Learned today there are multiple theme options frameworks. Still not sure which is best. Right now still have Devin Price’s theme option framework in place and spent a good amount of time figuring out how to overwrite one of his new functions and replace it with an old version of the function still present in GitHub that allows you to move it to a top level menu location. After doing this you have to update the paths to the CSS for the options framework and a is file to that allows you to toggle tabs. Not good that I have to back around and customize his code.

Titan Framework is 307KB
Redux Framework is 8.2M
Options Framework is 176KB

Meanwhile Titan Framework seems to have many more features and the ability to integrate with customize.php and add meta boxes to post and pages.

After a lot of testing Redux may be the winner, even though the documentation is disorganized and note as nice as Titan. I like the thinking behind Titan a bit more and I may have to revisit this tomorrow. I could probably do everything I need to do with Titan.

Then again, it may be easier to get something that is looking great with Redux. And if I can control the global variable it’s stored under for each I could somewhat easily switch back to another one if I need too.

The important thing is that I MAP OUT EXACTLY what I want on the page. That will help.

There is a paid framework call flex that does even more, allowing you to also export all your options.

BUT I can also just export options right from the database because I learned they are all stored as an array in one field like “titan-base theme-options” or “optionframework-theme-options” … Not sure if there are negative aspects of storing data like this. All this complexity really makes me wonder whether it’s really best just to creat a php cms for these sites from scratch after all.

Redux is like the mafia of options framework as it seems to have a small team working on it and keeps getting people with their own frameworks to just work on Redux. The design of the site for Redux isn’t as strong as Titan even though Titan is just one dude.