Changing Layout

[scamp]

I want to change the layout completely but I have no idea where to start. With having no really programming knowledge, can I pick and choose what I like from other templates and just change the css file?

One big thing I would like to do is get rid of the box borders as it gives the whole site a really boxed in kind of feeling which I don't like. I have no idea how to do or if there is a template that has done this already. I would like the background to be all one colour i.e. no blue with the white main box.

Is it a sensible idea to change my screen resolution and design the new site at 1024 x 768 instead of what we normally have it at?

Any tips or advice for a newbie would be great!

[schoolboy]

It's encouraging to see you admit to having no idea what to do.

Unfortunately, this forum is not geared to do detailed training. If you "have no idea" what to do, it's going to take several months before you begin to "get an idea" of what to do - especially since you are talking about MAJOR changes...

There are FOUR components that govern the appearance and content of dynamic content sites:-

The TEMPLATE system
The DATABASE
The backend code, including HTML, PHP and CSS
The Images, graphics and textual content.

The beauty of zencart is that you can learn very quickly how all these areas relate to each other, so before you try to become a 747 Captain, start off by flying a kite.

Set up a zencart webshop - off a standard install where you include the demo products.

Buy the book (see top right of this screen)

For the next 2 months, 4 hours a day, work through the book and your test webshop...

[scamp]

Is there a free download manual?

[schoolboy]

There is the WIKI, and this forum - both are free, and will be a very good source of info for you.

There's no magic bullet... learning this stuff will take a bit of time.

Best get your test-shop up and play around with everything. Better to break a test shop than a real one...

[scamp]

thanks will look at wiki, don't worry I am playing around with a test shop - I learnt my lesson when designing my current oscommerce site!! I will only swap over once I am happy and with the zen cart site!!

[BrianL]

Integration isn't too hard once you dig deep and know what you need to edit. If you can build a XHTML/CSS website you can build a Zen Cart page.