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#13 2006-08-18 08:45:34

Destry
Member
From: Haut-Rhin
Registered: 2004-08-04
Posts: 4,909
Website

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

Never saw this one before, and I’m surprised there isn’t more talk about it, particularly for folks who design sites for other folks and need to put a client look and feel on the admin side.

Is this plugin obsolete or something?

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#14 2006-08-19 13:32:42

redbot
Plugin Author
Registered: 2006-02-14
Posts: 1,410

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

It works!
I never saw this one before too, thanks!
Actually it allows only for limited styling, nothing more that fonts, colors and backgrounds, but this is what is really important to me, just having the possibility to give the clients’ admin interface the same “feel” of the site they’re updating.
By the way, while playing with css I found a quick and easy way to style the navigation tabs wich maybe could be of some use.
You only have to give the second row of tabs the same styling of the upper row selected tab to make it visually clear the relation between different “sections” and “subsections” in the txp interface.
To make clear what I mean I’ve posted an example of css code that can be used. If someone is interested just install the plugin, create a new stylesheet named “admin” and paste in the following lines.
(I know it’s a little off-topic but I only wanted to show the power of this simple plugin)

L.

<code> * input.publish, * input.smallerbox
{
background:#345877 ;
color:#fff;
}
a.plain:link, a.plain:visited, a.plain:hover
{ color: #fff; text-decoration: none;
}
td.tabs {
background:#333;
}
td.tabs td{
background: #345877;
color:#fff;
padding:0;
margin:0;
}
td.tabdown2, td.tabdown
{
border:solid #333 1px;
border-width:1px 0 0 1px;
line-height:2.5em;
}
td.tabs td.tabdown2
{
background: #7F943B;
}
td.tabs td.tabup
{
background: #6C7536;
border:solid #333 1px;
border-width:1px 0 0 1px;
}
td.tabdown2 a:hover, td.tabdown a:hover
{
padding:0;
margin:0;
height:2.5em;
display:block;
background: #5282AB;
background-image:none;
line-height:2.5em;
color:#fff;
}</code>

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#15 2006-08-19 15:07:37

jameslomax
Member
From: UK
Registered: 2005-05-09
Posts: 448
Website

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

Sounds good. I can’t code, so I was hoping someone would do this.

Its not working for me though – no change. I tried placing admins.css both in the root and inside the /textpattern directory, with no joy. Is there any further configuration necessary?

Update: using a Firefox css editor and pasting in the code, I can see the result: change of colours etc.
But the plug in calls for <code>import url(“css.php?n=admin</code> when my file is called admin.css, which is what the instructions advise.

Any idea? What gives with the <code>css.php</code>?

Last edited by jameslomax (2006-08-19 15:14:19)

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#16 2006-08-19 16:02:13

redbot
Plugin Author
Registered: 2006-02-14
Posts: 1,410

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

Hi,
you have to create the css inside textpattern (you don’t have to upload the css file): go to presentation > style, create a new stylesheet called “admin” and paste the code.
Bye
L.

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#17 2006-08-19 17:55:03

jameslomax
Member
From: UK
Registered: 2005-05-09
Posts: 448
Website

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

Aha! thanks. I thought this was a hack; I didn’t realise it was nicely integrated.
Not too keen on the style though; I prefer the default txp style.

Still, I can see this as the basis for some nice customisation. Anyone else playing with this, and modifying other elements like the textarea and input fields?

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#18 2006-08-20 01:23:22

redbot
Plugin Author
Registered: 2006-02-14
Posts: 1,410

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

Hi,
Yes I know the css I used was terrible! it wasn’t intended to be nice but only as a simple test…
I didn’t want to fill this entire page with long css code, styling all of the elements in the interface and making use of background images as there is another place in the forum for this and I’m tooo lazy for even thinking about it ;-)
As I said before I find this plugin extremely useful for a fast styling of txp interface, which can also result in an enhanced usability for the “less experienced” clients who often tend to search for the “image” tab under the “presentation” tab and for the “sections” tab under the “content” tab.
Anyway I realize we are now completely off-topic…

Bye

L.

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#19 2006-08-20 02:03:21

jdykast
Member
From: Tennessee
Registered: 2004-12-30
Posts: 119
Website

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

Very clever. I’d love to see how this is being used (screenshots/code). Definite potential.

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#20 2006-08-20 10:53:29

redbot
Plugin Author
Registered: 2006-02-14
Posts: 1,410

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

I just noticed there was already a thread on this topic so I realize I discovered nothing new.
I only want to stress that this nice plugin (thanks duffe) makes it possible to use immediately most of the examples posted there: obviously I’m referring only to those that don’t change the position of page elements but only their appearance, so this cannot be used to have a vertical navigation menu as you have to deal with a given html code generated by Textpattern (table cells and not DIVs). Furthermore I don’t want, nor I have the capabilities, to hack the TxP code…
I say it once again, if someone needs to customize quickly and safely the admin interface for a client, I think this is the right tool: you just have to examine the page html source to gather all the info you need about elements class and IDs, then write some css rules, use in case some background images and you’ve done.
Bye!
L.

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#21 2006-08-21 18:01:23

Destry
Member
From: Haut-Rhin
Registered: 2004-08-04
Posts: 4,909
Website

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

As redbot and I alluded to already, the value of this plugin, though humble, is extremely practical for just tweaking the styling enough to make it a bit more custom looking for a client site…at least that’s where I see the value.

For those of you who are wanting the all-out customization of the admin side for your own sites, then you’re waiting like the rest of us for what appears when Txp 4.1 comes out (no gaurantees it will be 4.1, but that’s a guess-timate). It’s hoped that we will see complete revamping of the underlying admin code so that it’s not so table-ridden, among other things, then we’ll see the good admin presentation plugins materializing, or maybe we won’t even need a plugin at all because things will be nice and clean underneath.

There are a couple of nice skins floating around already that you might like for personal use. In fact, these have cleaned up the code a bit so any customization attempts would be better aimed using these facelift options, I would think. One by Mary (Admin Facelift) and one by phiw13 (Admin Facelift Take 2). You’ll have to dig. Found them…they’re both in Phillip’s download, here (works with 4.0.3 stable, admin-side plugins may cause problems depending on what you have).

Last edited by Destry (2006-08-21 18:24:28)

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#22 2006-08-22 01:19:00

redbot
Plugin Author
Registered: 2006-02-14
Posts: 1,410

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

Destry – I agree 100%. That’s exactly what I think

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#23 2006-10-06 06:25:41

duffe
Archived Plugin Author
Registered: 2005-01-18
Posts: 39

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

Hi all,

Another thing to note is that by using this plugin you can keep your CSS customisations and tweaks separate from the TXP codebase. Instead, it’s all nicely integrated into your database so when it comes time to upgrade your TXP installation you won’t have to go back and re-apply your changes.

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#24 2006-10-08 13:11:39

Destry
Member
From: Haut-Rhin
Registered: 2004-08-04
Posts: 4,909
Website

Re: [archived] hpw_admincss -- customise the Textpattern admin interface

Very nice thing to note, duffe, thanks. That is certainly an advantage.

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