New WordPress 3.3 Functionality

Revisions to Existing Guidelines (REQUIRED)

  • Template Tags
    • Themes are REQUIRED to use get_template_directory()/get_stylesheet_directory() instead of TEMPLATEPATH/STYLESHEETPATH
  • Script Enqueueing
    • Themes are REQUIRED to use the Theme-specific hook for admin-enqueued scripts/stylesheets, e.g. admin_print_scripts-appearance_page_$menu_slug
    • Themes are RECOMMENDED to enqueue comment-reply script via callback, rather than hard-code the enqueue in the HTML document head
      Exxample:

      <?php
function oenology_enqueue_comment_reply() {
	if ( is_singular() && comments_open() && get_option( 'thread_comments' ) ) { 
		wp_enqueue_script( 'comment-reply' ); 
	}
}
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'oenology_enqueue_comment_reply' );
?>
    • Themes are REQUIRED to use core-bundled versions of jQuery UI and jQuery UI Plugins
  • Document head tag
    • Themes are REQUIRED to use wp_title filter to filter wp_title() (RECOMMENDED), or pass argument to wp_title() (OPTIONALLY), in order to modify document title content
  • Backward Compatibility
    • Themes MUST NOT use function_exists() conditional wrappers for functions/functionality introduced more than one (RECOMMENDED) or two (OPTIONALLY) WordPress version prior
  • Licensing
    • Themes are REQUIRED to declare copyright and license information as specified by the applicable license
    • Derivative Themes are REQUIRED to retain/declare the copyright information of the original work (With GPL-applicable examples)
  • Footer credit link:
    • Themes are REQUIRED to use matching text strings for link anchor text, alt text, and title text
  • TimThumb:
    • Themes MUST NOT use TimThumb
  • Internationalization:
    • Themes are REQUIRED to use a string, rather than a variable, constant, or concatenation, as the textdomain in translation functions.
  • Trademark
    • Themes MUST NOT clone the design of past or present web site. Themes that clone non-website designs will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Revisions to Existing Guidelines (RECOMMENDED)

  • Theme Settings and Data Security
    • Themes are RECOMMENDED to use do_settings_sections() to output settings sections/fields, rather than hard-coding markup

Guidelines Clarifications

  • Credit Links
    • Determination of appropriateness of AuthorURI and ThemeURI is at the sole, and final, discretion of the Theme Review Team. For AuthorURI, emphasis is on the personal nature of the site. For ThemeURI, a mere demo site is insufficient; the URI must include content predominately related to the Theme.