing left over, if we want a footer, is to have a 
>>>>> left, right, center, footer order in HTML and float everything to 
>>>>> the left 
>>>>> (http://css.maxdesign.com.au/floatutorial/tutorial0916.htm). This 
>>>>> would require to display all blocks in the header, I do not really 
>>>>> know however what those left_blocks_in_footer are doing in the 
>>>>> config in the first place, this should be set only in the 
>>>>> theme.... well, in an ideal world this would not be necessary 
>>>>> anyhow since all elements would be joined together in one central 
>>>>> function.
>>>>>
>>>>> So here is my proposal:
>>>>> 1. modify COM_siteHeader and COM_siteFooter so that either of them 
>>>>> can display right and left blocks (for the left blocks, that is 
>>>>> already the case, so why not for both?) This is to allow theme 
>>>>> authors to really do what they want and not be forced to a certain 
>>>>> order of the main 3 elements. This would be obsolete once we 
>>>>> introduce step 5.
>>>>> 2. Add an option to simply tell if blocks are there to 
>>>>> COM_showBlocks, so that in the header and footer, layouts of 
>>>>> elements can differ depending on the existence of left and right 
>>>>> blocks.
>>>>> 3. Use a table-free layout for the professional theme with 
>>>>> left-right-center floated.
>>>>> 4. (draft) Introduce a minimal-layout where the CSS only is 
>>>>> changed to display the center first. I am not sure how to make 
>>>>> mobile devices to choose this by default, and how this will look 
>>>>> like, but I will try to find a proper solution before introducing 
>>>>> any of this.
>>>>> 5. (draft) Create a new function that creates all elements in one 
>>>>> go and replaces the COM_siteHeader + center + COM_siteFooter. Both 
>>>>> ways will be available but the aforementioned will be deprecated 
>>>>> and removed 3-4 (?) versions later.
>>>>>
>>>>> comments, suggestions, flying axes?
>>>>>
>>>>> Oliver
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net
>>> http://eight.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/geeklog-devel
>>>
>>>
>>
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