FAQs - mixatheme/Wireframe GitHub Wiki
NOTE: THIS WIKI PAGE WAS WRITTEN WAY BACK IN 2015 FOR WIREFRAME ALPHA. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THESE DOCS HOPEFULLY FOR A JUNE 2017 RELEASE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
Questions? You've come to the right place my friend. If you don't see anything here you need, mosey on over to the Issues area (don't forget to search closed issues). Wireframe aims to be community-driven by talented volunteers and likeminded peeps. Play nice 👍
- Troubleshooting
- Extending
- Automation
- Coding Standards
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Licensing
- About Us
Troubleshooting
I'm having a hard time learning Wireframe.
No problem, the community is here for you. Wireframe can be an educational project for novice Developers or a rapid deployment process for experienced Developers. We hope the Wireframe community will grow over time with all experience levels. Head on over to the Issues area and see if a volunteer can help with your scenario.
Why does Wireframe do Y when it should do X?
We created Wireframe to suit our own internal workflow, hoping that others may find our work useful and educational. All Developers have their preferred coding methods. Please feel free to reach out to us if you think Wireframe can do something better!
Where are all the neat features?
Wireframe is not a theme with bloated features. Developers use Wireframe as a starting point, roll their own features, then release their themes to the public. Consumers install Wireframe because they enjoy simplicity, versed in front-end design or wish to learn a little bit of Object Oriented Programming.
Extending
Is Wireframe a framework?
Maybe. There are many cool "Theme Frameworks" in the WordPress ecosystem today. Wireframe was built with the intent of utilizing WordPress Core functionality as much as possible—without "locking" or burdening the End-User with an unfamiliar toolkit. Wireframe can certainly be used as a framework.
Do I have to use Bootstrap?
Due to Bootstrap's popularity, we use it essentially as an (optional) library. Hence, the "object-oriented" approach of Wireframe. Theme Developers can swap or remove all traces of Bootstrap, make some minor adjustments and Wireframe will continue to behave just like any other WordPress theme—unlike most Theme Frameworks which will not function as intended if you disable their framework.
How do I use Wireframe as a starter theme?
Fork it! Assuming your IDE is up-and-running, we recommend you initially setup Wireframe for Unit Testing and then allocate time for some Discovery. Familiarize yourself with the Wireframe front-end presentation. After you're comfy seeing how Wireframe looks, now you're ready to dig into template files, JavaScript SCSS, class files, etc. Poke around in the wireframe_dev directory. After you're done with your Discovery phase, you're ready for Development.
Which files do I need to modify?
Any. Most Developers will only need to add/edit styles and templates for Wireframe to match their mock-ups. Advanced Developers who wish to add more features to Wireframe will most likely begin modding the functions.php file, the Customizer object, or any other file to meet their requirements. There is no "de facto" way to extend Wireframe.
Remember: Wireframe was built with an OOP approach in mind. Wireframe is very modular by design, de-coupled and most things can be swapped in and out.
Can I remove code comments from Wireframe files?
Yes. If you're using Wireframe as a starter theme, you may wish to trim/remove any extraneous code or comments you don't need from Wireframe prior to packaging or distributing your theme to a marketplace. Just about every line of code in Wireframe is commented for completeness and educational purposes. Note: If you use phpDocumentor (optional) with your theme, you may wish to keep much of the comments intact. We started you off with a few docs located in the wireframe_client/docs folder.
Automation
Does Wireframe support CSS pre-processing?
Yes. We use the SCSS syntax of SASS or .scss files. We don't support LESS. But feel free to re-compile using the syntax and compiler/wrapper of your choice. Learn More
Does Wireframe autoload classes?
Yes. We autoload with Composer and support PSR-4. You should take a look at the ../themes/wireframe/composer.json file for more details. If you don't wish to support autoloading, simply remove it and include/instantiate your classes your way. Learn More
Does Wireframe use Composer for dependencies?
No. We've opted to not enforce Composer dependencies because of the amount of overhead files that may be involved. However, Wireframe is currently pre-packaged with a composer.json file for autoloading classes, therefore, Developers can still integrate Composer to suit their own requirements. Composer is a great tool while developing. Consider removing Composer when you package your theme.
Does Wireframe use Task Runners?
No. We don't enforce package managers or task runners because you shouldn't feel "over-stacked" or "locked-down" to what we use. Wireframe is a WordPress theme—not a large scale project for Enterprise. The amount of time/work involved setting up an environment, learning a new syntax/language, maintaining certain tasks, training, all outweigh the fact that Wireframe is just a theme. Any Developer already familiar and using an Automation workflow will probably have it set up by the time you read this paragraph.
Coding Standards
What PHP Coding Standards should I use?
If you wish to contribute to Wireframe then WPCS is required. For our workflow, we adhere to WordPress Coding Standards and a few PSR's to future-proof Wireframe. If you don't think you'll be contributing to Wireframe then you can scale with any Coding Standards you feel most compliant with (PEAR, PHPCS, WPCS, PSR, etc.). We won't preach. Standards are ultimately up to Developers and Teams.
Does Wireframe use PSR's?
Yes. We've adopted a hybrid PSR-4 for autoloading. We've begun using the proposed PSR-5 for DocBlocks. We use PSR-2 at our discretion. Fully compliant PSR adoption is not currently possible with WordPress Coding Standards, minimum system requirements and backwards compatibility. Although we are very conscience of PSR while we code Wireframe, we lean more towards WPCS above all. Therefore, we're aligned using hybrid standards to stay forward-thinking. Take a look at this Trac ticket for some insight. You don't need to use PSR whatsoever.
Is Wireframe compatible with PHPCS?
Yes. However, since we use PSR and other OOP patterns in our class files, PHPCS + WPCS may throw some unexpected errors or false positives for Wireframe classes. For example, we use DI for object dependencies. WPCS will throw an error for, "Unknown type hint." Also, some file structures are capitalized. This may throw WPCS errors, just FYI.
Object-Oriented Programming
Do I need to know OOP to use Wireframe?
No. But since you're using Wireframe, you probably wish to learn OOP or already know OOP. The Wireframe architecture has already been built for you. At the basic starter theme level, you can swap some assets or modify some code and you're done. At the more advanced level, you can use Wireframe as a boilerplate to facilitate professional OOP theme development. As an End-User, Wireframe works out-of-the-box without changing anything!
How can I learn OOP?
Read, read, and more reading! But if you don't like reading, you should checkout the Derek Banas YouTube channel. OOP is not for everyone. Some people enjoy using OOP. Some people prefer procedual programming. We hope you can at least have an educational takeaway from using OOP alongside WordPress Theme Development.
Licensing
What license does Wireframe use?
GPLv3. We use libraries which are only compatible with GPL version 3. Click here to learn more about the Apache license compatibility with WordPress. Click here to learn more about Bootstrap's license (MIT) and GPL compatibility. Click here to learn more about overall GPL-compatible licenses.
Can I fork Wireframe, modify it, then sell my theme?
Yes! This is exactly what Wireframe was created for: derivative works. It's up to you if you wish to sell your theme or not. Please keep in mind: your derivative work and the packaged libraries you use must also be GPL-compatible/compliant. Do not use "split licensing."
Can I just buy a Pro version of Wireframe?
No. We developed Wireframe for 1 purpose only: challenge ourselves to build an object-oriented WordPress theme, then release it to the public under the GPL for educational purposes. We sell commercial products, but Wireframe is totes free without any kind of "Pro" version or "Freemium" model. Ain't nobody got time for 🐮 💩
About Us
Who is MIXA?
MIXA is not an "agency" per se. That's just a fancy-schmancy word tossed around these days. MIXA is the WordPress theme and plugin division of Neurobotic founded by Tada Burke. MIXA was established in 2015, doing business as: "MixaTheme." View full bio.
Who is Neurobotic?
Neurobotic LLC is a forward-thinking design & development studio specializing in digital products and services. Neurobotic was established by Tada Burke in 1993 (originally The Neurobotic Transmission). Neurobotic could be considered an, "agency," but labels suck and we prefer: Creative Consultancy. View full bio.
Who is Tada Burke?
Tada Burke is a Creative Director (who codes) based in Washington, DC USA. View full bio.
How do I pronounce Tada?
Tada Burke has a Thai first name and an Irish last name. He's Thairish! The proper way to pronounce his name is: Tah-da (rhymes with Prada or Dada-ism). Stop laughing :tada: But it's okay if you say it wrong the first time (loud echo).