Trying to use classic as my custom template

Need some assistance with templates. Not sure what I've missed here. I've done quite a bit of tinkering to figure this out but no luck. I've decided to start completely over from scratch.

My goal is to have the same looking site template as Zen Cart looks like after an install but, using my own custom template to avoid destroying the core zen files. I believe this would be known as the classic template.

I've successfully installed Zen Cart.

I have created my new template (named it basic) by following this tutorial:
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=142

Here is what I have now based on that tutorial:

includes
  /templates
      /basic
         /common
         /css
            (all .css files from the template_default/css folder)
         /images
         /sideboxes
         /templates
      template_info.php (copied from /template_default/)

I have gone into Admin -> tools -> template selection and updated to use my "basic" custom template. I have gone to admin -> tools -> layout boxes controller and Reset.

The site appears but, it's no longer formatted like the classic template looks. The three columns are there but, it's stretched out full page versus centered down in the middle of the screen. The colors of box headings and backgrounds are all different as well.

I've obviously missed some files but, I followed the tutorial word by word, so not sure what files I am missing. Maybe what I am trying to do is not in scope of that tutorial.

Apparently, there is more I need to do to work with a copy of the classic template as my own custom template but, not sure where to start. Thanks.:blink:

If you want the look of the stock template, you need to copy the
css and image folders from includes/templates/classic to your custom template.

Here's a chart that will help you determine where you can put
your custom template files in the Zen Cart/includes structure:
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=143

And follow the advice at the bottom:
** Remember: only put files that you edit/change into your CUSTOM folder.**

Ok, I just went back and copied the /css/ and /image/ folders and files from includes/templates/classic folder (instead of the template_default as the tutorial instructed).

It still looks the same. The formatting has been lost somewhere and looks nothing like the stock template.

If the headers are teal and a sort of goldish color, you're seeing the default template (not Classic).

Are you sure you copied the files from templates/classic/css to templates/basic/css?

Let's see a link to your site.

You say that you copied template_info.php from template_default.

Did you EDIT the copied file (template_info.php) to reflect the NAME and DETAILS of your new template?

Here is link to my test Zen Cart site.

*** NOTE: URL REMOVED BY MODERATOR ***

Yes, I copied the files in templates/classic/css to templates/basic/css

Even though view source shows that you are drawing on stylesheets in /basic/, it is a copy of the /template_default/ stylesheet, not the /classic/ stylesheet.

Did you delete all of the /template_default/ files you originally copied over? There are a lot of files in /template_default/, but you should only have ones you specifically modify in your custom template folders. Any files that the code wants to use that are not in your custom folders will be taken from the /template_default/ folders.

I ended up deleting all the files in the basic/css folder and then copying them over from classic/ again.

It works. I have absolutely no clue why those were not the correct files. Any chance when doing a copy using cpanel that it doesn't really copy and overwrite existing files?

I went through this twice before posting here by deleting the whole directory and database and reinstalling. I know I copied over the the /classic/css files correctly. Apparently, not and something got lost in translation. I must have just been so frustrated. Of course to do what I wanted to accomplish isn't specifically what that tutorial was made for.

Ah well. Thanks for all the responses and at least looking into this for me. Till my next roadblock..

There are a few tutorials that use specific examples without stressing that they are not the exact common way to go, or that don't mention commonly desired routes like modifying /classic/. In the devs' - or someone's - copious spare time :) , it would be good to update some of those.