Template Questions

[janissaire]

Ok just read:

https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/i...hp?article=142

and I get the idea - sort of - me at work - will try when home but do have a couple of questions / observances.

1.

a] If you want to customize your store, you CUSTMOZIE your store - correct?

b] From what I've seen - if you don't cutomize and you upgrade you will use everyhing you've done because you haven't made custome templates - correct?

c] Before ugrading, you back up everything including the custom templates - haven't quite finished that section yet so will problably learn it there (just trying to keep everything in one post) - correct?


2. Are the files basically the same? This is where I'm getting my disconnect. In the layout you've got everthing under the "Custom"

Then in the admin you're saying to choose custom, etc, etc then at the end ot the article it says "Your new template is now enabled and ready for you to customize."

Um...what template?

For example, let's say I have already configured my store with the header, css page, etc, using the classic folders...

If I copied the pages made there and pasted it into the file structure in the example given. Am I safe to assume that when I go into the admin and choose "custom" then the store will bypass the classic folders method and then load all of the files into the store set up in my custom folder? Am I getting it right?

3. Would I need to change any of he paths in those files?

4. Then, I guess, I back it up and then reload the exact same folder and do the same admin thing when the next cart comes out.

Maybe I should be called Noober_101 or pain in the ....

[niccol]

a] If you want to customize your store, you CUSTMOZIE your store - correct?

You can either customize, customise, or custmozie.

b] From what I've seen - if you don't cutomize and you upgrade you will use everyhing you've done because you haven't made custome templates - correct?

yes. the point is that instead of editing existing files you create new versions of files in your template. this way they will not be overwritten on upgrade. search for 'override system' for more info.

c] Before ugrading, you back up everything including the custom templates - haven't quite finished that section yet so will problably learn it there (just trying to keep everything in one post) - correct?

yes. back up frequently anyway

2. Are the files basically the same? This is where I'm getting my disconnect. In the layout you've got everthing under the "Custom"

Then in the admin you're saying to choose custom, etc, etc then at the end ot the article it says "Your new template is now enabled and ready for you to customize."

Um...what template?

For example, let's say I have already configured my store with the header, css page, etc, using the classic folders...

This is not what you do.

Order of events might be.
Install zen cart.
Change the name of the admin folder for security reasons
Create new folders for your template (we will call it YOURTEMPLATE)
Copy files from the default template into the your template folders.
Then edit the files in YOURTEMPLATE folder.

(But don't worry if you have already edited some of the files. Everyone does it first out. Just make sure that you put all your edited files in the YOURTEMPLATE folder.)

The override system works once you have selected which template you want to use. If you select YOURTEMPLATE then zen cart will use the files it finds in the YOURTEMPLATE folder and not use the files in the default template folder

3. Would I need to change any of he paths in those files?

No the override system will deal with it. Looks in the selected template for the file and if it isn't there then it uses the default version.

4. Then, I guess, I back it up and then reload the exact same folder and do the same admin thing when the next cart comes out.

None of your files in the new templte will be overwritten by the upgrade.

Finally, the first thing you do is create a new set of files that make up YOURTEMPLATE . I do this by simply copying the default template and renaming it. Then you never edit the files outside YOURTEMPLATE (OK maybe not never, but rarely)

[afo]

Please be aware that you only have to copy the files you want to modify. If you're not making changes, you don't need to copy the files.

There are free templates available for Zen Cart. You can see them in action at http://(sorry, site offline)/. If you see anything you like, you can always use it as a starting point and customize it further as you want. They're also handy as a learning tool when starting a custom template.

To create a very basic custom template (you can build from there), you need:

• includes/languages/YOUR_TEMPLATE/english.php
• includes/languages/english/YOUR_TEMPLATE/index.php
• includes/languages/english/YOUR_TEMPLATE/meta_tags.php
• includes/languages/english/YOUR_TEMPLATE/header.php (to change the logo)
• includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/template_info.php
• includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/images/logo.gif
• includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/css/stylesheet.css

Anywhere you see a /classic/ folder, you can create a folder for your custom template. You can copy the necessary files from either the /classic/ folder, the /template_default/ folder or the parent folder.

Edit includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/template_info.php to give your template identifying information so you'll recognize it in the admin under tools->template selection.

[janissaire]

thanks for all of the detailed info

I will get to work on it right away

[janissaire]

Thanks guys - eveything is good!!