[development] core user_login customization -- getting breakout theming AND custom validator working at the same time?

[Ben DJ]

Anth,

> I feel your pain here.  I just went through something similar to have a
> timesheet application up and going.  One content type representing a
> timesheet but users with different roles accessing different versions/parts
> of it at different stages of a workflow.
>
> What I found a reasonably elegant solution and gave me a bit of re-use was
> to set up different templates in the preprocess function (using template
> suggestions) that will load the same content in a completely different way.
>  Using this with a multi form/step I got it all working without doing any
> theme work or worrying how it looked and then added all my theme stuff
> afterwards.

That's certainly an approach I've considered -- for 'new' form content.

My "hurdle", atm, is (re)using the existing forms & modules
(user_login, search, captcha, etc -- in my case) to the greatest
extent possible.

normally, i'd talk to the module designers about extending their
modules -- but, so far, they're basically not interested.  which is
fine.

> I do totally agree that this can feel harder than just writing
> your own stuff from scratch sometimes though.

Tbh, I can get all this 'back end' controller workflow and logic, as
well as site-wide theming, MUCH faster & easier using just about any
PHP framework (Zend, Cake, Symphony), or even some of the newer CMS
(apostrophe).  A matter of days-to-weeks -- not this weeks to months
business.

I keep telling myself that the *eventual* payoff -- huge community and
mgmt of the community/content -- will make itself known using Drupal.

For quick up-n-running out-of-the-box stuff, Drupal really can't be
beat.  But for non-standard extension, although the inner workings are
there, i'm finding it's not the 'friendliest' environments.  Like I
said earlier -- *maybe* a lighting bolt will hit.  But, atm, I'm
having a Margarita and re-considering the wisdom of my choice -- or
lack thereof.

Ben