Test Drive Free Templates

**kuroi** · 3 Sep 2006, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by SilverKop

Question; Can they install the future zen template for me and are there any security, compatability problems with having this template either now or when updates are availble for the original zencart template.

There are absolutely no security issues with future Zen as it consists mostly of a stylesheet and a small collection of images. The only php is a set of standard define statements that all templates have.

Furthermore this was the first template to be made available specifically to take full advantage of the Zen Cart 1.3 templating system, so there are no compatibility issues either. Any future changes that rendered this template invalid, would most likely have the same effect on all the templates currently available.

Your host certainly could install it for you (if they were willing), but it is very straightforward to do and I would actually recommend that you do it yourself as you will learn a little about Zen Cart's file structures. There is always plenty of support should you get stuck or run into any problems.

**Merlinpa1969** · 3 Sep 2006, 04:24 PM

Silver,

remember also that if your host uses fantastico to install zen cart for you that they, or you , will need to go and add the security updates for 1.3.x

**misty** · 3 Sep 2006, 04:57 PM

if your host uses fantastico to install zen cart for you

Fantastico install does not normally include sample shopping cart, which
gives demos of how to install different attributes etc..big minus point
over installing manually using zencart official download from
http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...group_id=83781
HTH

**kuroi** · 3 Sep 2006, 09:39 PM

Sketchy's new Blue Strip Reloaded template has been added to the template demo site and can be viewed here.

**kuroi** · 4 Sep 2006, 11:06 AM

The template demo system has been upgraded to default to Zen Cart version 1.3.5 and re-branded to reflect the cool green of the new default template, XHTML/CSS Classic Contemporary Green template (nice one Dr Byte).

You can see this new default template in action, alongside the old tables-based Classic at www.zencarttemplates.info.

I had planned to include a version switching tool for when the new version of Zen Cart arrived, but like many others got caught on the hop by this release. However for the time being you can switch back and forth between versions by editing the URL in your browsers bar. Better still ... upgrade.

**SilverKop** · 5 Sep 2006, 12:09 PM

Kuroi/Merlinpa/Misty.

Thanks guys for your help

My host loaded the ZenCart but it was 1.3.02 so I still had to load the 1.3.5 version myself. Loaded the Future template with no problems...now to start playing!!

Merlinpa...I thought a little time ago I found a posting from you on security and contributions and how to safely install them. Can't find it now

can you give me the link please.

Again many thanks guys, you have made the install painless for me.

Stephen

**kuroi** · 9 Sep 2006, 06:45 PM

New free templates are continuing to flow through. Jettrue's Nifty Zen was added to the template demo site a couple of days back and Herbal's Arch Shoppe has been added today. See them in action at zencarttemplates.info.

**kuroi** · 27 Oct 2006, 05:10 PM

The template demo site is now running Zen Cart 1.3.6 and has a new template TruBlu by QHome.

At the time of writing, only one of the templates is fully compatible with Zen Cart 1.3.6. No doubt this will change quickly and the issues are minor and easily fixed - see this thread for details.

**ideasgirl** · 28 Oct 2006, 01:46 AM

My upgrades have been submitted to the downloads area and they are pending for approval. Will notify on Sophy Blue thread when they are available.

**Steel Rat** · 1 Nov 2006, 05:39 PM

Hello all,

New to Zen Cart. There are depressingly few free templates available, and half of them seem to be amazingly narrow, meaning any site with larger images for product displays won't work well.

I really like some of the narrow ones, but they simply won't work for the store I'm setting up, which will sell RPG books and 3d Grpahics products (the latter will have many larger sample images associated with them.)

For now I'm sticking with Trublu, since it's got a nice look to it and sizes nicely with the browser.

I've been looking for other free templates (until I can afford a decent commercial template), but they seem very few and far between. I've gotten spoiled with things such as phpBB and Drupal ;)

Anyway, I DO appreciate all the free stuff out there, and hope to be contributing monetarily to Zen Cart soon!