How to create your own Template?

[nagrap2]

Hi,

Please can someone let me know how I would create my custom template. I have looked at a guide posted by Larry for v3.X but I had some basic questions:

1) If I design my template using an image editing application like photoshop or fireworks, then create slices for the template, I then create the layout.tpl.php file and file for $body, do I need to create additional files / folders for categories, checkout, etc?

2) Are there any guides out there I can follow?

Thanks in advance...

[Lhotch]

Originally Posted by nagrap2

Hi,

Please can someone let me know how I would create my custom template. I have looked at a guide posted by Larry for v3.X but I had some basic questions:

1) If I design my template using an image editing application like photoshop or fireworks, then create slices for the template, I then create the layout.tpl.php file and file for $body, do I need to create additional files / folders for categories, checkout, etc?

As outlines in my old guide, the $body variable simply holds the contents of the template used on that page. So in short, you will need to basically replace all of your exisiting template files with your newly designed one. The good nes is many of those dont really have any sort of graphics so all you really need to do is modify the CSS to taste.

Originally Posted by nagrap2

2) Are there any guides out there I can follow?

Thanks in advance...

There is an excerpt from a guide in the worksin this very forum.....

Modifying the default template in v4.

but aside from that there isnt anything I am aware of. Thebest bet is to just dive in, make a copy of the current default and use that as a guide and start playing with it.

[nagrap2]

Larry,

In your guide it states if I go directly to the templatge folder and template I should see the results, however, when I put the full path it says page not displayed. How do I display the new layout without having to change the site's template settings via the admin panel:

http://www.domainname.com/templates/purple/layout.tpl

[Lhotch]

In my guide it assumes you are editing the template that is already selected in admin.

In the newer version of 68C you can append the following to the url to display a specific template....

?template=purple

where "purple" would be the name of your template.