Problem/Motivation

More web sites are being built with small chunks of CSS components. We need to component-ize Zen's CSS so that it's even easier to create a custom theme using it.

Proposed resolution

Break Zen CSS into lots of little components and add a modern front-end task runner (Gulp.js) that builds the system automatically.

Remaining tasks

All of the most important CSS has already been converted, but there's a few tasks left to do.

  1. Complete the last few undocumented components. Finished!
  2. Write documentation (both on drupal.org and in various README files in the starter kit.) Finished!
  3. Convert the layouts to Zen Grids 2 Finished!
    1. Re-write the layouts to use classes on page elements instead of body classes.
    2. Add a new mixin that handles RTL language in the same CSS file instead of a separate one.
    3. Release Zen Grids 2.0.0

Comments

macmladen’s picture

macmladen commented
Issue summary: View changes
johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented
Title: [meta] Zen 7.x-6.x status » [meta] Release Zen 7.x-6.0
Assigned: Unassigned » johnalbin
Category: Support request » Task

I just tagged Zen 7.x-6.x-alpha1 to match the work completed last November. This next batch of changes I'm in the middle of will be tagged alpha2 shortly.

macmladen’s picture

macmladen commented

Is there any way someone can help? I'd really like to participate and take some workload and I believe there are others too, willing and capable.

What are major feature points for 7.x-6.x comparing to 7.x-5.x branch?

Please keep us informed whenever some progress is made... and time allows you.

westis’s picture

westis commented

I'm also very keen on starting to use Zen 7.x-6.x and adapt our sub-theme to these changes. The alpha1 tag could be used, or Dev? Any kind of ETA for a beta release of 7.x-6.x? I'd rather put effort in maintaining our sub-theme according to this version than 7.x-5.x.

amanire’s picture

amanire commented

I'm also looking to help move this into a release. There are quite a few todos strewn around, but it's not clear where I could best focus my efforts to patch.

steinmb’s picture

steinmb commented

A bit late to the party. I have added quite a few issues to this meta issue. So anyone have a plan?

steinmb’s picture

steinmb commented
Category: Task » Plan
Issue tags: +Needs issue summary update
macmladen’s picture

macmladen commented

How is the work on 6.x branch progressing?

Can we start building some production site with current 6.x?

How can we help you with progress to beta/RC?

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented
Issue summary: View changes

Okay. Here's the situation. If you've been building sites using 7.x-6.x-dev, you're good. It's very solid.

But as I've been converting the CSS over to component-based, KSS-documented files, I keep learning new ways to make the process simpler and easier. And that slows things down because I have to update the already-converted CSS files instead of finishing the remaining ones.

NO MORE.

I need to get 7.x-6.0 out the door. It's already way better than 7.x-5.x, so let's finish the last CSS components and stamp it.

macmladen’s picture

macmladen commented

I am (and I think almost everyone is) keen to have this new iteration as soon as possible. We know that your experience speaks louder than our wishes so I know you are making right choices about release process.

Obviously, layouts and grids are the biggest obstacle to move forward and before that, releasing Zen Grids 2 is imperative.

Zen theme always had reputation for good documentation however that is a very hard thing to do, not in skill but in time as it takes a lot of time to develop documentation and to reach enthusiasts wishing to start with Drupal and the most popular theme ever.

In order to keep the standards that have been set so far, proceed to 6.x-beta1 by including current state Zen Grids which is already at 2.0.0-beta.3.

The only thing important to me (and others I suppose) is that further refinement does not break what we already done.

By having Zen Grids 2 (the main blocker) incorporated we can work on issues with it such as edge cases, greater modularisation and documentation improvements.

steinmb’s picture

steinmb commented
Issue tags: -Needs issue summary update
tstermitz’s picture

tstermitz
Location Colorado
commented

I've been using the Zen 7.x-6-dev for six or nine months, and I'm extremely pleased with the modular css in this branch. Yes, there are frequent changes to the structure of the SASS files, so maybe you can't easily update from one dev to another, but ANY of the 7.6 versions are better than going back to Zen 7.5.

The addition of KSS is interesting, but I understand when John says he's still working out the best way to organize everything. Maybe finish the KSS after all the SCSS is converted. I think KSS changes won't break upgrades.

After the modular CSS, the gulp task runner is the most useful development. My css compiles so much faster than with bundler. Also, I appreciate the css-lint process... damn, but my old code syntax-was fugly!

If I had one wish, it would be for Zen to use libsass instead of compass... I think that is now a viable option.

Maybe it's just me, but I would prefer a Susy-grids version instead of zen-grids. Thank you Jon for all the zen-grids work, but I'm using Susy now just about everywhere, including panels. It's easy enough to switch this on my own, as zen-grids is only in one file.

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented
Issue summary: View changes

All components are documented. Also, re-organized the style guide to make it easier to find things, I think.

Released 7.x-6.0-alpha6 to celebrate.

amanire’s picture

amanire commented

Hooray!

rivimey’s picture

rivimey
she/her
commented

Wonderful :-)

ejanus’s picture

ejanus commented

Super excited! I've been using my own custom respond-to() mixin with the current Zen the last year or so and using the more SMACSS based components and now, it's all built-in and more refined. Go Zen!

glass.dimly’s picture

glass.dimly commented

Can't wait to see this issue come along so we can get going with the D8 port. RC1, y'all! What's the status here?

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented

> What's the status here?

imminently eminent

mustanggb’s picture

mustanggb commented
Issue summary: View changes
johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented
Issue summary: View changes

The layouts now have RTL out of the box. Didn't need a mixin.

If you want to remove the RTL rulesets, just set $include-rtl to false.

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented

FYI, the "child issues" listed above are an accurate representation of how close we are to release.

I'm hoping magic fairies will come and create a patch for the drush issues. As I need sleep now.

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented
Issue summary: View changes
Status: Active » Needs review

Zen 7.x-6.0-rc1 is out. https://www.drupal.org/node/2712883

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented

Whoops. Forgot to generate the CSS in the Zen base theme. rc2 is out. https://www.drupal.org/node/2712889

mustanggb’s picture

mustanggb commented

Not sure if it's because I'm too quick off the mark, but both those links respond with a 403.

EDIT: Turns out I was being to hasty, links work fine now.

mustanggb’s picture

mustanggb commented

Okay looking good, especially the updated docs, only thing I noticed so far was the lint warning, which I see has been fixed already.

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented

RC3 is out. https://www.drupal.org/node/2716751

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented

RC4 is out. https://www.drupal.org/node/2717049

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented

RC5 is out. https://www.drupal.org/node/2717165

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented

RC6 was released 3 days ago: https://www.drupal.org/node/2718011

RC7 is out now. https://www.drupal.org/node/2719835

I've been diligently upgrading Zen for Drupal 8 and I keep finding little bugs that apply to 7.x-6.x as well.

I plan on tagging 7.x-6.0 at the beginning of Drupalcon no matter what. And will release normal point releases if I find more bugs.

FYI, here's the latest style guide that comes with 7.x-6.x: http://johnalbin.github.io/zen-style-guide/

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented

It's time.

johnalbin’s picture

johnalbin
they/他
Primary language English
Location Taipei, Taiwan
commented
Status: Needs review » Fixed

Fixed.

mustanggb’s picture

mustanggb commented

Yay!

Thanks for your continued hard work and support John.

tstermitz’s picture

tstermitz
Location Colorado
commented

Congrats. Compile times are MUCH faster!

steinmb’s picture

steinmb commented

Thank you John for all you hard work. Now, let's party!

mengi’s picture

mengi commented

Very exciting! Thanks to everyone who put in time to get this released!

Status: Fixed » Closed (fixed)

Automatically closed - issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.