Title: Theme Authors Adding Modules
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# Theme Authors Adding Modules

 *  [Lorelle](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lorelle/)
 * (@lorelle)
 * [21 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/)
 * I thought to myself, “hey, you’re having all these problems with your layout,
   just do as you advise others and find a theme that matches the look you want 
   and then modify it to be your own.” This is all good, but there are Theme Authors
   out there who are adding modules and changing some basic structure things and
   I’m confused.
 * Kubrick calls for the header and then has the Loop in the index.php which allows
   you to modify if you want to see the whole post in the main page or an excerpt
   in an IF/ELSE statement. When you click on the link to the post, it calls upon
   the IF/ELSE statement to show the single.php with the post.
 * In another theme I’m looking at, it doesn’t seem to allow you to do an excerpt
   at all, just the whole post. So I think it will be easy to just change the Loop.
   No doing. There isn’t a “Loop” as I’m used to seeing in Kubrick and others. It
   just calls for the post.php file, something new to me, and then does stuff from
   there. I thought this might replace the single.php, but it doesn’t.
 * Let’s see if I can explain it right. The index lists this:
 * `<?php if ($posts) { ?>
    <?php foreach ($posts as $post) : start_wp(); ?> <?php
   require('post.php');?> <?php endforeach; ?>
 * There is no option for single.php or excerpt because there is no `<?php the_content();?
   >`. That sits in the post.php but there is no clear loop with options other than“
   if it ain’t there, go to page not found”.
 * The single.php looks like the index.php, with all the doctype, head info and 
   everything, but it also features the require post.php.
 * Where did the Loop go that includes the content?
 * Now, I’m not saying that this author is right or wrong. I just want to know where
   the parts and pieces are.
 * The template I’m referring to that has the different structure is [No Limits](http://wpthemes.info/posts/2005/02/24/nolimits-released/).

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 *  [Root](https://wordpress.org/support/users/root/)
 * (@root)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/page/2/#post-156906)
 * And ideally to do it by the personal example of the code you unleash on the community.
   Not by preaching.
 *  [jinsan](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jinsan/)
 * (@jinsan)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/page/2/#post-156907)
 * I think Kaf and Root have summed it up for me, as someone who doesn’t know his
   id from his class (ok I lie, I know) I am always in the process of learning and
   I can only learn from what others offer for knowledge. If there are examples 
   of themes to adhere to, in terms of coding and structure then point them out.
   I’ve tried messing around with Manji at first, but found it difficult because
   I didn’t understand anything of what I was doing. Having worked with simpler 
   themes, I understand it better and feel I can make a better example than my previous
   efforts.
 * Kubrick on the other hand I find much more difficult, this I would say is not
   one of the better examples. Don’t shoot me down here, I’m just saying as someone
   who’s learning and trying to understand, Kubrick does things quite differently
   some of which confuses me at times, where as other themes seem to follow a more
   structured, and generic flow where learning the theme and understanding the css
   is a much more rewarding experience.
 * One of the best examples is probably the original WP theme which has been “relegated”
   to classic status rather than default. It’s nice to have an out of the box site
   that looks great immediately, but when it comes to messing with it, it’s hard
   work and there aren’t any guides on how to do it (unlike Podz excellent classic
   tutorial).
 * If you have knowledge or information to share, pointers to make and standards
   you wish others to implement lead by example and teach others. If you decide 
   it’s easier to preach and not teach, you won’t encourage anyone to follow any
   example but their own.
 * What I liked about the Your WordPress area is that people are kind enough to 
   actually check the validation for your site! This is has become almost instinctive
   for many userz to check the validation of a site before commmenting. I don’t 
   know if this is down to being pedantic, or simply trying to help, either way 
   this sort of encouragement and pointer is invaluable to helping users understand
   why validating and managing their code will help ease any questions they will
   receive on why x doesn’t work when you change y.
 *  [notthatugly](https://wordpress.org/support/users/notthatugly/)
 * (@notthatugly)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/page/2/#post-156908)
 * As a theme developer, I absolutely reserve the right to make themes that are 
   based neither on Kubrick nor Classic, and to innovate in terms of which templates
   I include and how I structure them. Otherwise I might as well just stick to stylesheets.
 * As for plugins, if the designer is willing to deal with the extra support requests
   their inclusion will draw, why not? I can easily see why a theme author might
   want to use something like [Image Headlines](http://www.coldforged.org/image-headlines-plugin-for-wordpress-15/)
   or [Recent Comments](http://freepressblog.org/wordpress-plugins/recent-comments-plugin/),
   and I don’t really see anything wrong with that as long as they provide adequate
   documentation.
 *  Thread Starter [Lorelle](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lorelle/)
 * (@lorelle)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/page/2/#post-156909)
 * Okay, so tell me this, IF someone includes plugins in their theme, does the theme
   automatically “plug them in” or does/should the documentation clearly state that
   the user has to plug these in if they want the plugins to work.
 * And what if they don’t? When there is plugin code inside of my files and the 
   plugin isn’t activated, I often get all kinds of errors. I’m curious how those
   who want to offer up plugins as part of their Themes deal with these issues. 
   It might help others who want to include them.
 *  [TechGnome](https://wordpress.org/support/users/techgnome/)
 * (@techgnome)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/page/2/#post-156910)
 * That’s poor planning on the part of the theme developer/designer/coder. There’s
   a simple funciton in PHP, I think it’s called function_found() and you pass it
   the name of a function (presumably in this case the plugin’s function) and it
   returns True if the funciton is found (plugin installed and activated) or False
   if it is not (plugin in not installed and/or activated). Then and only then should
   the plugin be called. It’s just me, but I personaly think that’s the best way
   to go. Especialy if you plan to release it on the unsuspecting public at large.
   And it can also save your own sanity at a later time when (for what ever reason)
   you need to turn off a plugin.
 * Tg
 *  [Root](https://wordpress.org/support/users/root/)
 * (@root)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/page/2/#post-156911)
 * Certainly – I agree with Tech. Including a plug in is only as hazardous as insatalling
   it in isolation. Yes it needs coding properly. Yes it needs instructions. Yes
   it needs – hopefully – the user to follow them. I would hazard a guess that themes
   with plugins are going to big in WP. There are good reasons for that.
 *  [gillie2tat](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gillie2tat/)
 * (@gillie2tat)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/page/2/#post-156912)
 * So – for someone who is just getting their teeth into php and knows a bit of 
   CSS and who knows HTML really well, where would you people suggest the best place
   is to start if you want to learn how to design themes and there are no standard
   guidelines in the way that you get when you start HTML with things to do and 
   not to do? Is the best way to learn how to design themes just starting to hack
   into the code and play around with it? I’m also wondering now that I have a much
   better idea of how the php files work together whether it’s a good idea to start
   learning to use php.
 *  [Root](https://wordpress.org/support/users/root/)
 * (@root)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/page/2/#post-156913)
 * I am beginning to visualise this as 3 levels. We can do style sheet only designs,
   we can do new templates or we can rewrite the core php files in themes. There
   are a lot of good resources but where to get started ? Heck just start doing 
   what you like doing. Good luck and welcome.

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The topic ‘Theme Authors Adding Modules’ is closed to new replies.

 * 23 replies
 * 11 participants
 * Last reply from: [Root](https://wordpress.org/support/users/root/)
 * Last activity: [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/theme-authors-adding-modules/page/2/#post-156913)
 * Status: not resolved

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