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#1 2013-05-22 16:31:12
- Sunny1
- New Member
- Registered: 2013-05-22
- Posts: 2
Template uploading for Dummies? That would be great!
I am posting some general complaints about Textpattern template uploading here because it may be good to outline my newbie angst over trying to change templates / themes in textpattern. I really love this CMS, but I am only literate in CSS and HTML. Not programming. This may highlight why some people get discouraged with this program.
Thanks for hearing my awful complaining. It’s a bit of caterwauling, but I think this is a legitimate request if you want a lot of people to start using Textpattern.
I found Textpattern four days ago in my Hostgator c-Panel. I created a subdirectory and installed the Textpattern package with the demo template. Right away I went hunting for another template.
After several attempts to upload a new template, I got very discouraged. Then I found out each template / theme has their own way of doing things. If that is the case, and there is no standardization, it leaves newbies in a real bind. And I think only the most persistent will use Textpattern.
I think any Textpattern template needs instructions for Dummies with every step laid clearly on how to upload the template to override the default one. Invariably a step in the instructions leaves me confused. It may be how to ftp a template into my subdirectory and then create the proper file structure for templates. Or how to cut and paste to overwrite files from within Textpattern… Do I do that or somehow point to existing template files? How do I do that? Never did figure that one out. It seems like there is no standard on how to do anything.
It’s been very frustrating when all I really want is to create my own background in Photoshop and make some areas of my page dynamic for my customers to manually update.
Last night I figured out how to use CSS to change elements within Textpattern. So I altered the background color on the default theme. After four days of trying to figure out how to use templates I gave up. So now I am learning how to use the Textpattern default theme as it is. Hoping to alter it enough for new websites.
Is it possible at some point to create a standard for uploading templates and themes?
Thank you!
Sunny1
Last edited by Sunny1 (2013-05-22 16:33:21)
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Re: Template uploading for Dummies? That would be great!
True, uploading themes will be challenging as Textpattern does not have built in support for distributed 3rd-party themes, or one-click installations. There is an expectation that site developers will build a website on top of Textpattern using its templating language and features. As far as template files go, they can not be found as files, but in the database.
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Re: Template uploading for Dummies? That would be great!
@sunny1 Welcome! Some points:
You can use Textpattern as free as in noisy chaotic free jazz.
Don’t be fooled: All those fancy content/design/architecture-upload-mixers do break once you leave the prefixed path.
What is correct is that TXP needs more standard frameworks [TXP-tag-markups (the functionality)] and for each markup some working CSS sets.
My recommendation: Just wait a week and get familiar with the TXP vocabulary aka TXP-tags.
Specific questions esp. from beginners are always very welcome and normally will be answered very fast. Don’t hesitate to post one forum thread for each single question (instead of filing one huge list).
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