installing a new template

I am looking for a tutorial of some sort that will assist me in installing a new template.

I am not designing the template.. it was designed by someone else I just need to install it.

Thanks in advance.

Where did you get the template? Is there's a "read me" with it? If it was designed to work with Zen Cart, the files/folders should be in the correct directories and should be uploaded to the corresponding directories on your website.

For example, if the template includes includes/languages/YOUR_TEMPLATE/english.php, the YOUR_TEMPLATE folder should be uploaded to includes/languages.

Sorry, I was misinformed by my partner what I am actually doing is copying a custom template from one site to another site.

What is the easiest way to do this?

Thank you in advance.

If the override system was followed correctly, what I said earlier applies - with the exception of the "read me". Locate the custom folders and copy them to the new website. Your best bet is probably to FTP the information from the current site to your computer and then upload it from your computer to the new site.

The issue is we are not the ones who created the custom theme on the other site and the person who created the custom theme on the other site got lost so we dont know what files were edited.

What do you suggest we do to make sure everything is copied correctly?

Thank you in advance

If the person who created the template did it correctly, there will be folders containing all the changed files. Otherwise, it'll be nearly impossible to find the changes. If you have access to the admin, check what template is in use by using tools > template selection to see the name of the active template.

Thank you for your help thus far.

The reason we are moving the theme to a new site is because we only have FTP access to the old site.

We know for sure that the theme is in the custom folder on the old site.

What I need direction where to go to learn how to set up an overrides system on the new site.. and a list of all the different locations where template files for the custom template that is on the old site could be located so I can be sure to get everything.

Thank you.

Actually, the theme (usually called 'template' in Zencart is in multiple custom folders.

Check the tutorials/FAQ at the top of this page, especially:

https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=230

and
**
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=142**

to start.

Also the WIKI here:

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Customisation

If you can view the old site in a browser, viewing the page source will tell you what the custom template's folders names are,

as here: <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="includes/templates/CUSTOM/css/stylesheet.css" />

thank you for the tutorials
the wiki article is not loading though.

ok. I followed all the tutorials and all we see after choosing the template and resetting layout boxes is a blank screen.

any ideas??

Thank you in advance.

There's a tutorial about blank pages here:

https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=82

If you could provide a link to the site, we might be able to see what the problem is.

ok.. i followed the tutorial and now i get these errors!!

Notice: Use of undefined constant DOWN_FOR_MAINTENANCE_TYPE - assumed 'DOWN_FOR_MAINTENANCE_TYPE' in /var/www/vhosts/showbiz.com/httpdocs/adultstore/includes/init_includes/init_customer_auth.php on line 25

Notice: Use of undefined constant MODULE_PAYMENT_AUTHORIZENET_TESTMODE - assumed 'MODULE_PAYMENT_AUTHORIZENET_TESTMODE' in /var/www/vhosts/showbiz.com/httpdocs/adultstore/includes/init_includes/init_header.php on line 120

Notice: Undefined variable: zc_first_field in /var/www/vhosts/showbiz.com/httpdocs/adultstore/includes/templates/custom/common/tpl_main_page.php on line 44

Warning: main(includes/modules/header.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/vhosts/showbiz.com/httpdocs/adultstore/includes/templates/custom/common/tpl_main_page.php on line 45

Warning: main(includes/modules/header.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/vhosts/showbiz.com/httpdocs/adultstore/includes/templates/custom/common/tpl_main_page.php on line 45

Fatal error: main(): Failed opening required 'includes/modules/header.php' (include_path='.:') in /var/www/vhosts/showbiz.com/httpdocs/adultstore/includes/templates/custom/common/tpl_main_page.php on line 45

any ideas?

thank you in advance.

I fixed the errors by uploading the header.php file (it accidentally got deleted) and deleting the local/configure.php file from my server that the tutorial told me to add.

Thanks for all your help.

We found one problem..

The categories are not all showing up.

We went each of the categories to show up as they do on the original site... but it is only showing the first category. Links to both sites are below but note the second one is an ADULT site.

http://www.showbizexpendables.com/store/ - original site
http://www.showbiz.com/adultstore/ - new site

Go to Configuration > Layout Settings and make sure the field Categories - Always Open to Show SubCategories is set to 1.

it is set to 1.. it only shows the first category though.

TIA

As a new user I must say they could not have possibly made it more confusing!!!

Why cant it just be like Wordpress, 1 click, upload, done.

I mean c'mon!!!

It's actually a fairly simple system. Like everything else, it has a learning curve.

The template system could be made extremely simple for a novice to install, or it could be made extremely flexible and efficient to cover a multitude of situations. There is a certain amount of tradeoff required, and the Zen Cart devs have opted for considerable power.

Actually, a properly constructed template will be simple to install; creating a new template can be much more complex, depending on features desired.