Just how customizable are templates?

Let me preface this with the following:

1. I can code HTML
2. I know nothing about CSS or PHP
3. I have read the Zencart Manual: "Zen Cart: Building an Online Store the Zen Way For Beginners" By Kerry Watson & Matthew Therrien but as it states, it is really just for beginners
4. I have bookmarked all the wiki etc links for creating override templates and will have those in hand as soon as they are "fixed"
5. I have installed Zencart 1.3.0.1

The questions I have are:

1. is it even possible to create a store with similar look and feel to:
   http://tobydesign.com
2. is it possible to insert drop down JavaScript navigation menus for category browsing?
3. Am I compltely nuts for wanting to attempt this on my own with the limited skillset that I have? ;)
   --> Any pointers (PM if it's not proper to post them to the forum) for books/tutorials etc would be greatly appreciated.

You can create anything with Zen Cart ...

It does take patience with yourself to learn things about the CSS and templates ...

However, most of our most beautiful shops were created by members who hadn't a clue what they were doing ... :cool:

Start with reading the forum ... and checkout various threads on design ...

Zen Cart v1.3 is a different animal than v1.2.x series ...

The concepts are the same ... but the capabilities are much greater ...

Perhaps some of the designers running around could give you some words of cheer and encouragement ... :smile:

Ajeh:

Perhaps some of the designers running around could give you some words of cheer and encouragement ... :smile:
I would say that this site would be very achievable in Zen Cart. A big chunk of the work would be turning feature off. Most of the rest would be using CSS to achieve the striking style. But the fixed width, pixel perfect, rectangular boxes that make up the backbone of the design would be bread and butter stuff for CSS.

Are you crazy, well starting with no limited CSS knowledge will make this challenging, but you'll find lots of people here willing to offer advice and help.

If you are competent in html, you probably already know the bulk of what is required for CSS.

CSS at its root is really only a concept that streamlines HTML., Simply, the style contents in your HTML document are extracted(removed) and placed in a CSS document(stylesheet). You replace all these items in your HTML with a call or definition that the stylesheet is used.

Then for all additional HTML pages you can omit the style item by calling the stylesheet.

Now if you want to change the background color, you alter this in the stylesheet, one time and all your pages change,

This is a simplified explanation and there is additional power through generating additional styles items for specific types of pages and then calling these additional styles. Hence the term 'cascading style sheets'.

If you only have a few pages there is little benefit but if you have ????pages it becomes a very powerful tool.

There are several great CSS tutorial sites that if you google for css you will find.

BTW: Just use your current install of ZEN add a few items, or load the demo, and if you are satisfied mostly with the function, you need not know any functional php. Zen provides an override system so that you can adjust copies of the base php items to suit your site. All english, and simple to make alterations to. This is mostly for the basic stuff. The admin allows many alterations via a selection menu and takes care of the backend php coding automatically.

The actual look of the site can be altered via your graphics and the stylesheet almost exclusievly.

Try to avoid my mistake, 'making it more difficult than it is'.

woodlands you need to turn PMs on in user cp under edit options

kobra:

The actual look of the site can be altered via your graphics and the stylesheet almost exclusievly.

Try to avoid my mistake, 'making it more difficult than it is'.

sigh I'm notorious for doing that :P I'll try to not make my work any harder - after all, I want the site live sooner rather than later LOL

Merlinpa1969:

you need to turn PMs on in user cp under edit options

oh cripes. how embarassing. I've fixed that :) PM away ;)

kobra:

The actual look of the site can be altered via your graphics and the stylesheet almost exclusievly.

um, Not to be obtuse, but this is done in a template right?

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/faq.php?faq=catalog_issues#faq_template_customize

Start with that section of the FAQs- Specifically the Template override set up.

You should read Kim's link as this covers a good portion of the questions asked and re-asked here. Also, search here for the override system and get to know it well, as it is the core of making alterations that you can retain during an upgrade and also delete a file in your override that you have broke beyond repair(at least beyond remembering all that you did) and copy the original back into it to start fresh with a new file.

Template: For this Cart consists of a directory/folder with your named template. Inside this dir are folders & files copied, most likely from template_default and include these dirs/folders:

Common
css
images

and any other folder in the template_default tree that contain files that you might alter. Just copy 'only' those files that you are going to alter to their respective dir/folders in your template name. Resist the temptation to copy all the folders & files as this is not necessary nor desired. You only need the ones you are changing as Zen will look there first and use the others if you have not overriden them.

About 85-90% of all the styling takes place in the stylesheet.css in your template files. There are still pieces in other files and the admin dev tools is a great tool to locate which files contain the terms you are seeking.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the assistance.
I guess I've got my work cut out for me ;)
I'm sure I'll be back after I do my reading and searching and experimenting.