[support] themes problem

[Larry Garfield]

Well, I don't know what Drupal itself can do to address the "problem".  The 
issue is that theming is hard, and theming a plethora of different possible 
combinations of functionality is exponentially harder.  That's more innate in 
web design than in Drupal itself.

While steps have been taken in each new version to make theming easier (in the 
next version, for instance, the core CSS file has been broken up by module to 
make it easier to override), I don't think easy, universal themes are an 
achieveable goal.  

If you find problems with themes on drupal.org, please file bug reports 
against them (assuming they haven't already been filed).  That's the only way 
authors know what's broken so they know how to fix them.

On Friday 25 August 2006 17:02, Mr Gibson... (Earnest Hern) wrote:
> I have tested many themes within just the core and within the core with
> added mods. I tested about 25 themes and only one was ok. The others seem
> to have some kind of problem.
>
> I then read a message at drupal.org that the big problem was because of the
> themes themself. That there should be one theme with different style sheets
> instead.
>
> >From what you have said and the other messages that I have read, I have
>
> determined that I will not install any third party themes, but instead I
> will wait until drupal addresses this theme problem.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Larry Garfield <larry at garfieldtech.com>
> To: <support at drupal.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 7:10 PM
> Subject: Re: [support] themes problem
>
> > On Thursday 24 August 2006 19:26, Mr Gibson... (Earnest Hern) wrote:
> > > I am using the latest snapshot drupal-cvs-4-7.tar.gz.
> > >
> > > I have noticed that drupal has a very bad selection of themes. Each one
> > > seems to have some display problem. Most of the themes found at the
>
> drupal
>
> > > theme link do not fully work in the laster browsers. The forum table is
>
> not
>
> > > sized correctly or the hover colours are not correct or the input boxed
>
> are
>
> > > out of alignment. The only themes to work 100% are the ones packed with
> > > drupal. The themes I am installing are for 4.7.0. not the cvs version.
> > > Where can I get a good selection of fully workable themes. Drupal may
>
> have
>
> > > lots of options but if i cant get some good themes, it will be hard to
>
> keep
>
> > > members. I have tryed the theme garden but at that place is the same
>
> themes
>
> > > as the drupal site.
> >
> > Two things:
> >
> > 1) The themes projects are just as "unfiltered" as module projects.  Some
>
> are
>
> > great, some are good, some are broken steaming piles that haven't been
> > updated in 2 years.  There's no built-in policing method for that
>
> currently.
>
> > So they're all "caveat downloador".
> >
> > 2) Are you using any contributed modules?  There are so many possible
> > ways
>
> to
>
> > mix and match Drupal functionality that it's difficult if not impossible
>
> to
>
> > make a theme that will cover all of them.  Even core itself can be
>
> configured
>
> > in dozens of ways.  Not all themes support all features, and when you add
>
> in
>
> > browser stupidity (IE breaks in a thousand ways, Safari breaks in a
>
> different
>
> > 200 ways, Firefox breaks in its own 3-4 ways), generic theming is down
>
> right
>
> > impossible. :-)
> >
> > I agree that the after-market themes available for Drupal right now are
>
> not
>
> > that impressive, but hopefully you can see why.  In practice, I think
> > it's
>
> a
>
> > good plan to build your own theme for your site, pulling in ideas and
> > code from existing themes where possible.  (Eg, I tend to use the
> > bluemarine
>
> forum
>
> > code as a starting point.)  Beware bugs in browsers.
> >
> > I'm not sure if that's much help, but hopefully it's worth something. :-)
> >
> > --
> > Larry Garfield AIM: LOLG42
> > larry at garfieldtech.com ICQ: 6817012
> >
> > "If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of
> > exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an
> > idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it
> > to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the
>
> possession
>
> > of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it."  --
>
> Thomas
>
> > Jefferson
> > --
> > [ Drupal support list | http://lists.drupal.org/ ]

-- 
Larry Garfield			AIM: LOLG42
larry at garfieldtech.com		ICQ: 6817012

"If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of 
exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, 
which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to 
himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession 
of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it."  -- Thomas 
Jefferson