Topic: On legacy themes for SMF 2.0/2.1

[Norv]

Hello all,

As part of the 2.1 work we are reconsidering the themes we should include within the release package: we want to make it hold by default only one theme, the default theme, and have all other themes of interest developed as official themes outside the package.
We're pretty sure this is the way to take, to allow future separate release schedule, and at this time Ema is already working to take Core out of his 2.1 work repository, submitting his changes further, to enter the official repos.

To be honest, I think this is best, and I intend to make these changes in the official packages for 2.1: the SMF release package should contain the default theme itself, while others are (they really are) custom themes. Feel free to shoot me on this one, if you hate it.

Other themes, legacy themes such as Classic, Babylon, and Core, should be updated in the measure of our possibilities, as long as the community needs them, however, worked on in their own repositories, packaged separately as well, with possibly slightly different requirements than SMF itself (i.e. supported browsers), and released on the theme site or downloads site on their own. The same goes for newer themes, we may make, developed by our developers, customizers or other contributors, that we may be able in the future to make available to our community as official themes, under an Open License and maintained by us.

However, we need to make sure that the legacy themes still needed by the community are further developed, updated to newer versions, tested on the major browsers, etc.
This is the intention, and making them have their own release schedule is meant to serve it: different and more people can take part to them, fixing them and updating them (without depending on a SMF release) when needed and ready. And we need your help with it. If you're a theme designer, you can help by submitting your fixes, improvements, or ideas, for these themes, any contribution is very appreciated! If you're an admin wanting to use one of these themes on your 2.0 site, you can help testing it, and reporting issues with it. (please make sure to always include the browser in the report). If you just have some spare time, you can test it on your local site, and let us know issues with it.

Classic theme
Yabb Classic update for 2.0.
Once it passes a bit of community review (feel free to check it out!), it will be on the customize site, for our users to have for their forums. IchBin also intends to upload it on Github, in the official Classic theme repository:
Classic theme repository.
If people need it for 2.1 as well, and may be interested in it, please feel free to tell, and to contribute to it any way you see fit.

Babylon theme
Babylon is in a worse situation. We have not updated it for 2.0, unfortunately, as yet. If you are interested to help with it, or perhaps you have already worked on it for your own site, please do contribute your fixes. We need your assistance and welcome your contributions!
I have made a repository for Babylon theme also available now to the community, please find it at:
Babylon theme repository.


Notes on open development
For interested contributors, you may want to note: we are starting to use the Github site for more of our projects, mirroring them on our internal repositories, and we will continue to do so more extensively: the Github site offers very good tools for development, using Git versioning system (to which we have converted our internal repositories), and a set of site facilities for looking at the code, issue tracking, diff-ing, etc, which few have. We have decided to not try any longer to do everything ourselves for the infrastructure we need, instead use when possible and as appropriate, the facilities of the Github site.
More importantly, I really don't want to see us continuing to work on our projects/subprojects (official themes, as well as others) in our closed environment, unavailable and unreachable for our community. While the transition to an open development environment involves quite a number of projects/subprojects (themes, converters, scripts, official mods, smCore, and of course SMF itself, among others), workflow changes and setup differences, it is underway and will continue to happen.

Allow me to also note that the Github site has a very good help on how to set it up to get the code, and how to use the site for contributing to projects, that you may find of use, if you wish to contribute to these - or other - of our projects. I will actually detail also in another blog, more, on the Git versioning system, Github site, and other projects we already have or are setting up on Github site.

Core theme
On Core further updates (for 2.1), I haven't made the repository yet; you'll find it ASAP on the same location under Simple Machines account on Github site. Core is included in the SMF 2.0 release package, as legacy theme. For SMF 2.1, however, I don't think it should be included, as said before, but available separately instead. As far as we can tell, there's a low usage of the Core theme for 2.0 forums already - but there is an usage -, and we would try to fix and update it, for the next version of SMF.

Curve theme
Because Curve as the current 2.0 default theme is changing, and people are working to designs that arguably may make the new default theme a different theme, we will have to see if people will need both for their 2.1 forums. I'm not ready to answer this yet. Either way, on this matter, I'll make sure we present them to the community, first.

Excuse the rather quick writing of this blog. And please, as always, do let me know your feedback and thoughts.

[Antes]

Well, with limited time & team members - this is the one of the best decision can be made by team.

I must say dropping some themes to community ... well we can see some different works and improvements that's for sure

[Robert.]

I have no idea how I could miss this topic. o_O But good news team I'm going to miss Core as a default theme, but I'm sure the 2.1 default theme will be awesome

[IamTheBoy]

I too am disappointed that Core is being dropped from the package, as its the one I use (actually, force upon our users).

I hope this means it doesn't get forgotten about when it becomes community developed.

[Antes]

I too am disappointed that Core is being dropped from the package, as its the one I use (actually, force upon our users).

I hope this means it doesn't get forgotten about when it becomes community developed.

Well, as much as (i think) dev team hates dropping something but we have to understand that they are lacking time so they have to focus on something.

All those themes are open to anyone so i think people can fork it and develop further open PR to it.

[emanuele]

* emanuele likes (and enjoy) drop anything that he doesn't use!

[bloc]

Its understandable that older themes are taken out. They are not maintained actively and are frankly, pretty old-fashion compared to todays web looks. 

Its very convenient to have more than one choice though - thats there right away - like variants for example. The variants should be more elaborate though, so actually including can show the true power of the theme-system. Since they are not, it makes sense to just have the default theme in.

[maxg]

For moving forward>> I'm all for this!

looking back to update or upgrade older things, is as mentioned or hinted above, may possibly be taking time away from "the here and now" and moving on>>

I do believe there could be at some point and option to select another theme or 2,  this is something you may want consider putting to the challenge of the many here with theme Ideas, (let them hash it out and present their finished project up for vote!)  rather than take this on, unless, it helps move the development of SMF forward.

I as mentioned in another post I like the direction of the 2.1 version theme, and SMF it's self, however there are other things that can or maybe be done, In the opinion of others. They or we should dedicate our time on these things, I'm certain that Bloc and some others can come up with way to or for the user's to select various opinions to their liking ( on the themes ), while the SMF team may more concentrate on the stability if needed and bugs if any pop up, and working toward the Beta!

my question would be, and I am toying with is the default them versatile enough? and this I and probably others are working on. So far I'm happy!

regards,
Maxx