TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

davidm · 2005-06-21 18:15:12

Nice catch Kenneth, it sounds better than TextZen (hard to pronounce ;-)

TextGarden… could be not only a contest website, but a permanent resources for design with txp… :-))

But if such a thing comes true, I am afraid I won’t be able to manage this one with the french translation of TextBook and the official txp french support forum, that wouldn’t be realistic !

mourner · 2005-06-21 19:46:30

Only 8 more to go, great! Textpattern forum members definitely rock! :-)

As for the rules draft:

> 3. 3. All designs must be the authors own (That woud exclude ports, I am afraid. That OK ?)

OK. And how about images (i.e. stock photos)?

> 1. 1. Templates musts be submitted as CSS files, using the default page from the textpattern install
> 2. 2. No plugins, modified pages or forms shall be used, templates aim to work “out of the box” with a fresh txp install

It would be great to organise a poll on this subject. I go for “one custom page and set of forms for all, but not the default one”.

> 3. 3. Templates must display properly in IE, Opera, Safari and Mozilla based browsers
> (here I expect you to help me refine/define : should we add Konqueror or other Mac Navigators I don’t know about ?)

We should discuss what versions to support (the main debate is “ie5+/all vs ie6/win” i think). Konqueror behaves much like Safari, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Mary · 2005-06-21 20:01:11

Regarding the css-only idea: it means you must create a “style” for a “blog”. It doesn’t tell you what you can do with a default install of Textpattern, just what you can do with the default templates and forms (which are minimal on purpose). I don’t think anyone would be talking about creating a full site, just the changes here and there to create a nice, optimized design.

valdok · 2005-06-21 20:03:58

I’ll do it. But I can tell you right now, I don’t really care if it works in IE. :)

Last edited by valdok (2005-06-21 20:06:31)

SteveC · 2005-06-21 20:07:09

No editing forms or the default page? TXP-Garden :)

I’ll like to enter but affraid I might run out of steam :( Oh well, I’ll cook something up before putting my name down ;)

michaelkpate · 2005-06-21 20:42:24

> davidm wrote:

>1. Templates musts be submitted as CSS files, using the default page from the textpattern install (still open for debate of course).

Just so I understand this, we are talking about this page, correct?

From the CSS Zen Garden Source:

This xhtml document is marked up to provide the designer with the maximum possible flexibility. There are more classes and extraneous tags than needed, and in a real world situation, it’s more likely that it would be much leaner.

I am not sure that the default textpattern page would be described as anyone as having “the maximum possible flexibility.”

davidm · 2005-06-21 20:43:20

<blockquote>Mary wrote : Regarding the css-only idea: it means you must create a “style” for a “blog”. It doesn’t tell you what you can do with a default install of Textpattern, just what you can do with the default templates and forms (which are minimal on purpose). I don’t think anyone would be talking about creating a full site, just the changes here and there to create a nice, optimized design.</blockquote>

Good point, once again. One thing we could settle on then would be to allow the modification of existing forms and page, but not the creation of new forms or pages. Would that be satisfactory ?

<blockquote>vladok wrote : I’ll do it. But I can tell you right now, I don’t really care if it works in IE. :)</blockquote>

Very much agreed :-p
Yet to many people are using this infamous browser, and soon it will be IE7 the-yet-not-compliant-browser-from-M$

<blockquote>SteveC wrote : No editing forms or the default page? TXP-Garden :)
I’ll like to enter but affraid I might run out of steam :( Oh well, I’ll cook something up before putting my name down ;)</blockquote>

Well about the editing see above, still open for debate :-)

I wish you’ll enter the contest ! But yeah I understand the running out of steam part !!!

<blockquote>michaelkpate wrote : I am not sure that the default textpattern page would be described as anyone as having “the maximum possible flexibility.”</blockquote>

Once again, good point. I am not saying this should be the path to take, just tried to reflect what I understood from the feedback I got…

Mary and you make valid points, and I hope what I proposed above is satisfactory :-)
As I said, open for debate !

Last edited by davidm (2005-06-21 20:46:41)

Kibitzer · 2005-06-21 22:03:23

davidm — just wanna say what an asset you are to the TxP community. In all the posts I’ve seen of yours, you’ve been nothing but enthusiastic, polite, energetic and helpful. This contest is a fantastic idea and I look forward to the results. I’d sign up except (a) I’m a coder and my designs are uniformly crap and (b) I’m still wrestling with a ^$&*! site implementation (using TxP!) and I just don’t have the time right now.

But again, kudos to you davidm and to everyone taking part. Good luck (bon chance?)

thebombsite · 2005-06-21 23:16:50

I second what Kibitzer says. :)

Actually it would be rather good if one or two designs could be pure CSS to the point of “no images” and no new or modified templates. Such designs might be included in the version 1.0 release as and when it turns up. I’m not suggesting they should all be like that though.

Also, assuming that it still works with r416 or whatever is used, I think the style-switcher is a must unless you propose that we visit everybody’s site to view their designs. It would be better if all the entries were hosted in one place methinks. The appropriate tags could be added by the “host” rather than the designers as long as they know it has to go in somewhere.

As for the hosting, I have acres of space and oodles of databases to spare, and as I’m not a designer I shan’t be taking part in the competition, so I would be quite happy to take that load of your shoulders David. Let you concentrate on your own design. It’s something I’m quite used to doing if you hadn’t noticed. ;)

marios · 2005-06-22 00:05:43

> michaelkpate wrote:

> > davidm wrote:

>1. Templates musts be submitted as CSS files, using the default page from the textpattern install (still open for debate of course).

Just so I understand this, we are talking about this page, correct?

The basic TXP page provides us only with 6 main div. One parent and 5 children sub divisions.
Before we vote and pull up our sleves it would be worth to think about it a little bit, since Dave Sheas original Zen Document is much more elaborated than that.
Besides the 5 (or 6 can’t remember) extra divisions for layout purposes it provided three more basic things.

1)The original content layer (text parts considered basic elements both at content layer and site elements, (like a preamble for example)
2)Acronyms , accesskeys, and the anchor listblocks that would lead to alternate style submissions.
3)Special Hooks in the markup like spans, the class attributes on the paragrahps, and his famous c class hook on the second anchor element of the creator list items.

(4. The licence and validator link blocks)

Besides these essential (and huge ) differences is the hierarchic levels that are i think 6 or 7 if you take together the inline elements.

So should we better come up with something (more simple of course) like that ?

regards, marios

Last edited by marios (2005-06-22 02:32:05)

bizartist · 2005-06-22 01:11:03

That’s a good point, Marios. I agree that to get the best results we should ditch the default page and make one with more hooks, etc… It’s not too difficult for even a basic user to cut and paste into the page template area. This is a task that they perform every day in word and outlook…

What we should have is a set of generic instructions and directory structure for entries. So that the images will always be in the same place, etc… and users only have to learn one set of steps for adding a new style to their blog.

michaelkpate · 2005-06-22 02:47:47

> bizartist wrote:

> I agree that to get the best results we should ditch the default page and make one with more hooks, etc…

I concur. If it works out well enough, we could all beg … er… bribe … er … try to convice the powers that be that the new one should be the default. Then the whole issue is moot.

But, either way, if we expect someone to be able to replace the stylesheet, it should not be too much for them to replace the default page template as well.

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#61 2005-06-21 18:15:12

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#62 2005-06-21 19:46:30

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#63 2005-06-21 20:01:11

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#64 2005-06-21 20:03:58

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#65 2005-06-21 20:07:09

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#66 2005-06-21 20:42:24

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#67 2005-06-21 20:43:20

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#68 2005-06-21 22:03:23

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#69 2005-06-21 23:16:50

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#70 2005-06-22 00:05:43

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#71 2005-06-22 01:11:03

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

#72 2005-06-22 02:47:47

Re: TXP Template Contest : Starting a Pledge ! Will you sign up ?

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