plugin CSS

[Wormopolis]

when you add CSS to a plugin, it creates a separate CSS file for it, but the end user has no way of adding any further modifications into it.  since some plugins you cant see the classes and ids used on whatever new objects were added, it would be good to be able to go to the CSS section in the admin panel, and have it list any of the CSS that plugins have added.  that way you could further refine the CSS.

an example would be a plugin that defaulted CSS to have a font that the rest of the forum wasnt using, being able to simply edit that CSS, or at the very least add an additional CSS selector on top of it to change the font to your liking.

[Ryan Roos]

We discussed this and didn't really see the need for a dedicated feature like this. The point of a plugin is to keep it modular and exportable. Editing CSS in a separate area on the forum away from the plugin that effects the plugin itself raises too many questions. Does this only work on plugins that aren't locked by the author? Does it just work on all plugins? Why are we letting people edit code when the point of a plugin was to eliminate that entirely? Does that edited CSS get exported or is it unique to the forum? Plus you can already edit CSS of the plugin in the plugin itself. It's up to the author to meet the editing needs of the plugin user.Using your font example, either the author shouldn't have used that font or provided a setting to change the font. Or if they wanted the CSS accessible they can just leave their plugin unlocked, after all they don't mind the code being edited.

I'm sorry, but we don't feel this is important at this time.

Thank you for the suggestion.

[Wormopolis]

well in the case of "locked", the CSS is usually safer for the end user to edit then the code is. when you leave a plugin unlocked, they can get into the javascript part itself and start making all sorts of edits that can ultimately break the plugin. editing the CSS wont really break the plugin, and can just be removed if something goes to haywire.

having CSS on a locked plugin sort become pointless then because if the CSS is meant for the end user to make subtle changes they no longer can. I might set up a dialog box to be default white with a black border just to make sure it was visual, but now the end user cant make it light blue like the rest of the dialog boxes on their forum because I locked the plugin. in the line of providing every possible CSS attribute as a setting to the plugin would become tedious, not to mention you probably wont remember to list every selector known to CSS.

I guess the best strategy is to list in the plugin comments every CSS class/id you used so they can add it to the global CSS themselves.

thanks for looking at it at least.