How many Templates can I have?

[stevesh]

You can only ever use ONE template at a time, so don't clog up the server with superfluous code.

I'll respectfully disagree. Disk space is cheap, and many sites use different templates as an easy way to change the look of the site on holidays and for special promotions.

[schoolboy]

yes steve... good point... but again, you don't need 20,000 templates lying dormant.

On the many sites we manage, we do have (on some of them) "alternative" templates (or components of templates) that we store on LOCAL machines.

In one case - a client who sells greeting cards and other "event-specific" items - we have just set up a range of different template images. These include the header, sidebox headers and backgrounds, body backgrounds, centre column backgrounds and header backgrounds... etc

So, in their custom template folder, we have the following:

templates/CUSTOM/images (for general every-day use)
templates/CUSTOM/images_christmas
templates/CUSTOM/images_easter
templates/CUSTOM/images_mothersday
templates/CUSTOM/images_thanksgiving
templates/CUSTOM/images_newyear
templates/CUSTOM/images_halloween


And all we do is SUSPEND the main image folder:
templates/CUSTOM/images
to
templates/CUSTOM/images_general

then rename the appropriate event, say at "christmas time"
templates/CUSTOM/images_christmas
to
templates/CUSTOM/images

far easier and more efficient than switching to a completely different template.

Not that this works for everyone, but it is so simple to invoke in this case.

[Forum5]

I'll respectfully disagree. Disk space is cheap, and many sites use different templates as an easy way to change the look of the site on holidays and for special promotions.

Thanks for chiming in Steve. I was going to let it lay. I too disagreed but did not want to go into it at that time.

The fact of the matter is that I have a client that lives far away and wants to see a hand full of templates in action on my test site before making a decision on the style he wants to create from $cratch. (not 20,000 templates laying dormant)

Without going into geek alternative suggestions such as which is bigger, smaller, better, bolder, cheaper, easier, harder, best approach with disk space, Zen-Cart or programming in PHP, I say this: My client ask if it could be done. My client is paying the bill. My client wants it done. I want it done. My client is right. I tried to do it.

I thank schoolboy for trying to answering my initial request and I will study his custom-image solution for a later project. Right now I don't need custom image solutions for seasonal changes. I need to show the client a hand full of different 'layouts', custom designs, and color choices then move on.

One of the great things we all have in common - differences of opinion. That's what leads to great creativity.

BTW Is there a limit to the number of templates that can be listed under Includes/templates? HA!

[Kim]

Is there a limit to the number of templates that can be listed under Includes/templates?

There is no limit o the number of templates you can have in /includes/templates. If you have broken store, you have broken the code somewhere.

[Forum5]

There is no limit o the number of templates you can have in /includes/templates. If you have broken store, you have broken the code somewhere.

Thanks Kim. I figured as much. I'll strip everything out and just load one template at a time until it bombs again. Then I'll know.

Mike

[Kim]

[schoolboy]

My client is paying the bill. My client wants it done. I want it done. My client is right. I tried to do it.

Now had I know that it was a CLIENT who wanted to see a whole range of options my answer would have been markedly different... I know too well the exasperating requests they tend to make... like "oh but look how simple it is!"... as they point to a sophisticated options selector driven by 10,000 lines of ajax and java... "so why are you going to charge me so much?"