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+# Commander1024 2026
+
+A clean, retro-tech inspired **classic WordPress theme** for [commander1024.de](https://www.commander1024.de/). It uses standard PHP templates rather than Full Site Editing templates, while providing a modern Gutenberg authoring experience through `theme.json` and matching editor styles.
+
+The theme is intended for a traditional personal blog with articles, static pages, category/tag archives, search, comments, and media-rich technical content.
+
+## Scope
+
+This theme provides the presentation layer for WordPress. It does **not** bundle content, plugins, analytics, SEO tooling, caching, contact forms, or e-commerce functionality.
+
+It is designed to work with WordPress’s normal post/page workflow and with the block editor. The PHP template hierarchy remains conventional and easy to maintain:
+
+- `index.php` — posts index
+- `single.php` — individual posts
+- `page.php` — static pages
+- `archive.php` — category, tag, date, and author archives
+- `search.php` — search results
+- `404.php` — custom error page
+- `front-page.php` — configurable video hero and front-page content
+
+## Features
+
+### Site experience
+
+- Responsive classic theme with a clean retro-computing visual language
+- Sticky header that hides while scrolling down and returns while scrolling up
+- Multi-level primary navigation:
+  - first-level dropdowns open below their parent
+  - nested dropdowns open beside their parent
+  - menu hierarchy remains expanded and touch-friendly on small screens
+- Expanding search panel with automatic input focus
+- Three-state color-mode control:
+  - **Automatic** — follows the visitor’s system preference
+  - **Light**
+  - **Dark**
+- Color-mode preference stored in the visitor’s browser
+- WordPress admin-bar offset for logged-in visitors
+- Custom 404 page
+
+### Content and taxonomy
+
+- Wide article identity area for post/page titles, metadata, categories, tags, featured images, archive headings, pagination, and post navigation
+- Readable, narrower measure for article body text
+- Category/tag chips and archive support
+- Responsive images, galleries, captions, embeds, and code blocks
+- Threaded comments with avatars, readable metadata, and non-numbered reply hierarchy
+- Previous/next post navigation with directional markers
+
+### Front page
+
+Configure the hero from **Appearance → Customize → Home page video hero**:
+
+- Select a video from the WordPress Media Library
+- Set a custom overlay heading
+- Set optional overlay copy
+- The site subtitle is shown as the hero eyebrow
+
+### Gutenberg support
+
+`theme.json` defines the theme’s editor design system while the site remains a classic PHP theme:
+
+- Commander 1024 color palette, gradients, and duotone preset
+- Local font-family choices
+- Font-size and spacing scales
+- Content width: `760px`
+- Wide width: `1180px`
+- Wide and full block alignments
+- Buttons, tables, quotes, pullquotes, covers, galleries, Media & Text, Group, and Columns styling
+- Matching block-editor canvas styles in `editor-style.css`
+
+### Code blocks
+
+Core Code blocks and the optional [Syntax Highlighting Code Block](https://wordpress.org/plugins/syntax-highlighting-code-block/) plugin are supported.
+
+- Berkeley Mono is used for code
+- Syntax-highlighted blocks use Monokai Light in site light mode
+- Syntax-highlighted blocks use conventional Monokai Dark in site dark/automatic-dark mode
+
+The syntax-highlighting plugin is **not bundled** with this theme and must be installed separately if desired.
+
+## Fonts and licensing
+
+All font files are self-hosted in `fonts/` and are used by both the frontend and block editor. Monospace stacks prefer Berkeley Mono and fall back to Source Code Pro before the browser’s generic monospace face.
+
+| Font | Usage | Files | License / redistribution status |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **Alpha Lyrae** | Site headings, display titles, retro stylistic sets | `AlphaLyrae-Medium.woff2` | Free for commercial use under the [SIL Open Font License 1.1](https://openfontlicense.org/). |
+| **Crimson Pro** | Body copy | `crimson-pro-latin-wght-normal.woff2`, `crimson-pro-latin-wght-italic.woff2` | [SIL Open Font License 1.1](https://openfontlicense.org/). |
+| **Berkeley Mono** | Preferred code, metadata, navigation, and UI face | `BerkeleyMono-*.woff`, `BerkeleyMono-*.woff2` | Privately licensed by the site owner. It is not an open-source font and must not be redistributed or reused outside the applicable licence. |
+| **Source Code Pro** | Automatic fallback for Berkeley Mono in code, metadata, navigation, and UI | `SourceCodePro-Regular.woff2`, `SourceCodePro-Bold.woff2`, `SourceCodePro-Italic.woff2`, `SourceCodePro-BoldItalic.woff2` | Downloaded from the public [Google Fonts](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Source+Code+Pro) distribution; [SIL Open Font License 1.1](https://openfontlicense.org/). |
+
+### Alpha Lyrae OpenType features
+
+The supplied Alpha Lyrae font includes stylistic sets `ss01` through `ss05` and ligature support. The theme uses Alpha Lyrae as its heading face; individual features can be selected with CSS, for example:
+
+```css
+.retro-heading {
+  font-family: "Alpha Lyrae", sans-serif;
+  font-feature-settings: "ss01" 1, "liga" 1;
+}
+```
+
+Use one stylistic set at a time. See the CSS around `.hero-title` for a live theme example.
+
+## Installation
+
+1. Place this directory in `wp-content/themes/`.
+2. In WordPress administration, activate **Commander1024 2026** under **Appearance → Themes**.
+3. Configure the custom logo under **Appearance → Customize → Site Identity**.
+4. Assign the Primary and Footer menus under **Appearance → Menus**.
+5. Optionally configure the front-page video hero in the Customizer.
+6. Review block-editor palette, typography, spacing, and alignment controls when authoring content.
+
+## Development notes
+
+- `style.css` contains frontend styles and the WordPress theme header.
+- `editor-style.css` styles the classic editor and block-editor canvas.
+- `assets/js/theme.js` contains the color-mode, scroll-header, search-panel, and mobile-navigation interactions.
+- `functions.php` registers theme supports, menus, editor assets, Customizer controls, and custom comment rendering.
+- `theme.json` is the source of truth for Gutenberg tokens and editor controls.
+
+The theme declares the **GNU General Public License v2 or later** in `style.css`. This applies to the theme code. Font assets remain subject to their respective licences above.
+
+## Validation
+
+The repository’s editor diagnostics are used for static validation. Visual testing should be performed on the local/staging WordPress environment, including both color modes, responsive navigation, nested menus, Gutenberg wide/full blocks, code blocks, and threaded comments.
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