[geeklog-devel] New GL default theme

[Tony Bibbs]

Blaine,

This reminds me...any word on if you can submit the theme you had with the YUI widgets working?

--Tony

----- Original Message ----
From: Oliver Spiesshofer <oliver at spiesshofer.com>
To: Geeklog Development <geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net>
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2007 4:37:14 AM
Subject: Re: [geeklog-devel] New GL default theme

Geiss,

I have submitted a change to the CVS that removes the 
left-blocks-in-footer variable from the config.php and defaults it to 
true. In adition, I added the right-blocks-in-footer variable and 
defaulted it to false.
If you change one of them now in the function.php of the template, you 
can create CSS themes w/o any tables.

I dont know about the XHTML changes submitted. However, a LOT of the 
HTML code created in the functions is pure HTML, not XHTML. I would 
suggest that we start using XHTML after the complete PHP-generated HTML 
is able to output both depending on a config setting.

The new theme looks great. If you want to take the CVS and remove all 
the tables from your layout please go ahead. I am a bit off for the 
coming 6 days so dont expect quick answers from me :-)

Oliver

=MF=Geiss wrote:

> Hi all,

>

> I didn't receive any feedback on my previous thoughts re: a new GL 

> default theme, so I decided to go ahead and do a mockup (since a 

> picture is worth a 1000 words :-) ). Please check it out at 

> http://geiss.getmyip.com/gl141/ and give me your thoughts.

>

> I am also wondering if anyone with admin rights to CVS has added the 

> XHTML changes submitted by  mystral-kk/ /in this devel email: 

> http://eight.pairlist.net/pipermail/geeklog-devel/2007-September/002350.html 

> . This would be a big help in moving forward with new themes.

>

> Thx!

>

> Eric "Geiss" Warren

>

>

> =MF=Geiss wrote:

>> Hi all,

>>

>> Long time lurker, first time contributor. Go easy! :-)

>>

>> It sounds like the real question is, does one bite the bullet now or 

>> later? Personally, I would like to see now. XHTML and CSS layouts are 

>> the way to go IMHO. The landscape is changing rapidly, and I know 

>> everyone hates to hear it, but GL's layout shows its age more and 

>> more every day. If the steps aren't taken now, then when? If one 

>> waits 2-3 releases, they are very realistically talking about year(s) 

>> until a layout revisit.

>>

>> I have some ideas for a new default theme, basically a Frankenstein 

>> of the existing Refresh_F theme (re-worked colors, etc.) and the 

>> header background at http://www.bartelme.at. I also think the main 

>> site needs to be re-designed to be more "surfer" friendly. Let me 

>> explain. Like others have said before, the average joe coming to 

>> gl.net to check it out will get their first impression (like it or 

>> not) from the way the site looks. Too much info (especially 

>> text-based stuff) on the main page is overwhelming. There are ways to 

>> still incorporate a lot of info, but let the user experience it at 

>> their own pace. For example, I like the Extras tab toward the bottom 

>> of http://complementaryduo.com/ that expands and repositions itself 

>> at the top of the page. Something similar could be tied into the 

>> static pages in that when you set a static page to be the Extras 

>> section, its content would appear in the slide-down box. Almost like 

>> a "featured" static page. Also, more block real estate could be saved 

>> by moving login/my account info into a slide-down header similar to 

>> http://www.builtbybuffalo.com. I would be willing to proceed with 

>> work on a new theme, and gl.net re-layout, if of course I have the 

>> blessing of the core team and the help of all the wonderful people 

>> here. :-) My goal is to make GL eye catching and interesting. Yes, 

>> some of the javascript I mentioned above is eye-candy, but there 

>> needs to be a certain amount of it, if gl is going to appeal to a 

>> wider base of users.

>>

>> GL does a lot of things right, I think a theme's functions.php file 

>> should be put to more use with regards to selecting column layout, 

>> etc. The person who converted the GL layout to transitional XHTML 

>> already put forth a lot of effort that would be a great place to 

>> start, and it sounds like Oliver is willing to put forth additional 

>> backend effort to make it a reality. I see a need for a developer 

>> road map, as organization of teams and a clear vision for the future 

>> of GL are lacking. But other than that, it sounds like there are 

>> those willing to make it happen. They're just waiting for a green 

>> light from... somebody.

>>

>> What time frame are we shooting for the 1.5 release? Like I said, I 

>> am willing to put in some significant hours, but I don't want to see 

>> things drag on forever. Again, I think a clear road map and timetable 

>> would be beneficial to help everyone focus and prioritize. GL has a 

>> great core, a great forum, and a great media gallery. Now it needs a 

>> great look. ...maybe a new name and tagline... gl - the cms for the 

>> rest of us. :-)

>>

>> Respectfully,

>>

>> Eric aka "Geiss" Warren

>>

>> Oliver Spiesshofer wrote:

>>> Here is the current state of affairs regarding the layout:

>>>

>>> It would be quite easy to do CSS-only layouts, as I found out now. 

>>> Only very minor changes are necessary to create a center-left-right 

>>> HTML/CSS, one of them being to add a right_blocks_in_footer config 

>>> to the left_blocks_in_footer, and the other a flag to COM_showBlocks 

>>> that makes the function simply return if there are left or right 

>>> blocks in the layout and therefore assign different classes to 

>>> elements in either footer or header.

>>>

>>> Now the problem: If we want a layout that has the center in the html 

>>> before the left and right blocks, we cannot have a footer anymore 

>>> that spans the whole page as far as I could find out. The ideal 

>>> layout for center-first HTML is described here: 

>>> http://glish.com/css/7.asp If anyone manages to put a footer there, 

>>> please tell me how. The footer would have only the width of the 

>>> story, if the left/right blocks are shorter, there will be a blank 

>>> space.

>>>

>>> So the only thing left over, if we want a footer, is to have a left, 

>>> right, center, footer order in HTML and float everything to the left 

>>> (http://css.maxdesign.com.au/floatutorial/tutorial0916.htm). This 

>>> would require to display all blocks in the header, I do not really 

>>> know however what those left_blocks_in_footer are doing in the 

>>> config in the first place, this should be set only in the theme.... 

>>> well, in an ideal world this would not be necessary anyhow since all 

>>> elements would be joined together in one central function.

>>>

>>> So here is my proposal:

>>> 1. modify COM_siteHeader and COM_siteFooter so that either of them 

>>> can display right and left blocks (for the left blocks, that is 

>>> already the case, so why not for both?) This is to allow theme 

>>> authors to really do what they want and not be forced to a certain 

>>> order of the main 3 elements. This would be obsolete once we 

>>> introduce step 5.

>>> 2. Add an option to simply tell if blocks are there to 

>>> COM_showBlocks, so that in the header and footer, layouts of 

>>> elements can differ depending on the existence of left and right 

>>> blocks.

>>> 3. Use a table-free layout for the professional theme with 

>>> left-right-center floated.

>>> 4. (draft) Introduce a minimal-layout where the CSS only is changed 

>>> to display the center first. I am not sure how to make mobile 

>>> devices to choose this by default, and how this will look like, but 

>>> I will try to find a proper solution before introducing any of this.

>>> 5. (draft) Create a new function that creates all elements in one go 

>>> and replaces the COM_siteHeader + center + COM_siteFooter. Both ways 

>>> will be available but the aforementioned will be deprecated and 

>>> removed 3-4 (?) versions later.

>>>

>>> comments, suggestions, flying axes?

>>>

>>> Oliver

>>

>

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