Editing Theme (computing)

{{short description|Preset package containing graphical appearance and functionality details}}
[[File:Qtskins.png|thumb|The same GUI (using Qt) with three different themes]]
In computing, a '''theme''' is a preset package containing graphical appearance and functionality details. A theme usually comprises a set of shapes and colors for the [[Graphical control element (software)|graphical control elements]], the [[window decoration]] and the [[window (computing)|window]]. Themes are used to customize the [[look and feel]] of a piece of [[computer software]] or of an [[operating system]].

Also known as a '''skin''' (or '''visual style''' in [[Windows XP]])<ref>{{cite web|title=Visual Styles (Windows)|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb773187%28v=vs.85%29.aspx|work=[[MSDN]]|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=18 March 2013}}</ref> it is a custom graphical appearance preset package achieved by the use of a [[graphical user interface]] (GUI) that can be applied to specific [[computer software]], [[operating system]], and [[website]]s to suit the purpose, topic, or tastes of different users. As such, a skin can completely change the look and feel and navigation interface of a piece of [[application software]] or operating system.

Software that is capable of having a skin applied is referred to as being '''skinnable''', and the process of writing or applying such a skin is known as '''skinning'''. Applying a skin changes a piece of software's look and feel—some skins merely make the program more aesthetically pleasing, but others can rearrange elements of the interface, potentially making the program easier to use.

==Use==
Themes are often used to change the look and feel of a wide range of things at once, which makes them much less [[granularity|granular]] than allowing the user to set each option individually. For example, users might want the window-borders from a particular theme, but installing it would also alter the desktop background.

One method for dealing with this is to allow the user to select which parts of the theme they want to load; for example in Windows 98, users could load the background and screensaver from a theme, but leave the icons and sounds untouched.

== Video gaming ==
[[File:Ittle Dew alt costumes in Slap City.png|500px|thumb|A set of alternate recolors for a single character in ''Slap City''.]]
In [[video games]], the term "skin" is similarly used to refer to an in-game character or cosmetic options for a player's character and other in-game items, which can range from different color schemes, to more elaborate designs and [[Costume|costumes]]. Skins are often awarded as [[Unlockable (gaming)|unlockable]] content for completing specific in-game goals or milestones. Skins can sometimes include historical incarnations of the player character (such as [[Insomniac Games]]' ''[[Spider-Man (2018 video game)|Spider-Man]]'', which includes unlockable skins based on [[Spider-Man]]'s past comic book and film appearances),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/8/17831834/spider-man-game-ps4-costumes-comics|title=A guide to Spider-Man PS4's many costumes, and their comic roots|last=Carter|first=Justin|date=2018-09-08|website=Polygon|language=en|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> as well as crossovers with other video games (such as ''[[Final Fantasy XIII-2]]'' offering a costume based on [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] from the ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' franchise, and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' offering costume items based on other video game characters for its customizable [[Mii]] Fighter characters).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-04-11-final-fantasy-13-2-assassins-creed-costume-dlc-released|title=Final Fantasy 13-2 Assassin's Creed costume DLC released|last=Phillips|first=Tom|date=2012-04-11|website=[[Eurogamer]]|language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/9/4/20850211/sans-undertale-smash-bros-ultimate|title=Sans from Undertale joins Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Mii Fighter costume|last=Lee|first=Julia|date=2019-09-04|website=Polygon|language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref> ''[[Fortnite Battle Royale]]'' has similarly featured extensive uses of licensed properties as the basis for skins,<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://skycoach.gg/blog/fortnite/articles/fortnite-beginner-guide| title=Fortnite basis skins| accessdate=2023-02-19}}</ref> also including non-gaming properties such as comic book characters,<ref>{{cite web|last=Goslin|first=Austen|date=February 6, 2020|title=Harley Quinn is officially coming to Fortnite|url=https://www.polygon.com/fortnite/2020/2/6/21126183/harley-quinn-fortnite-skins-birds-of-prey-challenges|access-date=February 6, 2020|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref><ref name="ew thanos">{{cite magazine|last=Romano|first=Nick|date=May 7, 2018|title=Thanos is coming to Fortnite for epic Avengers: Infinity War crossover|url=http://ew.com/gaming/2018/05/07/thanos-fortnite-avengers-infinity-war/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507155418/http://ew.com/gaming/2018/05/07/thanos-fortnite-avengers-infinity-war/|archive-date=May 7, 2018|access-date=May 7, 2018|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> the [[National Football League]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Patricia|date=2018-11-05|title=Fortnite will start selling NFL skins this week|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/5/18064380/fortnite-nfl-skins-football|access-date=2021-11-06|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref> and musicians.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=2020-04-20|title=Travis Scott is touring inside Fortnite this week|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/20/21227852/fortnite-concert-travis-scott-astronomical-schedule-date|access-date=2021-11-06|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref>

Skins are sometimes distributed as part of [[downloadable content]], and as [[pre-order]] incentives for newly-released games. In the 2010s, skins were increasingly deemed a [[Virtual goods|virtual good]] as part of monetization strategies, especially within [[free-to-play]] games and those otherwise treated [[Games as a service|as a service]]. Via [[microtransaction]]s commonly known as "[[loot box]]es", a player can earn a random selection of in-game items, which may include skins and other cosmetic items of varying rarity. While often defended as being similar in practice to [[booster pack]]s for [[collectible card game]]s, researchers have deemed loot boxes to be "psychologically akin to gambling",<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Drummond|first1=Aaron|last2=Sauer|first2=James D.|date=June 18, 2018|title=Video game loot boxes are psychologically akin to gambling|journal=Nature Human Behaviour|volume=2|issue=8|pages=530–532|language=En|doi=10.1038/s41562-018-0360-1|pmid=31209310 |s2cid=205565143 |issn=2397-3374}}</ref> and their inclusion in full-priced games have faced criticism from players for being an anti-consumer practice.<ref name="kotaku oct102017">{{cite web | url = https://kotaku.com/fall-loot-box-glut-leads-to-widespread-alarm-1819328610 | title = Fall Loot Box Glut Leads To Widespread Alarm | first = Jason | last = Schreier | date = October 10, 2017 | access-date = October 10, 2017 | work = [[Kotaku]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/09/loot-boxes-have-reached-a-new-low-with-forza-7s-pay-to-earn-option/|title=Loot boxes have reached a new low with Forza 7's "pay to earn" option|last=Machkovech|first=Sam|date=2017-09-29|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> They have largely been supplanted by "[[Battle pass|battle passes]]", which are collections of in-game challenges and goals that unlock reward tiers over a short- or long-term period.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Davenport|first=James|date=2018-07-05|title=Battle passes are replacing loot boxes, but they're not necessarily a better deal|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/battle-passes-are-replacing-loot-boxes-but-theyre-not-necessarily-a-better-deal/|access-date=2020-01-24|website=PC Gamer|language=en-US}}</ref>

Via the [[Steam (service)|Steam]] platform, ''[[Counter-Strike: Global Offensive]]'' and ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' also allow players to trade these items, which has led to communities devoted to [[bartering]] them for real-world money, as well as [[skin gambling|gambling]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/counter-strike-global-offensive/how-counter-strike-global-offensive-is-turning-into-the-worlds-most-exciting-esport|title=How Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is turning into the world's most exciting eSport|website=[[PCGamesN]]|date=January 2015 |language=en-GB|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref><ref name="trade websites">{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/features/2014/5/22/5590070/steam-valve-item-trading|title=The hidden world of Steam trading|first1=Mitch|last1=Bowman|date=May 22, 2014|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526001248/http://www.polygon.com/features/2014/5/22/5590070/steam-valve-item-trading|archive-date=May 26, 2015|access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref><ref name="saved1">
{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/how-400-virtual-knives-saved-counter-strike/|title=How $400 virtual knives saved Counter-Strike|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|publisher=[[Future plc]]|first=Evan|last=Lahti|date=September 17, 2015|access-date=February 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111083031/http://www.pcgamer.com/how-400-virtual-knives-saved-counter-strike/|archive-date=January 11, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
</ref><ref name="armsdealupdate">
{{cite magazine | url = http://www.pcgamer.com/cs-go-arms-deal-update-adds-more-than-100-weapon-skins-supports-esports/ | title = CS: GO Arms Deal update adds more than 100 weapon skins, supports eSports | magazine = [[PC Gamer]] | date = August 14, 2013 | access-date = July 18, 2016 | first = Curtis | last = Coe | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160708060440/http://www.pcgamer.com/cs-go-arms-deal-update-adds-more-than-100-weapon-skins-supports-esports/ | archive-date = July 8, 2016 | url-status = live | df = mdy-all }}
</ref>

Online games from East Asia, such as Tencent's ''Honor of Kings'' and NetEase's ''Justice'', are especially famous for their commercializations and selling of skin, which more often than not changes not only a game character's audiovisual appearance but also its play feel. Being a cultural product, skin has also inccurred serious political and cultural debates in China.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sh-Chen |first=Yedong |date=2023-09-01 |title=China in the Skin: In Search of a Chinese Video Game |url=https://read.dukeupress.edu/prism/article-abstract/20/2/395/387430/China-in-the-SkinIn-Search-of-a-Chinese-Video-Game?redirectedFrom=fulltext |journal=Prism |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=395–416 |doi=10.1215/25783491-10992770 |issn=2578-3491|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Themed systems==
===Operating systems===
;{{vanchor|Microsoft Windows}}
:[[Microsoft Windows]] first supported themes in [[Windows 95]] as a separate application package called [[Microsoft Plus!#Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95|Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95]]. Themes were later supported in [[Windows 98]] and was built-in there. These operating systems, as well as its successor, [[Windows Me]], came with themes that customized [[Computer wallpaper|desktop backgrounds]], [[Icon (computing)|icons]], user interface colors, Windows sounds and [[mouse cursor]]s.<ref>{{cite web|language=en|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|title=Theme File Format (Windows)|url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb773190(v=vs.85).aspx|date=2017-08-13|access-date=2017-09-17}}</ref> [[Windows XP]] expanded Windows theming support by adding [[Windows XP visual styles|visual styles]] and allowing each theme to specify one. Third-party software such as [[WindowBlinds]], and [[Desktop Architect]] enhance theming capabilities. Support for custom themes can also be added by patching system files using third-party utilities, such as [https://www.syssel.net/hoefs/software_uxtheme.php?lang=en UltraUXThemePatcher] and [https://github.com/namazso/SecureUxTheme SecureUxTheme], which is not endorsed by Microsoft.
;{{vanchor|Linux}}
:[[Linux]] operating systems may support themes depending on their [[window manager]]s and [[desktop environment]]s. [[IceWM]] uses themes to customize its taskbar, window borders, and time format. [[Window Maker]] can store colors for icons, menus, and window-borders in a theme, but this is independent of the wallpaper settings. [[GNOME]] and [[KDE]] use two independent sets of themes: one to alter the appearance of user interface elements (such as buttons, [[scroll bar]]s or list elements), and another theme to customize the appearance of windows (such as, window borders and title bars).
;{{vanchor|macOS}}
:[[macOS]] does not natively support themes. Third-party apps such as [[Appearance Manager#Kaleidoscope|Kaleidoscope]] and [[ShapeShifter]] may add this.
;{{vanchor|Android}}{{anchor|CyanogenMod|Android OS|Paranoid}}
: Although [[Android (operating system)|Android]] does not support themes, the forked [[CyanogenMod]] and its successor [[LineageOS]] have native theme support. The CM theme engine is in turn used on many other forked Android ROMs, such as Paranoid Android.

===Apps===
[[Firefox]] and [[Google Chrome]] either support or supported a form of theme. Firefox (and its sibling [[Mozilla Thunderbird|Thunderbird]]) supports themes either through ''lightweight themes'' (formerly [[Personas (Firefox)|Personas]]).<ref name="moz-kb-themes">{{cite web|title=Use themes to change the look of Firefox|url=https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-themes-change-look-of-firefox|work=Mozilla Support|publisher=[[Mozilla Foundation]]|access-date=18 March 2013}}</ref> Google Chrome version 3.0 or later allows themes to alter the appearance of the browser.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://chrome.blogspot.com/2009/10/splash-of-color-to-your-browser-artist.html |title= A splash of color to your browser: Artist Themes for Google Chrome |author=Glen Murphy |publisher=Google Chrome Blog |date= October 5, 2009 |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref> [[Internet Explorer 5]] and [[Internet Explorer 6|its immediate successor]] allowed the background picture of their toolbars to be customized.<ref>{{cite web|title=How to Restore the Background Bitmap on the Internet Explorer Toolbars|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/224457|work=Support|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=18 March 2013|date=24 January 2007}}</ref>

The most popular skins are for [[instant messaging]] [[Client (computing)|client]]s, [[Home theater PC|media center]], and [[media player software]], such as [[Trillian (instant messenger)|Trillian]] and [[Winamp]], due to the association with fun that such programs try to encourage.

==Standard interface==
Some platforms support changing the standard interface, including most using the [[X Window System]]. For those that do not, programs can add the functionality, like [[WindowBlinds]] for [[Microsoft Windows]] and [[ShapeShifter]] for [[macOS]].

==Websites==
[[File:MediaWiki_1.44.0-wmf.4_source_editing_at_English_Wikipedia_screenshot.webp|thumb|upright=1.2|Example of customized theme (Timeless) in Wikipedia, [[MediaWiki]] is skinnable]]
Many websites are skinnable, particularly those that provide [[Social media|social]] capabilities. Some sites provide skins that make primarily cosmetic changes, while some—such as [[H2G2]]—offer skins that make major changes to page layout. As with standalone software interfaces, this is facilitated by the underlying technology of the website—[[XML]] and [[XSLT]], for instance, facilitate major changes of layout, while [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]] can easily produce different visual styles.

==See also==
*[[Aqua (user interface)]]
*[[Computer wallpaper]]
*[[Industrial design]]
*[[Look and feel]]
*[[User interface design]]
*[[Windows Aero]]
*[[Windows XP visual styles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Graphical user interfaces]]
[[Category:Software add-ons]]