? parent_preprocess.patch
Index: STARTERKIT/template.php
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal-contrib/contributions/themes/zen/STARTERKIT/template.php,v
retrieving revision 1.9
diff -u -p -r1.9 template.php
--- STARTERKIT/template.php	21 Apr 2008 17:01:54 -0000	1.9
+++ STARTERKIT/template.php	29 Apr 2008 21:37:25 -0000
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ if (theme_get_setting('STARTERKIT_fixed'
  */
 /* -- Delete this line if you want to use this function
 function STARTERKIT_preprocess(&$vars, $hook) {
-  // First run Zen's preprocess function.
-  phptemplate_preprocess($vars);
+  // First run the parent theme's preprocess functions.
+  zen_parent_preprocess('STARTERKIT', $vars, $hook);
 
   $vars['sample_variable'] = t('Lorem ipsum.');
 }
@@ -72,9 +72,7 @@ function STARTERKIT_preprocess(&$vars, $
  *   A sequential array of variables to pass to the theme template.
  */
 /* -- Delete this line if you want to use this function
-function STARTERKIT_preprocess_page(&$vars) {
-  // First run Zen's preprocess function.
-  phptemplate_preprocess_page($vars);
+function STARTERKIT_preprocess_page(&$vars, $hook) {
 
   $vars['sample_variable'] = t('Lorem ipsum.');
 }
@@ -87,9 +85,7 @@ function STARTERKIT_preprocess_page(&$va
  *   A sequential array of variables to pass to the theme template.
  */
 /* -- Delete this line if you want to use this function
-function STARTERKIT_preprocess_node(&$vars) {
-  // First run Zen's preprocess function.
-  phptemplate_preprocess_node($vars);
+function STARTERKIT_preprocess_node(&$vars, $hook) {
 
   $vars['sample_variable'] = t('Lorem ipsum.');
 }
@@ -102,9 +98,7 @@ function STARTERKIT_preprocess_node(&$va
  *   A sequential array of variables to pass to the theme template.
  */
 /* -- Delete this line if you want to use this function
-function STARTERKIT_preprocess_comment(&$vars) {
-  // First run Zen's preprocess function.
-  phptemplate_preprocess_comment($vars);
+function STARTERKIT_preprocess_comment(&$vars, $hook) {
 
   $vars['sample_variable'] = t('Lorem ipsum.');
 }
@@ -117,9 +111,7 @@ function STARTERKIT_preprocess_comment(&
  *   A sequential array of variables to pass to the theme template.
  */
 /* -- Delete this line if you want to use this function
-function STARTERKIT_preprocess_block(&$vars) {
-  // First run Zen's preprocess function.
-  phptemplate_preprocess_block($vars);
+function STARTERKIT_preprocess_block(&$vars, $hook) {
 
   $vars['sample_variable'] = t('Lorem ipsum.');
 }
Index: zen/template.php
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal-contrib/contributions/themes/zen/zen/template.php,v
retrieving revision 1.13
diff -u -p -r1.13 template.php
--- zen/template.php	21 Apr 2008 17:03:03 -0000	1.13
+++ zen/template.php	29 Apr 2008 21:37:25 -0000
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ function phptemplate_breadcrumb($breadcr
  * @param $vars
  *   A sequential array of variables to pass to the theme template.
  */
-function phptemplate_preprocess(&$vars) {
+function zen_preprocess(&$vars, $hook) {
   global $user;
 
   // Set a new $is_admin variable. This is determined by looking at the
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ function phptemplate_preprocess(&$vars) 
  * @param $vars
  *   A sequential array of variables to pass to the theme template.
  */
-function phptemplate_preprocess_page(&$vars) {
+function zen_preprocess_page(&$vars, $hook) {
   global $theme;
 
   // These next lines add additional CSS files and redefine
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ function phptemplate_preprocess_page(&$v
  * @param $vars
  *   A sequential array of variables to pass to the theme template.
  */
-function phptemplate_preprocess_node(&$vars) {
+function zen_preprocess_node(&$vars, $hook) {
   global $user;
 
   // Special classes for nodes
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ function phptemplate_preprocess_node(&$v
  * @param $vars
  *   A sequential array of variables to pass to the theme template.
  */
-function phptemplate_preprocess_comment(&$vars) {
+function zen_preprocess_comment(&$vars, $hook) {
   global $user;
 
   // We load the node object that the current comment is attached to
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ function phptemplate_preprocess_comment(
  * @param $vars
  *   A sequential array of variables to pass to the theme template.
  */
-function phptemplate_preprocess_block(&$vars) {
+function zen_preprocess_block(&$vars, $hook) {
   $block = $vars['block'];
 
   // Special classes for blocks
@@ -373,3 +373,48 @@ function path_to_zentheme() {
   }
   return $theme_path;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Call a parent theme's preprocess function.
+ * 
+ * By default, a sub-theme's preprocess function will be called in place of the
+ * parent theme's, rather than in addition to.  By calling this function as the
+ * first line of a preprocess function, you can easily make the effect additive.
+ *
+ * In order to leverage this function, in your own themename_preprocess()
+ * function you must do two things:
+ * 
+ *  - You must accept the second $hook parameter.
+ *  - You must specify the following as the very first line of the function:
+ * 
+ *    zen_parent_preprocess('NAME_OF_YOUR_THEME', $vars, $hook);
+ * 
+ * As long as the theme you are inheriting from does so as well, preprocess
+ * functions will inherit all the way up the chain.
+ * 
+ * @param string $theme
+ *   The name of the theme that is calling this function.
+ * @param $vars
+ *   The array of template variables.
+ * @param string $hook
+ *   The hook that we are preprocessing.
+ */
+function zen_parent_preprocess($theme, &$vars, $hook) {
+  
+  $themes = list_themes();
+  
+  if (!empty($themes[$theme]->base_theme)) {
+
+    $functions = array(
+      $themes[$theme]->base_theme . '_preprocess',
+      $themes[$theme]->base_theme . '_preprocess_' . $hook,
+    );
+    
+    // Call the parent theme if possible.
+    foreach ($functions as $function) {
+      if (function_exists($function)) {
+        $function($vars, $hook);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}