Design/template/design editor in admin.

[Leephi]

Hello

I posted earlier about a template/design editor in admin. The reason I suggested this addition is because it can be challenging to make changes to the design for a new Zen Cart user who isn’t used to programming. I am not saying it is very difficult to make layout or design changes in the present Zen Cart system. My idea is simply to make basic template editing concerning design easier and more user-friendly, especially for the first time users of Zen Cart or similar systems. I will try to explain my idea in this post with the help of some screenshots with explanations.

The header-three columns-footer design is the most common in web shop design. Zen cart is based on this standard and major design. The first screenshot (top.jpg) is a layout editor, within the admin of Zen Cart, which is built on the header-three columns-footer design. The editor could make it easier for users to change the header, each of the columns and the footer. By change I mean, size, color (background), borders and other most common basic variations. My example only shows basic possibilities.

Zen-cart also offers sideboxes and banners. (side.jpg and banner.jpg) These sideboxes contain headers and the relevant content. With this design editor you can first set up you site with your preferred background and size. Then you can edit each sidebox or make changes to all of them. You can also change the design of your banners. It is also easy to edit or change the logo in admin.

It is difficult to make code that generates code. So the opportunity to use the template/design editor is only available to a default template. Users can still make their own template, install other templates or even use the stylesheet to make changes. But the design editor will only work on a default template, giving inexperienced web designers and unskilled programmers to make basic changes to the template.

I would very much appreciate some feedback. Does anyone else see an advantage having a basic design editor in admin? The screenshots i have added are only examples and my idea on an early basis. Looking forward to some comments

The screenshots is hard to read, so I recommend to download the pictures.

-Leif