Post B15bZc47NMrvZuAlua by jakob@soc.schuerz.at
(DIR) More posts by jakob@soc.schuerz.at
(DIR) Post #B11vmjwWcTu0E2JnpQ by randompenguin@dillyofapickle.com
2025-12-08T04:43:49Z
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I've mentioned to a few people that I've been working on a new theme for Friendica, based on "Vier" but with some features from "Frio" and styling cues from the "Bookface" scheme I made for it, plus some new stuff.This is a PREVIEW of that theme. It's still very much a work-in-progress! It's not even to a point where I can release the code for others to test. There is still a LOT to do.I've been doing frontend web design and development professionally for a long time. Over the years I've made dozens of themes, child themes, and plugins for clients running WordPress, so I'm no stranger to PHP and jQuery. Friendica, though, doesn't have a robust theme system like WordPress. So for just about everything I've wanted to do I needed to pick my way through the code and figure it out, because the documentation is outdated, thin, or non-existent.Friendica also has a million pieces, so I never feel like I'm getting anywhere with this theme because every time I turn around there's something else that needs attention. I hate to say it, but it's been the most frustrating thing I've ever worked on and I've nearly given up a dozen times! I might still. This is what I do for a living so paying jobs would have to take priority over working on this for free.Which is why I won't try to predict if or even when it will be finished.As for WHY I started making this? I felt I'd taken the "Bookface" scheme as far as it can go given the limitation of only being able to use CSS. People had asked if I could do this or that with it and I'd have to tell them "No" because what they wanted required changing backend code or the HTML structure and all I had to work with was a stylesheet.If you're on one of a couple of the larger Friendica instances you've probably experienced first hand how the "Frio" theme can breaks on an overloaded server. That's probably because it loads about a dozen additional plugins/themes/frameworks on top of what the Friendica core loads. If it fails to load some of them the theme breaks. By contrast the older "Vier" theme is pretty simple. It doesn't really load anything new. Which makes it faster loading and more stable, or at least less prone to breaking on a stressed server.Which is why I decided to use "Vier" as the base for my new theme. It's actually more of a "hybrid" theme because I'm incorporating some of the features from "Frio" that I like. But I needed to figure out how to do that without Bootstrap because I was determined not to add any new plugins, libraries, or frameworks.Features:Accent Color creates site-wide color schemeForkawesome icons replaced with Phosphor iconsDefault font is "Lexend" designed from improved readability.Integrated Coverphoto add-on functionalityIntegrated Zen Postbox add-on functionalityAdvanced Theme Settings similar to my Bookface Custom add-onVerified Blue Checkmarks (optional as it only works for local accounts)Post headers now show author @handleOption to hide local server from @handleOptions to show navbar icons, text, or bothOption for alternative Emoji Picker integrated to themeAccessibility improvements for keyboard navigationRedesigned Hovercards (popover contact info) Three Options for Composing & Editing: In Thread Separate Page Modal Window Location button can use device location services (if you've enabled it in browser for site)Post engagement/responses click for popover listPost Composer available on Community page (Local Server & Global)Character count added to comment editorPhoto and Attachments filebrowser has tabbed interfaceAttachments filebrowser can filter files by typePrivacy Settings update padlock icon on editorEasier access to some settings (Widgets, Profile photo, etc.)"Frio" style user Settings and Admin screensSingle navigation toolbar with options to make it "fixed" or scroll away.As for what's still left to to do? I have yet to style most of the sub-pages for each section, I have to complete the mobile UI layout, create options for all of the settings for the theme, make the "dark" and "auto" versions, get some of the features listed above working properly, and probably a ton of other little things I won't know I need to do until I stumble across them.#Friendica @developers
(DIR) Post #B11vmm0qvMYIe2MHqq by nanook@friendica.eskimo.com
2025-12-08T06:27:07Z
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@randompenguin Aesthetically clean but where did Account types, Own Contacts, and Trending tags go? I'm presently using bookface.
(DIR) Post #B120Kb10ibpUCPodSS by nanook@friendica.eskimo.com
2025-12-08T07:17:41Z
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@randompenguin Overall looking more polished than Bookface, glad someone is actively working on this. Didn't like Vier and the other stock interface is broken.
(DIR) Post #B13DeYI63CJc6Tc6Ou by heluecht@pirati.ca
2025-12-08T05:14:27Z
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It's looking really great! I would love to see your work incorporated into the official release.As far as I understand, you need support concerning the handling of git. My hope is that eventually someone will provide help.
(DIR) Post #B13DeZkqbmuKdw4Zqy by randompenguin@dillyofapickle.com
2025-12-08T20:32:11Z
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Thanks @heluecht I can definitely use the encouragement. Working on this has been kind of a slog.@marcusxms offered to help with the Git stuff I don't get (haha).
(DIR) Post #B13DeavsEHK0IQEtg8 by nanook@friendica.eskimo.com
2025-12-08T21:21:43Z
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@randompenguin @heluecht @marcusxms I can certainly appreciate that, the friendica theming interface is less than transparent.
(DIR) Post #B15bZaHA1u761mG9xo by utopiarte@tupambae.org
2025-12-09T15:07:17Z
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By contrast the older "Vier" theme is pretty simple. It doesn't really load anything new. Which makes it faster loading and more stable, or at least less prone to breaking on a stressed server.Which is why I decided to use "Vier" as the base for my new theme.Sry if this comes over like repeatedly but all this sounds to me like best could be starting the friendica theme thing from scratch. Even more if the documentation isn't as it should be and we just found our staatl. geprüft und annerkannten Friendica Front-end Developer CEO.How about creating a inical teared down completely minimalistic friendica core theme and mount on top of it a addon system of themes @randompenguin?Is that possible, maybe even reasonable and faster than trying to work thru old not properly documented theme stuff?
(DIR) Post #B15bZbMVzTzTOflwwq by randompenguin@dillyofapickle.com
2025-12-09T18:46:47Z
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I thought about just scratch building a theme up from what the Friendica core does. There's definitely something to be said for a modular approach both for development and performance, though it would also introduce a lot of inconsistency to the UX across servers. Consistent of experience is why I'm integrating some of the functionality of three of my add-ons to the theme. But if the coverphoto or postbox add-ons are already loaded it would defer to them.Ultimately I decided to start with "Vier" as my base because it's already a functional, battle-tested theme, but also because there's no real documentation on ALL of the many "moving parts" in Friendica, most of which I assume have been addressed in "Vier" by this point. In the absence of documentation to build from scratch I opted for a "working model" to learn how themes work in Friendica.It might be better for me to say "Vier" was my starting point rather than this theme is based on "Vier." By the time I'm done with this, though, I don't know how much of "Vier" will actually be left.I'm not sure what "and we just found our staatl. geprüft und annerkannten Friendica Front-end Developer CEO" means when Friendica doesn't even have an org behind it?
(DIR) Post #B15bZc47NMrvZuAlua by jakob@soc.schuerz.at
2025-12-09T20:02:12Z
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@randompenguin @utopiarteThisI'm not sure what "and we just found our staatl. geprüft und annerkannten Friendica Front-end Developer CEO" means when Friendica doesn't even have an org behind it?only means, you are VERY welcome, and the friendica-community is thankful for your work on the project 😊😊😊It's german humor... 😉
(DIR) Post #B15bZciAyQuZa8ulLk by nanook@friendica.eskimo.com
2025-12-10T00:59:13Z
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@jakob @utopiarte @randompenguin Absolutely!