Theme Helper Plugin Possibilities

R_J

I've seen other software where it is possible to add HTML comments to the output, that show which file has created that output. That would be a great help for designers. Could anybody think of a way how that could be achieved? For example a way to replace the Render function, but I do not even Know if every output is initiated by the render function...

hgtonight

This is an interesting idea.

And that is all I have to say about that.

Ok, I lied, I will say that plugins aren't required to output content via the render function.

Kasper

What about something along the lines of:

public function Base_Render_Before($Sender) {
    echo '<!-- ' . $Sender->View . '-->';
}

I haven't tested it out so it's just a shot from the hip

R_J

@Kasper said:
What about something along the lines of:

public function Base_Render_Before($Sender) {
    echo '<!-- ' . $Sender->View . '-->';
}

I haven't tested it out so it's just a shot from the hip

I had a hard job not to start hysterically giggling when I've seen that, because it looked as if the solution could be so simple, but it is not. I've not completely understook the Render method, but it is called not often enough for what I'd like to see.

What I think what could be super useful would be something like this

< !-- start: /applications/vanilla/views/index.html -->
...
   < !-- start: /applications/vanilla/views/helper_functions.html -->
...
   < !-- stop: /applications/vanilla/views/helper_functions.html -->
   < !-- start: /applications/vanilla/views/comments.html -->
      < !-- start: /applications/vanilla/views/comment.html -->
...
      < !-- stop: /applications/vanilla/views/comment.html -->
   < !-- stop: /applications/vanilla/views/comments.html -->
...
< !-- stop: /applications/vanilla/views/index.html -->

That way you could see what view has to be overwritten to achieve some special changes.

I already thought of a custom "developer theme" that is just a copy of the normal theme but with an additional <?php echo start filename ?> before the first line and an <?php echo stop filename ?> at the end.

Kasper

Ah, I see. What you have in mind is indeed slightly more complicated than my very simplistic "solution" However, all the Gdn_Controller::Render() function does, is take a master view and view, mash them together and render the output. Stuff like helper_functions.php and view partials are included in the views themselves and are therefore not handled directly by Gdn_Controller::Render().

R_J

Yepp, slightly more... ;-)

I did the most simple thing and altered the files. I could not add a "closing tag" but it should be enough without it: http://www.vanillaforums.org/addon/themerstheme-theme