Assume:
1) My root directory is: www.mycurrentsite.com.
2) Drupal installed in: www.mycurrentsite.com/cms
Here's what I'd like to do:
First, I find a theme I like and set it up in Drupal (in the #2 directory above, of course) and save the settings. Then, I go to the browser, View\Source, and copy and paste the source code from the Drupal page (located in www.mycurrentsite.com/cms) into my current index.html file (which is the home page for #1 above). Then I replace the Drupal teaser wording with my home page wording. I would also perhaps add some
s and
s and .jpg files, in the section of this HTML file. I would NOT change any of the Drupal .css and/or heading information.
By doing it this way, I could take the Drupal theme and login form and merge it into my home page, and also make changes directly to the Source Code of my home page without having to use the Drupal interface. I can then be free to create other pages (that link to my homepage) with or without the Drupal interface, going forward. I'm new to Drupal and would like to learn more about it, but at the same time I'd like to maximize my time and efforts and also have the flexability to make modifications directly to my HTML, Javascript, and PHP code myself (without using the Drupal interface if I choose) without worrying about upsetting Drupal hierarchy or settings.
Is this a viable approach?
Are there any problems with this approach?
Comments
I cant really see the point
I cant really see the point in what you are doing, I mean, why do this?
Pimp your Drupal 8 Toolbar - make it badass.
Adaptivetheme - theming system for people who don't code.
I cant really see the point
The main point is that I'm very new to Drupal and would like to be able to learn it but at the same time keep working on my website.
If I want to make a change to my website that involves adding a
For instance, I installed Drupal in my root directory and added the original wording (what was originally in my index.htm file) to the new home page. In the new home page (after the Drupal install) the wording was cut (with a "Read More" link in the middle of the page, and a white space in the lower half of the page). I'm sure the fix, within Drupal, is probably not too difficult, but since I'm just starting to learn it, it is a time consuming process for me to make simple updates. Granted, there are a lot of resources (one of them being this forum), but there are quite a few limitations as well...
I also simply asked 2 questions and was hoping to get an answer from this forum. Now, I've spent 30+ minutes trying to explain myself and gotten nowhere.
Ok, I see where you are
Ok, I see where you are coming from.
I dont see any major problems with the what you are doing, apart from perhaps SEO issues with duplicate content - you'll want to exclude the /cms/ directory in a robots.txt file.
That said, I think you're better off keeping your Drupal install offline - you can set up a local server very easily using WampServer - http://www.wampserver.com (assuming you use windows, if not try MAMP for OS X).
This way you can easily set up multiple drupal installs locally, destroy them, mess with them etc etc with no worries, and you can still use the same workflow you detailed above.
BTW, we are busy people, we share some of our free time here because we love this project and want to give something back. This is not paid support. Getting shirty because you spent a few minutes writing a few forum posts and we didn't "get it" is out of line. Think of the thousands of hard working people who spent countless hours actually building Drupal and the gray hairs, sleepless nights, the blood, sweat and tears shed to make this a reality. Your 30 mins simply does not compare, so keep your shirt on please, and be patient.
Pimp your Drupal 8 Toolbar - make it badass.
Adaptivetheme - theming system for people who don't code.
Didn't mean to be
Didn't mean to be "shirty"....and appreciate your last response. Was just trying to find out if the method I outlined in my first post was viable, that's all. Understand that a lot of people have put in a lot of free time to improve this application. I'm not a programmer by trade and want to make the best use of my time.
So do you just want to use a
So do you just want to use a Drupal theme, but not use Drupal?
So do you just want to use a
No.
I want to be able to use a Drupal theme and any Drupal functionality, but I also want to be able to make modifications the way I have been doing, using HTML, Javascript, PHP, CSS, without having to navigate Drupal, add themes, modules, etc..., and/or go to a forum spend 30 minutes drafting a question, wait 1-2 hours for a response, and not get an answer to my question.
So is there any problem with my previous method?
I've spent 30+ minutes
Wow-- even after having it pointed out to you that your impatience was out of line, you post again with the same nonsense. You're lucky to have received an answer the SAME day never mind within a set amount of minutes.
Sorry to have to say it, but if you're already this unhappy with the response time for this one post you're using the wrong product. Open up your wallet and get yourself a commercial product where you can pay for the kind of response time your expecting-- it's not going to happen in open source.
===
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." -- Lao Tzu
"God helps those who help themselves." -- Benjamin Franklin
"Search is your best friend." -- Worldfallz
I see the error of my ways...
And apologize to the Forum. This is a good forum and Drupal is a good CMS. Thanks for your input.
Condescension won't be a
Condescension won't be a winning strategy either but se la vie, lol.
===
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." -- Lao Tzu
"God helps those who help themselves." -- Benjamin Franklin
"Search is your best friend." -- Worldfallz
Simple Best-Practice Answer: MAKE A TEST SITE
test site, for the win!
Please see the Drupal Best Practices guide... always start with a test site, please make a test site. http://drupal.org/node/22282
Keep it entirely separate from your main site. If you don't have hosting that allows sub-domains (like demo.yoursite.com) you can install web server software on your computer, and run it locally. WAMP (for windows) and MAMP (for mac)
I had a good chuckle at what WorldFallz says... it's kinda true. And the truth is funny in a way that only truth can be. Welcome, MGT, to Drupal and pretty much any open source CMS software. You might get more responses to this thread addressing your preconception about the community and the support, because it is a very important part of your using the software... it's collaborative, and you will need to understand this to be an effective Drupal user. When you're more able, you'll find that answering questions of others is helpful in learning for yourself.
It's great you're taking the time to compose good clear questions, these often get the best responses.
However, you are learning a new tool, and it will require time, you'll spend much longer than 30 mins learning to use this software. And seriously, as WorldFallz's comment suggests, you may want to consider if you have the time to invest.
If you decide that you don't have the time to invest in Drupal, and you're looking for something clear and easy to use, check out http://squarespace.com/ It's a hosted solution with really great interface. It might also be competitive in terms of pricing, since the packages don't cost much more than hosting itself... and if you add your man-hours of learning & development, you might see a paid solution is the best... in your case.
In my case, I work for a not-for-profit kids arts organisation... all I have is my passion and time... so Drupal fits perfectly for my needs.
Best of luck to you!
Thanks Heather!
Thanks for the information--I'll check into it and try to be more patient in the future.