[wp-hackers] Less than Core, More than Plugins/Themes: Proposing Optional Modules.

[Mike Schinkel]

Hi all:

I've followed the discussions of core vs. theme and realize there is (rightfully so) a backlash against moving too many things into the core. While I look for enhancements I do agree that including certain things would not be used by a significant number of users would bloat the core should be avoided.  

OTOH, some of those things that people are desiring include infrastructure components on which for others could build, and not having them "always available and consistently implements results in stunting progress and disallows certain types of growth from occuring. One example is the community pushback to include a new "theme"(ing framework) with the distribution which conflicts with Eric Marden's desire to have a theming framework on which to depend. 

What I'd like to propose is the creation of a new concept for WordPress, the "Optional module."  Optional modules would be singular like the core and would be versioned with the core but they would not be included in the default installation.  Optional modules would be "installed-on-demand" based on a plugin's request and admin's approval to install, and the version of the optional module installed would be determined by the version of the WordPress core that is installing it.

Having "Optional Modules" for WordPress such as I propose would allow progress in the direction of common infrastructure without bloating the core. And one of the first such optional modules could be a basic theming framework.

Thoughts?  Maybe I should post this to Trac?

-Mike Schinkel
http://mikeschinkel.com/