Theming Mentorship Pages with Query Parameters in Landing

Introduction

The landing project aims to provide a consistent and engaging user experience. A new feature adds the ability to preview different themes on the mentorship page using a simple query parameter, mirroring the functionality already present on portfolio pages. This allows for rapid iteration and testing of various visual styles.

Implementation

The core of this feature involves reading the theme query parameter from the URL. When present, the application applies the specified theme to the mentorship page. If the parameter is absent, the default theme is used. This is achieved through a simple check within the page's rendering logic.

$theme = $_GET['theme'] ?? 'default';

// Apply the theme based on the $theme variable
// This might involve loading a CSS file or applying specific styles
if ($theme === 'retro') {
    echo '<link rel="stylesheet" href="/themes/retro.css">';
} else {
    echo '<link rel="stylesheet" href="/themes/default.css">';
}

This PHP snippet illustrates how to retrieve the theme query parameter. If the parameter is set, its value is assigned to the $theme variable; otherwise, it defaults to default. The subsequent if statement then applies the corresponding CSS file, effectively changing the page's appearance.

Benefits

This approach offers several benefits:

• Ease of Preview: Designers and developers can quickly preview different themes without modifying the underlying code.
• A/B Testing: The query parameter can be used to A/B test different themes with real users.
• Consistency: This feature maintains a consistent theming approach across different parts of the landing project.

Next Steps

Consider expanding this feature to allow users to save their preferred theme in their profile settings. Also, explore more advanced theming techniques, such as using CSS variables to provide greater flexibility.