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Opened 12 years ago

Closed 11 years ago

Last modified 11 years ago

#21766 closed feature request (wontfix)

modify body_class function to allow non-class items

Reported by: norcross's profile norcross Owned by:
Milestone: Priority: normal
Severity: normal Version:
Component: Themes Keywords: has-patch
Focuses: template Cc:

Description

Currently, the body_class only allows for filtering with additional classes. For users that want to add other items, they have to manually edit the theme files. The best example of this is schema.org body elements (itemtype and itemprop).

The diff file shows two things:

  1. the new body_items function that grabs any items added via filter, if they exist.
  1. the modified body_class function, which appends the output with the items if they exist.

The patch, as I've written it, allows for this additional filter to be included without interfering with how themes / plugins interact with the current body_class filter, and doesn't require theme authors to include an additional tag in their themes.

Below is an example function that could be placed in a theme or plugin to add other items to the body tag element.

function schema_bodyitems($item) {

	if (is_page() ) :
		$item[] = 'item-foo="item-bar"';
	endif;

	$item[] = 'itemtype="http://schema.org/Blog"';
	$item[] = 'itemscope=""';

return $item;
}

add_filter('body_items','schema_bodyitems');

Attachments (1)

post-template.php.diff (1.2 KB) - added by norcross 12 years ago.
removing commented out items

Download all attachments as: .zip

Change History (18)

@norcross
12 years ago

removing commented out items

#1 follow-up: @xenlab
12 years ago

I see value in having a way to add new attributes to the <body> tag, this approach still seems kind of scoped to the example use case.

I'm not a fan of having to piggy back on body_class(), but I see why -- body_class is widely deployed and integrated into many themes. However, I still think there is a cleaner approach to this problem that allows body_class to still work while also introducing a new filter to add attributes.

Last edited 12 years ago by xenlab (previous) (diff)

#2 in reply to: ↑ 1 @norcross
12 years ago

Replying to xenlab:

I see value in having a way to add new attributes to the <body> tag, this approach still seems kind of scoped to the example use case.

I'm not a fan of having to piggy back on body_class(), but I see why -- body_class is widely deployed and integrated into many themes. However, I still think there is a cleaner approach to this problem that allows body_class to still work while also introducing a new filter to add attributes.

based on the method outlined, you could add stand-alone elements as well, not just the item-foo=item-bar setup.

#3 follow-up: @scribu
12 years ago

  • Keywords dev-feedback removed

Similar discussion for admin body classes: #19460

#4 in reply to: ↑ 3 @norcross
12 years ago

Replying to scribu:

Similar discussion for admin body classes: #19460

similar, but JS won't correctly solve the issue on the front-end. adding schema items (which is one example, but the best I can think of currently) via JS won't apply until after the page loads, which won't put it in the source code that search engines will crawl. if it isn't in the actual source, it may as well not exist in the eyes of a search engine.

#5 @markjaquith
12 years ago

I will deny having written this:

<?php

class WP_Body_Class_Injection_Plugin {
	public function __construct(){
		add_filter( 'body_class', array( $this, 'body_class' ) );
	}

	public function body_class( $classes ) {
		$backtrace = debug_backtrace();
		if ( $backtrace[4]['function'] === 'body_class' )
			echo " foo='bar' ";
		return $classes;
	}
}

new WP_Body_Class_Injection_Plugin;

#6 @SergeyBiryukov
12 years ago

  • Component changed from General to Template
  • Version trunk deleted

#7 @ryanve
12 years ago

#23537 seems better than hacking the body_class.

#8 @norcross
12 years ago

@ryanve I agree. the hack 'works' but it doesn't address the underlying concern. I'm not sure what else would be relevant to add (body ID, maybe?) but having more flexibility would be great.

#9 @cais
12 years ago

  • Cc edward.caissie@… added

#10 @nacin
11 years ago

  • Component changed from Template to Themes
  • Focuses template added

#11 @obenland
11 years ago

  • Keywords close added; 2nd-opinion removed

The intend of this ticket seems to be similar to #23537.

For the example mentioned, I agree with Otto42 that a theme should be dealing with schema.org and not a plugin. I don't think we should be hijacking body_class() in that way.

#12 follow-up: @norcross
11 years ago

@obenland my main issue with leaving it to the theme authors is that it loses the ability to standardize the format. also; the itemprop and itemname (again, using the schema example) could be different for two pieces of content using the same template file, depending on what they may be displaying

#13 in reply to: ↑ 12 @obenland
11 years ago

Replying to norcross:
I understand that, but schema.org is a bit more involved than adding two attributes to the body element.

body_class() is one of the more "elegant" template tags, in terms of doing what it's expected to do and be named accurately. Let's not make it confusing.

#14 follow-up: @obenland
11 years ago

  • Keywords close removed
  • Milestone Awaiting Review deleted
  • Resolution set to wontfix
  • Status changed from new to closed

Double-checked with wonderboymusic during WCNYC contributor day: body_class() is just not the place for additional attributes, that would be theme territory.

#15 in reply to: ↑ 14 @norcross
11 years ago

Replying to obenland:

Double-checked with wonderboymusic during WCNYC contributor day: body_class() is just not the place for additional attributes, that would be theme territory.

not happy, but it is what it is. considering how many years it took to get theme devs to use the body_class() function, I doubt that anything else will ever get implemented.

#16 follow-up: @obenland
11 years ago

considering how many years it took to get theme devs to use the body_class() function, I doubt that anything else will ever get implemented.

Yeah, that also came up during that discussion. :/

#17 in reply to: ↑ 16 @norcross
11 years ago

Replying to obenland:

considering how many years it took to get theme devs to use the body_class() function, I doubt that anything else will ever get implemented.

Yeah, that also came up during that discussion. :/

I don't doubt that at all. also, please don't misunderstand me, I completely understand (and on it's face, agree with) the reasoning for punting this. just bummed there isn't a way to handle it that doesn't involve breaking years of theme dev habits.

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