Hiding /theme Folder in Source

[meepmeep]

One thing I love about GetSimple is that if you look at the source, it almost looks like a pure HTML site. One thing that hints that it's a CMS is the /theme folder.

It seems like most of the references is due to:

• CSS
  
• JavaScript
  
• Images
  

Is there a way to "hide" the /theme folder?

Perhaps a combination of PHP script to rewrite references to CSS, JavaScript, and Images to /css, /js, and /images respectively and .htaccess to redirect these folders to the theme-specific folders?

[shawn_a]

Just use a rewrite rule and rewrite those folders to theme/
Of course you will have to manually change your theme.

[meepmeep]

Of course you will have to manually change your theme.

Is there a way to NOT change the theme (like through custom PHP function)?

[shawn_a]

I doubt it there is no way to know now a theme calls its assets.
You could use hooks and output buffering then replace the paths before they goto the browser. But talk about over complicating something for some unknown benefit.

[meepmeep]

I doubt it there is no way to know now a theme calls its assets.
You could use hooks and output buffering then replace the paths before they goto the browser. But talk about over complicating something for some unknown benefit.

I guess the point is you keep your customizations modular so they'll survive upgrades. Is there a place where users can enter custom functions that won't be affected by GS or theme upgrades?

If not, what would be an elegant solution? Add an include line in /index.php to reference a separate PHP file? And re-add that line at every upgrade?

P.S. I'm looking at it from a management perspective. When the next version of GS comes out, I want to make sure I don't lose any customizations I've made.

[yojoe]

you can write your own functions in functions.php file stored in theme directory.
All functions will be loaded before executing theme's file.

[shawn_a]

My point is the theme is hardcoded to the theme subdirectory.
They all are.

Its not really a php or function issue. You have to change it manually or via output buffering like i said.

Ideally and Perhaps you could change the theme folder definition in core but I have no idea if that will work, and there is no guarantee that a theme even sues that for the path.

[meepmeep]

Its not really a php or function issue. You have to change it manually or via output buffering like i said.

I think there's several problems to solve in order to achieve this:

1. Where to put the code? I asked a similar question here and a brilliant answer was to make a static plugin that you control. There's no update to the plugin, since it's yours and you can put what ever custom code in it.

2. Like shawn_A mentioned, develop PHP code to rewrite any references to files like /theme/some_theme/css/style.css to /css/style.css.

3. Craft .htaccess to rewrite /css/style.css back to /theme/some_theme/css/style.css.

That way, /theme/some_theme/css/style.css never appears in the HTML source code.

Problem 1 & 3 seems very easy to do. Problem 2 seems a bit more difficult.

shawn_A, you wouldn't, by any chance, want to take a crack at problem 2, would you?

[shawn_a]

Easiest thing is to just use a rewrite and change the theme, I do not understand why this is not preferred, is this something that needs to work across many sites, why does it need to be code.

[shawn_a]

Ok I got this working problem is that

Code:

get_theme_url()

is hardcoded to theme.
infact theme folder is hardcoded all over core, as is other paths for some reason.

So there are some core modifications needed, maybe I can get this fixed in 3.2.2
there are about 3-4 places in code that need to be modified to use GSTHEMESPATH or some other config option.

[meepmeep]

infact theme folder is hardcoded all over core, as is other paths for some reason.

I think in the long run, cleaning up the hardcoded /theme folder would be useful to everyone.