[geeklog-devel] New GL default theme

Sun Oct 14 17:00:12 EDT 2007

Tony, still reviewing it with the team - it was a busy week and we had a 
lot of other business to discuss.
Still have not forgotten.

Blaine
----- Original Message -----
Subject: Re: [geeklog-devel] New GL default theme
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 13:57:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: 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
To: Geeklog Development
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
 >>
 >
 > _______________________________________________
 > geeklog-devel mailing list
 > geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net
 > http://eight.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/geeklog-devel
 >
 >

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