Really really hard to customize - any easy hints?

[douglerner]

If you don't mind pointing out which ones are wrong, we'll take a review of them to get them fixed.

I think the root of the problem I am having is that I started with an article there that recommended creating a certain hierarchy. I'm sorry if I sound confused, but I was just looking around the tutorial/FAQ section trying to stumble across the same article again and now I can't find it.

Maybe if you can point me to one solid verifiable starting point I can go from there.

A related question is this though - even though I changed my "template" in tools to point to my custom folder the files being edited in the "page definitions" editor tool don't seem to be those in the custom folder.

doug

[afo]

Everyone starts out and . Once you get the hang of it you'll wonder why you thought it was so difficult and you'll feel and .

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/header.php (to change the logo)
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/template_info.php
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/common/tpl_header.php
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/common/tpl_footer.php
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/images/logo.gif
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/css/stylesheet.css

Any where 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 or the /template_default/ folder.

I recommend unzipping a copy of the latest ZC on your hard drive for two reasons.

1) You can see the folder/file structure which will make things clearer
2) You can edit files locally and FTP them to your site making an instant "backup"of your online store

ALWAYS use a good text editor like Notepad or Crimson Editor when working with ZC.

[TShooters]

Have you created a custom folder in includes/languages/english/html_includes/your_template_name,
and copied the define_***.php pages from html_includes to it that you intend to
customize/modify?

If so, when you open them in admin/tools/define pages editor, it should
say at the top above the edit box:
Editing file: ..../includes/languages/english/html_includes/your_custom_template/define_***.php

[DrByte]

as for the define-pages issue, TShooters is right. I would add that you need to make the files in the custom folder writable (chmod 777) or else the editor will tell you they're read-only and have you confused ;)

[douglerner]

Everyone starts out and . Once you get the hang of it you'll wonder why you thought it was so difficult and you'll feel and .

To create a very basic custom template (you can build from there), you need:
includes/languages/YOUR_TEMPLATE/english.php

First, again, thanks everybody for your supportive notes. I greatly appreciate it.

Stopping here at instruction one...

I downloaded zen-cart to my computer and unzipped it so I can work there and upload, as suggested. Good idea.

My first question is about this very first item. I named YOUR_TEMPLATE just "custom", so the first item you wrote says that I need

includes/languages/custom/english.php

In includes/languages/classic there is one file called "empty.txt". Do I need to copy that into my new "custom" folder?

There is no english.php inside "classic". Should I copy english.pho from includes/languages.english.php to includes/languages/custom/english.php?

These are the little "hanging threads" that I am getting confused about. I don't want to make any wrong assumptions here since I don't exactly know what I am doing. :)

Thanks,

doug

[douglerner]

Everyone starts out and . Once you get the hang of it you'll wonder why you thought it was so difficult and you'll feel and .

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/header.php (to change the logo)
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/template_info.php
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/common/tpl_header.php
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/common/tpl_footer.php
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/images/logo.gif
includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/css/stylesheet.css

Any where 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 or the /template_default/ folder.

I recommend unzipping a copy of the latest ZC on your hard drive for two reasons.

1) You can see the folder/file structure which will make things clearer
2) You can edit files locally and FTP them to your site making an instant "backup"of your online store

ALWAYS use a good text editor like Notepad or Crimson Editor when working with ZC.

Arg...

I added those files and then made just one change to index.php to change logo.gif to logo.jpg (because that is what I uploaded to ... wherever... I can't keep track anymore.

Anyway, now if I go to my site it says:


Fatal error: Cannot redeclare class base in /home/doug/public_html/taonoyume/includes/classes/class.base.php on line 17

doug

[afo]

Yes, in the case of english.php, copy the one that's in /english/. There are a few others like that. The /classic/ folder does indicate where overrides are possible. If the file you want to modify isn't in the /classic/ folder, copy it from the next higher level.

You should have uploaded your logo.jpg file to includes/templates/custom/images/.

I'm not sure what's causing the error you're getting, but I've seen it mentioned on the forum before. Try searching for it.

BTW, I made that list when I did a prototype cart for someone. That's all I changed to create http://www.pamperedwebsites.com/kstreet/.

[skilaq]

where on earth can i change the browser level title for both the shopping cart and the admin area???

cheers

[Ajeh]

Might look in the other post where you asked this:
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showth...204#post354204

[douglerner]

Yes, in the case of english.php, copy the one that's in /english/. There are a few others like that. The /classic/ folder does indicate where overrides are possible. If the file you want to modify isn't in the /classic/ folder, copy it from the next higher level.

You should have uploaded your logo.jpg file to includes/templates/custom/images/.

I'm not sure what's causing the error you're getting, but I've seen it mentioned on the forum before. Try searching for it.

BTW, I made that list when I did a prototype cart for someone. That's all I changed to create http://www.pamperedwebsites.com/kstreet/.

Yes, that's where I uploaded logo.jpg to.

From the error message, and not really knowing anything about PHP, but from my knowledge about other server-side scripting languages, I was suspecting that the problem was with a re-definition of a class in index.php.

So I removed the copy of index.php that I copied from the top level and, based on your list, had added to includes/languages/english/custom - along with header.php and the error went away.

So I think that line of your instructions should perhaps be removed.

doug