Development

Getting Started

If you're interested in developing themes or plugins for Aurora, please contact webdev@uconn.edu. After signing the Developer Agreement, we'll set you up with a development sandbox server and with read-access to all of the central themes and plugins.

Global Files Library

The global files library is a collection of commonly used libraries, fonts, and other files. By using these widely cached files, your site will load faster, you'll be certain to always be using the 'correct' version of something, and  it will make the Code Audit process much quicker since the reviewers will not have to inspect every file in the library. The library will be included in your developer sandbox.

Requesting New Global Files

If you'd like to add a font, library, or anything in particular to the global library, you don't need to email or call anyone. Just submit a pull request, and we'll release it in the next update.

Using Global Files

When loading scripts and styles, you'll want to reference the theme url if it's a child theme and use the path from there. For example:

wp_enqueue_script('bootstrap-min', get_bloginfo('theme_url').'/wp-content/bootstrap-2.3.2/js/bootstrap.min.js', array('jquery'));

Adding the UConn Banner

To add the UConn Banner, just add a single line of php, right after the opening body tag.

<body>
<?php if(function_exists('uconn_banner_hook')){uconn_banner_hook();}?>

This will include the code for the UConn Alert Banner as well.

Tips for New Aurora Developers

  • Consider making a child theme of Cornerstone. It will save you a ton of time.
  • New plugins need to be approved by Governance and Code Audit. Before building an entire theme that requires a specific plugin, consult with webdev@uconn.edu.
  • Do not load jQuery; WordPress already does that for you.
  • Start your javascript with: jQuery(document).ready(function($) { rather than $( document ).ready(function() {
  • Enqueue your scripts and CSS to better control the order they load in. This is particularly important if you're making a child of Cornerstone.
  • Use the Global Library versions of Bootstrap and of fonts. If you load fonts or libraries into your theme, expect Code Audit to ask you to submit them to the library, and then link to those.
  • Look at the existing plugins before building a new feature. We may already have something pretty close.
  • Removing duplicate, backup, and unused files from your theme or plugin will speed up the review process from Code Audit.
  • When submitting a new theme or a change to a theme, please submit the entire theme to Code Audit.