Css Driven Template

[Robert_J_Ellis]

Control the look of the header in one file !
Control the look the site and forum in one file !
Control site- specific effects in one file
Easily provide files to change the look of the skin in one ftp upload :D
Easily provide multiple category colour css files :D
This makes doing a skin much more practical; and less time consuming. Use the right css files for the job. Improve the look of your code, less typing, less griping. I'm hoping something like this can become a standard.

I've been using it for a few months and thought I would release it to the public. It has increased my skin creation time by leaps and bounds. I'm thinking there could be come improvements with the categories file, but that will have to wait until I get back later tonight.

This has had countless revisions done; I'm confident that this is a step in the right direction for Subdreamer. Eventually these css files could be converted to xml so that a plugin could control the skin. I took great lengths to ensure that fact in perticiular was doable. How could a plugin control styles within a forumskin right ?

I have this working at : http://www.sddepot.com

Current Version : 2.1.4
Changelog 2.1.4 - Added preformatted tables and css.
2.1.4 - Fixed YS_body.css
2.1.4a - made the maxplugins smaller in install.php.
[attachmentid=63]

Enjoy :)
- Robert

[code_renegade]

Just thought that I should report an error - when I uploaded it, on the skin installation/management page in the admin, there is this error:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected '?' in public_html/skins/Your_Skin/Upload_Files_Centered/install.php on line 14

[Robert_J_Ellis]

Originally posted by code_renegade@Aug 10 2005, 02:06 AM
Just thought that I should report an error - when I uploaded it, on the skin installation/management page in the admin, there is this error:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected '?' in public_html/skins/Your_Skin/Upload_Files_Centered/install.php on line 14
465


Thanks, I'll check it out.

Edit:
Ah, fill the author details in and it should work

$authorname * = 'You';
$authorlink * = ????;

I'm updating this file to have a 4 cell table structure :).

[code_renegade]

Yep, that seems to work. Looks like a great system - will be trying a hand at skinning my own layout eventually.

Any thoughts about releasing your current skin to the community? ;)

[Robert_J_Ellis]

Originally posted by code_renegade@Aug 10 2005, 04:59 AM
Yep, that seems to work. Looks like a great system - will be trying a hand at skinning my own layout eventually.

Any thoughts about releasing your current skin to the community? ;)
471


The file Graphite Pro I sell. However, I'm releasing Dark_Moon tonight in time for the skins competition. It's that trees one with the moon. It also uses my same method.

Am re-writing this template to feature pre-formatted code with liquid and centered designs. They're IPB ie strict mode compatible no less. It should make it easier to produce a skin with that done for designers.

In an hour or so; I need to check out a problem on a clients server; I may have to reformat the categories file to be compatible with windows servers, we'll see.

[Robert_J_Ellis]

Updated See the new changelog for details.

Originally posted by Robert_J_Ellis@Aug 10 2005, 05:13 AM
The file Graphite Pro I sell. However, I'm releasing Dark_Moon tonight in time for the skins competition. It's that trees one with the moon. It also uses my same method.

Am re-writing this template to feature pre-formatted code with liquid and centered designs. They're IPB ie strict mode compatible no less. It should make it easier to produce a skin with that done for designers.

In an hour or so; I need to check out a problem on a clients server; I may have to reformat the categories file to be compatible with windows servers, we'll see.
472

[rjerina]

domain didnt resolve for me.

[Robert_J_Ellis]

Originally posted by rjerina@Aug 10 2005, 10:36 AM
domain didnt resolve for me.
482


I think there was some server maintenance done if you're meaning sddepot. A reminder to all that this is not a skin, but a template to make a skin from. Do'nt start just uploading it.

[Terminator1138]

CSS driven site...that the sddepot right...whats the CSS...I see tables? Just curious what the CSS driven site means.

[tarmithius]

all tables. If you are touting the site as 'all CSS' then it better be all CSS.

[Robert_J_Ellis]

Originally posted by tarmithius@Aug 12 2005, 11:07 PM
all tables. If you are touting the site as 'all CSS' then it better be all CSS.
549


CSS "Driven". I hear many refer to div's and spans since when did div's become css, are'nt they html, and for arguments sake what stops you from controlling tables with css ?

It's what wc3 has reccomended, we're in a transitional period right now; and designers are waiting for browsers to get their act together.

If you want to use this same template with div's and spans, I do'nt see what's stopping you :). It simply calls on hardcoded css rather than stylesheets which can clutter code. The largest problem now is with nested div's and the overflow ( yes, I've done it too. ).

Tables are not dead :). Show people what you can do with a div, and most can outdo it with a table, or a combo of div spans and tables ( using css ) design-wise. I embrace new technologies when they are viable; moreso I use what is practical.

[Terminator1138]

I understand however, tables are for sites with high end graphics...but one cannot say something is CSS driven on just style along. Wheres the positioning etc...
Tables are not used on a true 100 pecent CSS site....So what I'm confused is what is actually driving the site tables or CSS?

[tarmithius]

tables are strictly for tabulature <SIC> data. CSS separates the layout from the content as was intended by the W3C&#39;s stadards that were set.

[Terminator1138]

Browsers waiting? Should we say IE only? They will never conform to standards.
Divs etc are HTML..CSS is presenting and positioning elements and go beyond to style html...css in an external sheet is easier and produces smaller coded pages. and easier to maintain over time..

[Robert_J_Ellis]

Tables are great with css :D. I just love it. Tabular data, hmm yes. data can be an image, w/e else. Divs And Span started as something else too; who cares ? I see this argument so much on the net. It&#39;s pointless. Do what you want to do I reckon.

Originally posted by Terminator1138@Aug 12 2005, 11:53 PM
Should we say IE only?* They will never conform to standards.
Divs etc are HTML..CSS is presenting and positioning elements and go beyond to style html...css in an external sheet is easier and produces smaller coded pages. and easier to maintain over time..
562

[Terminator1138]

I do :) I have some sites tables and some css....benefits of both I guess :)However you have to take in account, the title of this thread is misleading and even though there are points... to say something is driven by CSS can mean lots of things and not to give members the wrong Idea on this is all..:):)

Thanks for the clarification

[Robert_J_Ellis]

Originally posted by Terminator1138@Aug 13 2005, 12:39 AM
I do :) I have some sites tables and some css....benefits of both I guess :)However you have to take in account, the title of this thread is misleading and even though there are points... to say something is driven by CSS can mean lots of things and not to give members the wrong Idea on this is all..:):)

Thanks for the clarification
573


Well Maybe I&#39;ll be nice and later add a design with div&#39;s. Originally the file was blank.