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#1 2008-06-12 14:44:44
- alanw
- New Member
- Registered: 2008-06-12
- Posts: 2
Best strategies for site redesign?
I’m asking for opinions on the best way to redesign a Textpattern site with minimal impact on an existing installation.
I’ve thought of creating a new installation in a new directory, and then moving it. But what about article migration?
Also thought about creating new sections with slightly modified names which would be changed back to the original name when it was time to pull the trigger. But one would need to be focused to not screw up the original CSS by accident. (I suppose I could lock the file somehow?)
Any and all opinions appreciated.
Thanks, Alan
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#2 2008-06-12 15:00:21
- redbot
- Plugin Author
- Registered: 2006-02-14
- Posts: 1,410
Re: Best strategies for site redesign?
I think the best way is to download all your files via ftp, make a dump of the db and make all the modifications you like locally (with xampp, mamp, lamp ecc.).
Then, when you’re happy re-upload all to your site.
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#3 2008-06-12 15:04:53
- uli
- Moderator
- From: Cologne
- Registered: 2006-08-15
- Posts: 4,306
Re: Best strategies for site redesign?
alanw wrote:
Also thought about creating new sections with slightly modified names which would be changed back to the original name when it was time to pull the trigger. But one would need to be focused to not screw up the original CSS by accident. (I suppose I could lock the file somehow?)
You could use smd_if to check for the URL contents and then apply the according stylesheet to the pages. No need (and no possibility) of locking CSS.
(Edit: Not with redbots method)
Last edited by uli (2008-06-12 15:05:40)
In bad weather I never leave home without wet_plugout, smd_where_used and adi_form_links
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Re: Best strategies for site redesign?
The best way is indeed doing the changes locally, I use XAMPP for designing and I do a final test on my Debian server.
Which is why I got into mcw_templates, started to tweak things and came up with hcg_templates.
With the above plugin, you can save off all the pages, forms and styles to disk files. Then upload the directory to you hosting provider and import your new look into your live site.
Last edited by hcgtv (2008-07-21 20:15:27)
We Love TXP . TXP Themes . TXP Tags . TXP Planet . TXP Make
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#5 2008-06-12 15:23:17
- alanw
- New Member
- Registered: 2008-06-12
- Posts: 2
Re: Best strategies for site redesign?
Wow. I think I have my solutions all in the space of 30 minutes.
I’ve yet to work with local servers but I think the concept is pretty clearcut. I’ll probably need to follow up with some of your suggestions, but I’ll dive in and see what I can figure out.
Thanks you all for your quick responses.
Alan
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Re: Best strategies for site redesign?
The best option is probably to create an alternate installation of Txp (locally or in a directory), add a few pieces of test content, work out your redesign, then use the fine plugin hcg_templates to export your new pages/forms/styles and then use the plugin again on the live site to import them.
For various reasons, that may not be possible or preferable, so here’s how I’ve done it “manually” in the past.
Go to your default stylesheet, and create a new stylesheet via “copy style as”, call it something like 2008.css.
On the pages tab, save a copy of your default page as a new page, “testing.” Then create a new section, call it “testing,” and assign the “testing” section to use the “testing” page as its template.
Now, go to Presentations > Pages and to the new page “testing,” and modify the head so that it calls 2008.css instead of the default css.
You can then edit testing.page and 2008.css without impacting the live site, and review your changes at domain.com/testing. Once your design is complete, you would then need to convert the other “pages” one by one to match your testing.page and to also call the new 2008.css stylesheet.
On Edit: Um, yeah, what he said. Damn I’m slow…
Last edited by reid (2008-06-12 15:36:44)
TextPattern user since 04/04/04
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