Textpattern CMS support forum
You are not logged in. Register | Login | Help
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
Re: Managing themes
Maybe because sections are labeled “presentation” in the backend (of course it’s really not the case, but you won’t learn that until you have quite toyed with TXP :p) and in some beginners mind a theme include all things “presentation” ?
However, I don’t quite share the sentiment, and more and more disagree with my first assessment of the would-be tool. Sections in it might very well be a bad idea.
Offline
Re: Managing themes
Can you elaborate on this? Why is that confusing, exactly? For end users or template designers? What would the alternative be, and how would that be less confusing?
Okay, I’ll try :)
The presentation is separated in two parts: The webdesign (pages, forms, styles) und the webstructure (sections). So if you just take the webdesign you will need to give many advices for the user how to set up the webstructur / the sections. It might help to have new tags that output certain navigation elements, but what about special subpages (about, colophon) or something which you have to set up manually as section. What about the section settings, too? What to show on frontpage etc. That might be important for a theme, too (mostly if the themes are getting more complicated). It’s not a problem for a advanced user to handle all this but I think most of the theme users will be newbies.
If only pages, forms and styles belong to a theme, what happens if you switch? Different themes need different section settings…
So, you ask about an alternative. Well, I have to say, I don’t know. I don’t say your idea is bad, but I remember all the question we had and have on the German TXP Blog and that why I supose that there will be some new user problems.
Hope you understand what I’m trying to say – it a difficult topic and it’s not so easy to explain the own thoughts in a forreign language if you’re not quite sure about a solution yet.
Offline
#15 2006-02-26 09:32:41
- zem
- Developer Emeritus
- From: Melbourne, Australia
- Registered: 2004-04-08
- Posts: 2,579
Re: Managing themes
I don’t really think it’s the job of a template (or template designer) to specify the site structure. Sure, link to special sections (about, contact) if they exist; but I don’t think a template should come with a “create sections” step, whether it’s automatic or manual.
Alex
Offline
Re: Managing themes
Well, that’s the problem: perhaps templates shouldn’t specify the site structure but often they do. I think you’re right that templates should not come the a “create section” step. But if you separate both, there will still be the step, that the user will have to assign a different page to a section if he switches a theme. There is a strong connection between the section structure and the design.
I’m sure your concept will work, but we should be aware, that some steps of the complete installation might not be that intuitive for newbies…
Offline
#17 2006-02-26 10:08:36
- zem
- Developer Emeritus
- From: Melbourne, Australia
- Registered: 2004-04-08
- Posts: 2,579
Re: Managing themes
But if you separate both, there will still be the step, that the user will have to assign a different page to a section if he switches a theme.
Not necessarily. Themes could use standard names for common page template types. When I switch from one theme to another, all the sections that were set to use the “static” template in the old theme automatically use the “static” template in the new one. Same for “default”, “weblog”, “contact”, “gallery”, etc.
Alex
Offline
Re: Managing themes
Ah, okay! So, this sounds like some kind of “Template API” ;)
But then, these pages (and connected sections) should be in the standard template, too. So that a new user doen’t has to set up the section.
Another option: If you install a template, Textpattern asks if it should create all necessary sections. This would be newbie friendly but could be skipped be advanced users… Just as an idea…
Last edited by Skubidu (2006-02-26 10:15:14)
Offline