Over the past few months, we’ve been working on a major update to the UpThemes Framework. Our goals were simple: a faster, more stable, secure, extensible options framework that falls in line with the WordPress Settings API and best practices. One of the biggest pieces of feedback we’ve received is that a theme options framework should look like WordPress and use its Settings API to avoid reinventing the wheel in regards to the user interface.
As of today, the changes we’ve made are now live on the master branch! I’ve listed the major changes below:
Now Uses Settings API
We based the majority of our changes on Chip Bennett’s Oenology theme options panel, with some of our own tweaks and additions, of course. This allowed us to strip out a ton of code and use existing APIs, ensuring better forward compatibility and tight integration with WordPress Core.
Theme Customizer Integration
Certain option types are available within the Theme Customizer, making it easy for developers to provide a live preview for their theme options. There’s nothing extra required for options to appear in the theme customizer, they’re all enabled there by default.
Built-In Media Handling
Previously, the UpThemes Framework used its own image uploader, causing the potential for security issues surrounding uploads. With the new framework, we’ve integrated the WordPress media uploader into our image option type.
Available as a Git Submodule
One of the biggest changes we made was moving all the relevant files into a single directory that can now be checked out as a git submodule. Since all our themes are hosted on Github, this was an extremely important thing for us as we don’t have to maintain code for the framework in all our theme repos, we simple update the submodule when code changes and push back up to master. Voila!
No More SEO, Typography, or Style Engine
Some people might consider this a major bummer, but we wanted to really narrow the focus of the UpThemes Framework and let it do what its supposed to do – theme options! We pulled the Typography Engine out a few months ago and created Typecase, the best web font plugin for WordPress, plus we decided that Yoast’s WordPress SEO plugin is a much better option for our users, so we typically recommend that for anyone looking to replace the SEO options we included in the previous version of the framework.
Less Code
We’ve removed several files and loads of PHP from the framework, making it much lighter. Since it’s just a theme options framework, we felt it shouldn’t be as heavy as an entire theme. Don’t you agree?
New Getting Started Guide
We now have a quick start guide for developers looking to integrate the UpThemes Framework into their themes.
Check out the UpThemes Framework on Github
View the Quick Start Guide
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This is really awesome! Thanks guys!
But your commenting system here on the site sucks. Took me 6-7 clicks to post a comment.
trying to figure out how to integrate it into an existing theme and its not working. Maybe a video tut coming soon??
@SureFireWebServ I am also trying to figure this out. They explain how to integrate the framework but no info on how to actually call each setting that has been made, so that field entry can be placed in its relevant position in the template files. Frustration! Lacking documentation for newbies.
@SureFireWebServ This might help:How to: Integrate the UpThemes Framework into ANY WordPress Theme (Part 1 of 3)https://upthemes.com/blog/2010/03/how-to-integrate-the-upthemes-framework-into-any-wordpress-theme-part-1-of-2/
I for one am really bleak about the typography manager moving to a plugin, this was something that really interested me with the upthemes options framework, and for theme dev it isn’t something I want in a plugin, whether for commercial themes or client work. It was a major feature of the framework for me and I’m sure many others, I’ll have to build my own I suppose, but then is there really value in using the framework to speed up dev? If I’m going to do that I might as well throw in a few other options and call it a day with the framework. It disappointing to see great features advertised about a project and then, “oh well we just pulled that out”, if you’re releasing a project with this much fanfare Thanks, you just made this about a 100 times less useful.
@pushplaybang On the other hand, the moment I got my hands on upThemes framework, the first thing I did was get rid of the SEO and Typography manager. I’m saying this to make the point that some decisions will effect someone for sure, but I guess that has been made for valid reasons. Thus I applaud that!
@banago I totally get that some people would not use these features, or implement there own solutions, but 2 points… firstly its still advertised – secondly by not leaving it out everyone still has the option of using or not using the feature, but now the choice is out of my hands, which is my frustration really.
here go use a plugin really doesn’t sit well with me, this is really just more motivation for me to roll my own.
@banago just to illustrate my point, I’m quite fond of the style engine and typography manager, but don’t bother with the SEO module, and thats a choice.
the sentiment that those don’t cut it in terms of being “theme options” is ridiculous to me.
Applaud for the other upgrades, fantasttic but come on. styling and typography options aren’t part of the core of your theme options? really?
@pushplaybang They aren’t really. Because I expect me theme to work as advertised, including the font and styles, I don’t offer those in the theme options. But I make it really easy to edit the theme as a developer. I don’t like to build frameworks into each theme I build. Less is more for me 🙂
@banago a man after my own heart, but as somewhat of a minimalist you surely can agree that typography is a key aspect to a theme. Undoubtably a theme should work straight out the box, but by allowing intelligent type and style management it makes it easy for the end user personalize the theme. This makes sense to me for both users and sales.
Agreed that far too many theme authors go to town with the options and that often make no sense to me
please how do i get started with the framework. am new to blogging in wordpress..please tell me how to install it into my blog
Peter, for the more advanced we have the Quick Start Guide. However, that sounds like that may be over your head if you are new to blogging with WordPress. The easiest way would be to use one of our themes. Each come with the Framework installed.