A Polar View

WordPress.org code, from the very first time I glanced at it, has been slightly confusing. I read an article stating WordPress.org’s code is not PHP, I’m still quite dubious of that fact. Considering the only non-PHP file included with every theme is stylesheet.CSS and the PHP files are littered with <?php …>, despite what I read, it still looks like PHP to me.

However, I am not the type of person to let a smidgen of befuddling code I can’t make heads nor tails of get me down. No, not at all. I am the type of person to get so darn frustrated after trying plug-in after plug-in and fiddling until I can fiddle no more I simply abandon the project altogether.

What is the project?

Making the comments fit the blog. As of this moment they are too wide, too gray and quite unsuited to APolarView.com’s overall appearance. It’s vexing to the perfectionist in me and annoys my (unqualified) inner graphic artist.

The comments have been gray, wide and unsuited since day one. After trying and failing many times, I set them aside as a project to be tackled later. When it wouldn’t be so frustrating, when it wouldn’t contribute to the amount of gray hairs on my head and when it wouldn’t make me want to toss APolarView.com out the nearest window and wipe my hands of it.

It appears that day is today, for I came across a brilliant article at Nettuts+ titled Unraveling the Secrets of WordPress’ Comments.php File.

Ladies, Gents, there was much rejoicing. What else could I do when upon skimming the article I discovered, ‘lo and behold, not only is it in-depth, I could understand it.

Each <?php if()>, <?php else()> and the biggie, every <?php comment_> tag is explained in beginner friendly terms. For that’s what I am, a beginner. A copy-paster who can’t write five lines of code to save her life.

A new goal is born, my fingers are ready to type and my brain is ready to learn. Let us hope I am up to the task. PHP Code is not poetry in my world. It is not writing. It’s a jumbled up mixture of letters that only make a teensy bit of sense if I tilt my head sideways and squint.

Perhaps if I attempt poetry from the WordPress.org tags I will have an epiphany. See it in a new light and shout a hallelujah to the skies. Hmm. Now to pick a most esteemed poem and turn it into something worthy of the coders at WordPress.org.

Buffalo Bill 's

defunct

        who used to                     

        ride a watersmooth-silver

                                  stallion

and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat

                                                  Jesus

he was a handsome man

                      and what i want to know is

how do you like your blueeyed boy

Mister Death 

E.E.Cummings

Okay, it isn’t literally written in code, it’s quite possible I cheated, I did have to utilise coding so all the formatting would appear properly though. For fun, I tossed in some HTML colour tags.

E.E. Cummings might not approve, coders may not think my effort passes the bar, as a beginner however, it is the best I can do.

For now.

Sarah — April 9th, 2009 | In Coding, Writing