How to modify the html of a block?
I'm completely new to Drupal, so forgive me if this is a newbie question (and yes, I have searched the docs and forums). Is there any easy way to modify the output of a block? For example, to change the length of the user login form text fields, or the layout of the login forms?
In the phptemplate theme files, all I see is a <? echo $sidebar_left ?> which apparently dumps all the sidebar_left contents. How do you modify this string before it gets dumped? Modifying block.tpl won't do anything to help in this case. Is there any way to change the html code for the user login form without going into modules/user.module and digging through the 2100 lines of code there, hoping to find something that looks like it dumps the html for the login form?
Cheers,
Steve
css
I think some of the modifications you are looking to do can be done with css. Find the fields you are looking to change and then find the classes and ids associated with them. Then, in the themes css file mark up the css so it looks the way you want it to be. For css info check out http://www.w3schools.com/css/
To override it, you'll need
To override it, you'll need to understand the Forms API, which might be throwing you in the deep end too soon.
http://api.drupal.org/api/HEAD/function/user_block
Overriding the basic theme functions (eg http://drupal.org/node/11811) probably won't be enough, as there is only theme_block() and no theme_user_block() as far as I'm aware.
But...
The form is just HTML by the time it gets to your browser. I don't think there shouldn't be anything stopping you creating your own static HTML block containing a form using the same HTML. As long as it sends the same HTTP GET/POST that the standard form does, it should work (if a little inelegant from a coding perspective).
--
Anton
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you might be better off...
If you want to alter an existing form you want to check out form_alter. An example is here http://drupal.org/node/58154#comment-110182
also, check out.... http://api.drupal.org/api/HEAD/function/hook_form_alter
In the end the best way to change the look is to change the css for an id or class.
Thanks!
Thanks guys for your replies! The user_block function looks like it's exactly what I was looking for (must've missed it when I quickly scanned user.module earlier). CSS might work, but it won't for things like changing the wording of labels, links, etc. or rearranging the layout of certain items within a block (beyond simple "float" or ugly "position" manipulations).
I guess for other modules, it looks like any fine-tuning of the display will require modifying the module files directly and looking for a [module]_block function. I'm someone who's anal about pixel-perfect designs, wording, positioning, etc., so I'll most likely be doing a lot of tweaking in the /modules directory.
Thanks again to everyone who replied!
Cheers,
Steve
Some points
I wouldn't recommend that approach. There is usually always some way of customising stuff without altering core files. If you alter a core file, you've effectively 'forked' it, and will have to manually keep it up to date from now on when new Drupal versions (eg 4.7.1 etc) are released.
Look into those links for form_alter... that's if the static HTML approach won't work for you.
Well there's your main problem right there... ;)
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Anton
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depending on what verbage
or words you want to change, you can change them without modifying the modules themselves
HOWTO: Use a customized language set to change Drupal text and terminology
-Steven Peck
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide -|- Black Mountain
In response to the latest
In response to the latest comments:
styro: I agree about effectively forking core files and the hassle it introduces when upgrading, but I'm used to doing that from past work with mambo and phpnuke. I've looked at hook_form_alter, and it's good for some things, but not for others. And yes, being anal about pixel perfect designs may be my problem, but it's also the only motivation for me to design my own themes rather than using the default or public ones out there. ;)
sepeck: That's a gread idea! Thanks for the link.
Drupal
Yep. I think you'll really start to appreciate Drupal's API - a lot of effort goes into it easy to override and customise most things. The benefit of this isn't usually apparent to most new users. It is mainly this aspect of Drupal that keeps me here :)
I've used it in a module, but I haven't seen how it can work in themes yet - so I was a bit vague about how to use it.
I'm glad you took my comment in the spirit it was intended :)
Anyway I'm off to look at the rest of the info others have posted in this thread....
--
Anton
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Theming a form in phptemplate style
Theming a form with phptemplate involves several steps
1. identify the form id (eg. user_login)
2. open/create template.php
3. enter a function:
<?phpfunction phptemplate_user_login($form) {
return _phptemplate_callback('user-login', array('form' => $form));
}
?>
(yourthemename_user_login also works)
4. create the file user-login.tpl.php
5. Indulge yourself with HTML and some php while filling user-login.tpl.php.
The minimum to render the form is
<?phpprint form_render($form);
?>
You can do silly things as well; the following code will put the password box first.
<?phpprint form_render($form['pass']);
print form_render($form);
?>
It's also possible to change the form, although I advise to keep modifications to a minimum and only touch on output. As an example: the following code shrinks the size of the password field to 10 cols.
<?php$form[pass]['#size'] = 10;
print form_render($form);
?>
--
When your problem is solved, please post a follow-up to the thread you started.
Thank you!!!
Brilliant! Thanks for laying it all out for me. This is exactly what I needed. With these instructions and the useful links posted previously, I can do what I want without modifying anything in the /modules directory. Whew! :)
Cheers,
Steve