(Last Edited: 26 August 2010)
This step in Theme testing correlates to a WordPress export (WXR) file that you can import into a WordPress installation to test your Theme. To be clear, this is only one step in testing your Theme. See Theme testing for a full guide.
Test Procedure
- Download test data: http://svn.automattic.com/wpcom-themes/test-data.2010-08-02.xml
- Import test data into your WordPress install. Do this by going to Tools -> Import.
- Each "test" is a post or page described in the sections below.
Home Page
When viewing multiple posts (index.php):
- Posts display in correct order.
- Correct number of posts display (as per setting in Settings > Reading).
Test the following posts when viewing multiple posts. Post titles in the test data correlate with section titles below.
Scheduled Post
- Should not be displayed by the Theme (status "scheduled", rather than "published").
Draft Post
- Should not be displayed by the Theme (status "draft", rather than "published").
Layout Test
- Displays properly as a "Sticky Post."
- Page navigation links display properly.
- Page navigation links work properly (link to correct post page).
Readability Test
- Displays "Read More" link properly.
- "Read More" link works properly (links to single post at "More" tag location).
Images Test
- Wide image overflows properly (using max-width CSS rule or $content_width value is defined).
- Sidebar must not be pushed to the bottom of the page.
- Gallery thumbnail images display correctly.
Common Problems - Image Alignment Tests
Centered Image with Caption
The most common problems with this test is the background of the captioned area, the alignment of the text and image.
- .wp-caption does not have a look of being a box around the image
.wp-caption { background: #ccc; }
- text inside .wp-caption is not centered
.wp-caption { text-align: center; }
- .wp-caption doesn't center the image within the content area; This is mostly because .aligncenter not centering the area, and you should look how the style is handling it.
The background of .wp-caption is more important to the theme review team to match the theme itself then it is to be required. If no specifications for a border or background is made in the css the Theme Review will make note and suggest having one, not a requirement for passing the review process.
This Post Has No Body
- Lack of body text should not adversely impact the layout.
(no title)
- Lack of post title should not adversely impact layout.
- Post permalink should be displayed.
Many Categories & Many Tags
- Large number of categories/tags should not adversely impact layout.
Protected Test With Secret Password
- Password form should be displayed.
- Post content should not be displayed.
- Comments should not be displayed.
- Once password is entered, post or excerpt displays properly.
Archive Pages
Date Archives
When viewing Date Archives (archive.php, if applicable):
- Posts display correctly, with no apparent visual problems or errors.
- Posts display in correct order.
- Correct number of posts display (as per setting in Settings > Reading).
Category Archives
When viewing Category Archives (category.php, if applicable):
- Posts display correctly, with no apparent visual problems or errors.
- Posts display in correct order.
- Correct number of posts display (as per setting in Settings > Reading).
Tag Archives
When viewing Tag Archives (tag.php, if applicable):
- Posts display correctly, with no apparent visual problems or errors.
- Posts display in correct order.
- Correct number of posts display (as per setting in Settings > Reading).
Author Archives
When viewing Author Archives (author.php, if applicable):
- Posts display correctly, with no apparent visual problems or errors.
- Posts display in correct order.
- Correct number of posts display (as per setting in Settings > Reading).
Single Post
Test the following posts when viewing a single post (single.php). Each section title matches a post title in the test data.
Layout Test
- Displays page navigation links properly.
- Page navigation links work properly (link to correct page).
- Post permalink links to Page 1.
Page 2
- Paragraphs are styled correctly.
- Left, Center, Right, Justify aligned paragraphs align properly.
Page 3
- h1-h6 elements are styled (as appropriate).
- blockquote, cite styled (as appropriate).
- Block quotes should be indented or otherwise distinct from paragraph text.
- If the Theme uses a background image or quote symbol, make sure displays correctly on both short and long quotes.
- span with style and ASCII characters should display properly.
- table, tr, th, td are styled (as appropriate).
- dl (dt, dd), ul, ol, li styled (as appropriate).
- Nested lists should be indented correctly.
- The following HTML tags should be styled appropriately to ensure semantic meaning of each tag is preserved: address, a, big, cite, code, del, em, ins, kbd, pre, q, s, strong, sub, sup, tt, var.
- Note: abbr and acronym require no special styling.
- div, span maintain proper block or inline display, and styled (as appropriate).
Readability Test
- The content should be generally readable.
- Styling should not negatively impact readability: foreground/background contrast, font family, font size, line height, paragraph width, paragraph spacing.
Images Test
- Image Alignment Tests
- Images are aligned properly: Center, Left, Right, None.
- Check caption styles on first image.
- Images should not have a border unless it's part of design.
- Other Image Tests
- Wide Image (Resized) Test
- Image should display properly, and should be resized as specified.
- Sidebar must not be pushed to the bottom of the page.
- Wide Image (Not Resized) Test
- Wide image overflows properly (using max-width CSS rule or content_width value is defined).
- Sidebar must not be pushed below content due to image overlap.
- Thumbnails
- Thumbnails display properly.
- Gallery Test
- Gallery displays correctly (check for spacing after gallery).
- Gallery image thumbnails link to image post.
- Note: check for proper clearing of floats around <h2>Gallery Test</h2>
Embedded Media Test
- Embedded Audio (Enclosures) Test
- Enclosure links work properly.
- Embedded Video Test
- Video embeds work.
- Embedded videos do not overlap each other.
- Embedded videos do not push sidebar(s) below content due to overlap.
If you say it loud enough, you’ll always sound precocious; Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
- Test title line height
- Look for potential overflow issues if the theme has a small title area
This Post Has No Body
- Post displays properly and should not impact the layout.
(no title)
- Post displays properly.
- Post permalink exists.
Many Categories / Many Tags
- Category links work correctly.
- Categories display properly without adversely impacting design.
- Tag links work correctly.
- Tags display properly without adversely impacting design.
Protected Test With Secret Password
- Password input form displays properly.
- When correct password (secret) is entered, the post and comments are displayed.
- Comments are displayed correctly.
- Threaded comments display correctly.
- Author comment is styled (as appropriate).
- User avatars are displayed properly.
- Comment form displays properly for both logged in/logged out users.
- When logged in as admin, edit links are displayed and work correctly.
- HTML is displayed properly in comments, especially lists and block quotes
- Comment form does not display.
- "Comments are disabled" notice is displayed.
Many Trackbacks
- All trackbacks are displayed properly, with no overlap.
Pages
Test the following pages (page.php) by viewing the page that matches the section titles below.
- Tags and Categories should not be displayed.
- Comments should be enabled and displayed.
- Make sure datestamps or timestamps are not visible.
- Comments should not be displayed.
- No "Comments Disabled" message should be displayed.
- Layout not adversely impacted by minimal page content.
Parent Page / Child Page 1 / Child Page 2
- Extra credit for displaying parent and/or child when viewing pages within hierarchy.
Clearing Floats
- The last item in this page's content is a floated image. Make sure any elements after it are clearing properly.
Misc Pages
Tests for search.php and 404.php.
Search Results
- Search results page is helpful.
- Search query is displayed.
Not Found
- 404 page is present, and has helpful information.
General
- Test with a large number of categories or pages in the menu, and test with multiple levels deep in the menus.
- If custom menus are enabled, test the layout both with custom menus enabled and with the fallback navigation menus (no custom menu enabled).
Widgets
- All widgets display correctly.
- The default WordPress widgets should work correctly in all widgetized areas.
- If the Theme uses custom widgets, they should work correctly. (Custom widgets are programmatically added by the Theme to the list of available widgets in Appearance > Widgets.)
- Test all available widgets in all available widgetized areas in the Theme layout.
- Content that appears in widgetized areas by default (hard-coded into the sidebar, for example) should disappear when widgets are enabled from Appearance > Widgets.
Screenshot
- The screenshot should accurately show the Theme design.
- Make sure it doesn't show customized header colors or an uploaded logo that wouldn't appear by default.
Anchor Text and Credit Links
Theme authors should only be using links that point directly to a website specifically for the theme; an appropriate website page for the theme; or a reasonably related URL giving more information about the theme. Using anchor text for search engine gains will not be accepted.
Theme Testing
This Unit Test is just one step in Theme testing. Continue to Theme testing for the full guide.
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