Even better login customization

Published: On Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Recently I have found, viewed and read a few articles about ***Wordpress login page customization***. I would say the most helpful of all of them is “the entry”:http://www.binarymoon.co.uk/2007/07/wordpress-tips-and-tricks-custom-login-page/ by “Ben Gillbanks at Binary Moon”:http://www.binarymoon.co.uk/, who is also author of a related plugin. Yes, his plugin is what is it all about. The plugin is actually the sum of Ben’s work that was put together nicely, so we are now able to undergo the process of customization far more easily. Let’s see it.

Ben’s great work
================

When you “download”:http://www.binarymoon.co.uk/files/downloads/bm-custom-login.zip Ben’s plugin and unpack the archive, you will see

1. PHP file – the plugin itself
2. CSS file – that will be linked after the plugin activation
3. sample images
4. and PSD (Photoshop) graphic template of the login box.

The power of this pack of files is grounded in two things: Firstly the whole process of **implementation is** ***pluginized***, what means you won’t have to touch WP files “in core”, you just will add new files into plugins directory and activate the plugin. Consequently the customization becomes permanent, **independent on upgrades**, what is the plugin’s most important advantage (of all plugins actually).

The second most important property of Ben’s plug-in is **the PSD file**, prepared really well. Thanks to this template, making your own custom login page is matter of several minutes. This possibility surely deserves to emphasize!

Improvements abstractly
==================

But nothing is so perfect, so that Kahi would call it as absolutely perfect :-). Have no fear, there is almost nothing I have to say about *Binary Moon Custom Login Plugin* improvements spaces: there are in fact only two not so important details. Firstly I think, it would be better to include CSS file directly into logging page. Linking to external files means another http request, that low-broadband (i.e. mobile connected) people can feel a bit (and it would also eliminate the possibility of incomplete file-loading…). Secondly, in the CSS files are not included some definitions – error messages or links below the login-form. These elements I would also recommend to customize, let have it as perfect as possible :-).

But except these two remarks… “Custom login page by Ben Gillbanks”:http://www.binarymoon.co.uk/2007/07/wordpress-tips-and-tricks-custom-login-page/ is work that I appreciate extremely.

[* 17/customized-custom.jpg *] .<>

Improvements tangibly
================

I’m not going to stay in theory and I offer you an (improved) modification of Ben’s plug-in “to download”:/wordpress/wp-content/files/wp-custom-login.zip. What’s different?

1. PSD file includes preview of default login screen with/without an error message
2. CSS file includes definitions for (error) messages
3. CSS file is not linked but directly included into HTML code, `style` block.

**Download Kahi’s follow-up to Binary Moon Custom Login Plugin**:/wordpress/wp-content/files/wp-custom-login.zip (ZIP archive, 550 KB)

Enjoy! ;)

PS: I renamed it to *Custom login*, because there can’t be two different plugins of the same name and it’s not the best idea to call it *Kahi’s custom login*, what would probably make more sense… :-).

.<>
[* 17/customized-cuketka.jpg *]
Screen of the login page from a WordPress project I finished recently, *Cuketka.cz*:http://www.cuketka.cz/


Comments

  1. 1.  KAPS wrote: On January 22., 2008 comment number 1

    PERFECT! I searched for hours to find where to edit for the links text, this did exactly what I needed!

    Thank you for an excellent upgrade to an excellent plugin.

    bs (at) KapsCigarBar.com

I quit working with WordPress, comments are closed. My plugins will not be updated any more – at least not by me. Feel free to modify my source codes though… Also I am not able to provide support, sorry. –Kahi