Edward Caissie, Code Slinger

I’ve been wanting to tell you about Code Writer Edward Caissie, aka Cais, who designed the WordPress theme I use here.

Previously, I had used Desk Mess by Geek with Laptop, but it had some limitations that drove me batty. So I did what any woman does, I went shopping – for a new template. I was overjoyed to find Desk Mess Mirrored by Edward Caissie which took care of some of the nagging issues I had with the original Desk Mess. I installed the template in mid-September. You may have noticed no difference since it’s so similar in design to my previous template.

Once I had made the difficult decision to change templates, I was determined to get all the features I wanted in a new theme. At the top of the list? Three columns. You can readily see that I still have only 2 columns. I liked the improved theme, but I wanted 3 columns, darn it. I clicked on the link at the bottom of my web page that gave the credit for the theme and visited Cais’s Buy Now Shop.

I used the Contact Form on the site to ask if Desk Mess Mirrored could be altered, and, if so, where in the template coding would I make the changes? Ah, how naive a non-code writer is!

Code Writer Replied

To my surprise, I received an email from Cais that was not only helpful but also cordial. He said: “I can understand completely how it would seem a relatively easy or minor thing to make the changes you suggested, prior to getting involved in theme design and plugin development I found myself thinking along very similar lines.”

Since I’d emailed coders before for one reason or another, I must say I was surprised to: (1) get a response and (2) for it to be friendly instead of rude – as well as telling me how dumb I was for asking.

Cais answered, point by point, the issues I’d raised, and explained what was entailed in making that happen. We corresponded over the next few days, and I found his comments so educational that I wanted to pass them on. With his blessing, here they are.

Homage

His Desk Mess Mirrored theme pays homage to the original by Geek With Laptop. He also told me he had created Multi v1.0 a “child” of the Desk Mess Mirrored v1.3 theme and that I might like to install it since it had a few tweaks like the RSS feed link appearing in the coffee cup and some other things. I did, after he told me how to go about it.

In case you’ve wondered whether code writers are worth what they charge, read on. You’ll find that theme or template design requires exacting expertise and that takes time to learn. You’ll also learn why elements can’t be changed as quickly as you think. Cais prefaces his explanation by saying: “I design for features and function that I like, then once satisfied I will release a version to WordPress.org for others to enjoy. Some of your tweaks have been asked in the past. I will address each in its turn.”

Why Sidebars Can’t Easily Be Added

Additional sidebars for this particular theme would require several modifications including, but necessarily limited to, code, style elements and graphics. The size of the “new” sidebars being a point to take into consideration with the new smaller size of the content area. I believe you have to keep in mind those readers that use lower resolutions, for example, 1024 x 768. These are relative numbers measured in pixels (px, a graphics unit of measure). The Desk Mess Mirrored theme currently uses a width of 990px with a current sidebar using 305px, the difference being used for the main content sections of the blog layout.

Relocate The Search Box

A new location for the search box is doable to a certain extent, but the graphic aesthetics of placing it into the “postcard” or “cell phone” would not be feasible given the angles of the image layout. Again image changes may be required to accommodate this kind of modification.

Install A Tag Cloud Above Footer

A tag cloud above the footer would require some minor code modifications to provide a “widget” area for a tag cloud, or any other widget, to be placed. The modifications you are looking for would need to be clarified in the point of would you want the cloud above or below the break in the “paper” each having its own issues that would need to be addressed.

Can User Customize A Theme

The design is customizable, and the person editing it would definitely need at least some knowledge of PHP, CSS, and the WordPress API to make the changes. . . .

Code Writers Will Customize

Short answer: yes. Cais has a Five-Minute-Fix rule where he’ll change something as long as it takes a few minutes. For him, as for everyone, time is money though. He will make changes, but the changes are billable by the hour. He’s always happy to discuss a change project and will give you a quote if you know what you want.

Cais’s Five-Minute_Fix

My Five-Minute-Fixes are not always five minutes to do. The last one was nearly five hours *grins* but in my mind as the theme designer, it (the RSS image in the cup) should have been only five minutes to “fix”. Sometimes the code only takes a few minutes, but my testing standards generally do not end with the last character of the code. I still review any modification under five major Internet browsers as a minimum before releasing it.

Encouragement From Cais

When I told him I stumbled along in an effort to modify a theme’s code, he said: “Stumbling about is a fine way to get to know your theme, I recommend it for anyone wanting to get their keyboard dirty and make their own digital modifications.”

Takeaway Truth

Curiosity can often lead you to new knowledge and to some of the nicest people.

Tags: cais, code slinger, desk mess mirrored, edward caissie, geek with laptop, website design, WordPress