Sorry for the cross post - but I thought I would move this discussion to the theme list.
Dries Buytaert wrote:
Having to create a Drupal theme really turns me off.
Making it easier to create a unique, good-looking theme in a matter of hours is a key challenge for the Drupal community.
Well - the 90-10 rule applies. I get get 90% of a theme done very rapidly and have a pretty good looking site at the end of a short session (i.e. matter of hours). But, its that last 10% that takes 90% of the time. All the special cases - all the different forms - different node types - different 'sections' of a site that require a different look etc. All the tiny annoying little bumps that require ironing. That's what's a pain in the ass.
But, most of this is unavoidable. This time consuming stuff isn't the fault of the themeing engine or the templates... its the natural result of people wanting to modify things because they don't want a 'stock' vanilla looking elements. They want to mod almost every detail - and that kind of modification takes time.
And also keep in mind that some of these mods that make a site look 'unique' aren't just simple theme overrides - they are hacked and modified modules - that become completely new modules and/or new functionality contributed back to core modules.
andre
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