Question for themers!
b3six - July 12, 2008 - 20:16
I'm reading on creating my own theme, and I'm wondering would it be easier for me to design my theme in xhtml/css and then convert it over? That way I'll know how to place the divs while I learn drupal or would it be easier to start from scratch?
any1? some1 has to know!
any1? some1 has to know!
I usually create my CSS
I usually create my CSS first. Once its all good, I port it into drupal.
Be careful though, Drupal has its own naming conventions for blocks and things. I usually theme my blocks after most content is in place.
ur xhtml/css first or just
ur xhtml/css first or just the css?
Start with a simple theme...
Start with a simple theme like Zen(http://drupal.org/project/zen) or Garland (included in you download). Then make a copy of the theme and name it something else (i.e. "test_theme"). Upload the theme to the themes director on your server and then you can play around with it! Easy as pie.
Oh and to help with the css, use Firebug or another CSS wysiwyg editor. It'll help you see what the names are for all the divs you'll be playing with.
When you get stuck check out the forums (there's a specific section for theming) or just do a google search for the issue you're having. Mostly likely someone else has had the same issue, so you'll be able to find some answers quick.
Another great resource is the theming handbook found here: for Drupal 5 (http://drupal.org/node/509) or for Drupal 6 (http://drupal.org/theme-guide).
Good luck!
I've downloaded zen, and
I've downloaded zen, and enabled it on my local server to be honest I don't know what the next step is as far as where to start. I have my design already done and know exactly what I want. just a little confused on how to approach this. I've went thru that drupal 6 quite a bit but still its not clickin for me.
If you were to goto this thread here http://drupal.org/node/281709 it describes what I'm trying to do. from what I understand. I can do what I want through blocks, and the blocks are placed in regions which are on the page is this correct?
Now what I need to know is how to place a region where I want, determine the width and I guess put blocks in a region and then determine the size of those.
It's alot of info! but this is all I've gathered in one nite. Hoping to start on the design tonite but theres alot of helpful people here. So thanks to all!
another simple theme...
Another simple theme to start out with is box_grey (http://drupal.org/project/box_grey). If Zen is looking too complicated try this one out, I've been working with it the last few months and it's been pretty easy to get going.
After you upload the module to the server, you have to go into your administration and enable it. Once it's eneabled you'll notice everything change over to the new theme. *Hint: use a separate theme for your administration while you're customizing the one for your site. This way if things get messed up, you'll still be able to get into the admin side and try to get things fixed!
Use a CSS wysiwyg editor to get started making changes to your CSS. I'm developing on a mac, so I use CSSEdit, which allows me to make adjustments to my CSS in real-time! You can use the Firefox Firebug plugin too, you'll find it gives you a ton of useful info...
Learn about making custom blocks here: http://drupal.org/node/21866
Get the Views module here (a must have for themers): http://drupal.org/project/views
Get the CCK module here (another must have): http://drupal.org/project/cck
After that, you just have to read as much as you can about Blocks, Nodes, Modules etc... try checking out the Apress book called Pro Drupal Development it really breaks things down and makes things easier to grasp. But the biggest thing is just trying stuff out... sometimes it'll work, sometimes it won't but most likely you'll learn something everytime!
Hope that helps!
With Zen, one should,
With Zen, one should, ideally, create a new subtheme - which is whole point of Zen (which actually works more like a framework, rather than just a theme). There's no need to rename Zen, just build a new subtheme.
IMHO Zen is not what I would describe as a "simple theme", if you are after simple, try the Foundation theme.
With a subtheme, is that
With a subtheme, is that pretty mucht he same look as zen ? I'm tryin to create somethin I have not seen yet, this is why i ask
Yea, it will look like Zen
Yea, it will look like Zen until you start making your customisations. Look in the Zen folder and you'll see a sub-folder called "STARTERKIT" - that's the one you want to copy and rename.
zen_classic is a sub theme and a good example to look at.
There's plenty of documentation on the Zen theme, both included in the READ ME file and here: http://drupal.org/node/193318
You know, I kind of think
You know, I kind of think the Zen framework makes Drupal theming seem more complex than it really is to some new users. My approach is to start with an .info file, page.tpl.php and a style.css and build from the ground up, using Firebug to light the way. Then I add whatever else is necessary as I go along. Building a html/css template and converting it over seems like a unnecessary step to me. So my bare bones page.tpl file would start off something like this, with all of the main elements I want to theme laid out:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="<?php print $language->language; ?>" xml:lang="<?php print $language->language; ?>">
<head>
<title>
<?php print $head_title ?>
</title>
<?php print $head ?>
<?php print $styles ?>
<?php print $scripts ?>
</head>
<body>
<?php print $logo ?>
<?php print $site_name ?>
<?php print $site_slogan ?>
<?php print $search_box ?>
<?php print $primary_links ?>
<?php print $left ?>
<?php print $breadcrumb ?>
<?php print $tabs ?>
<?php print $help ?>
<?php print $messages ?>
<?php print $content; ?>
<?php print $feed_icons; ?>
<?php print $right ?>
<?php print $footer_message ?>
<?php print $closure ?>
</body>
</html>
And then I'd start building the css layout around those elements. Maybe that's not the best way, but it feels the most natural to me. I prefer to fix a problem as it arises, too - I'd hate to fall in love with a html/css template only to have a predetermined style element in Drupal's core throw me an unexpected curve ball that can be only solved by template.php overrides - which can prove pretty frustrating if you don't have a solid background in PHP.
thanks 4 the info :) if i
thanks 4 the info :) if i start with this, can I add divs? My page is a 1 page layout and i wanted to make sure it worked cross browser so I have the layout pretty much coded and working now..but I know I have to add drupal to it which is mainly a "latest news" and a "our projects" section which are both small. I'm confused how all this works with everythin that is in there tho.. I still dont understand how a page is laid out with all the different php files..I understand that they end up on the page.tpl.php but I dont know how! Also for regions, how is that placed? how is the width determined? all this is confusin me.