Building a page, one Box at a time

A page becomes easier to understand when its structure is visible. RhinoThesis uses Boxes to describe the pieces of a template: a header, content, a list of articles and a footer.

Think in structure, then content

The template decides where a piece belongs. WordPress holds the words inside it. Keeping those responsibilities clear makes it easier to change a layout without rewriting the page.

A simple starting point

Template	Starting structure
Front Page	Site Header → Post Content → Site Footer
Blog Index	Site Header → Post List → Site Footer
Single	Site Header → Post Content → Comments → Site Footer

Make one change at a time

Open the RhinoThesis admin screen, choose a template and work with its Box tree. Save, reload and check the result on the front end. A small, deliberate change is easier to verify than a whole new arrangement.

• Use Text Blocks for short template-wide messages.
• Use Containers and Columns to group related Boxes.
• Keep the main content and navigation easy to find.

A useful template is one you can understand when you return to it a month later.

This starter article describes the current RhinoThesis foundation. Full Skin packaging and advanced Box controls are planned work; this theme does not run proprietary Thesis Skin packages.

Find more notes in the blog.