Re: [Koha-devel] Templating design

[Roger Buck]

I am attempting to create a new theme for purpose of creating a "Koha
theme howto" document.

1. I am using Steve's RC14 as the base distribution - is that OK?

2. I need to know how the theme variable is set. Do I need to create a
new table... do I need to creata a new entry in ssytempreferences (if
so, then what syntax)... do I need to make an entry in koha conf (if so
then what syntax) or should I make a temporary entry in Output.pm... or
should I do something else?

3. I need to create a structure to hold templates and related content.


I am asking for specific guidance on 1 and 2 above.


Following Dorian's response below, I am seeking general guidance on two
other points:

4. Where to place all supplementary files associated with a particular
theme.

5. What design approach to use with themes
 
My understanding is that the reason for using using HTML::Template is
mainly to "separate design - the HTML - from the data, which you
generate in a Perl script" ...and.. "it does just one thing and it does
it quickly and carefully. It doesn't try to replace Perl and HTML, it
just augments them to interact a little better." [1]
http://www.perldoc.com/cpan/HTML/Template.html

Based on the above, I assumed that designing a theme is little different
to designing "normal" HTML. Based on Dorinas comments below about
"html-like-aproach to designing a theme", it seems that themes may
require a different design methodology?
 
Dorian Meid wrote:
> 
> Roger Buck schrieb:
> > How about stylesheets associated with a template?
> >
> > Should stylesheets be placed in:
> >
> >  koha/opac/htdocs/styles/<theme>/<theme>.css
> >
> > ... or maybe ...
> >
> >  koha/opac/htdocs/templates/<theme>/<theme>.css
> >
> > ... or some other location?
> >
> > I am also wondering about a policy for location of javascripts, maybe
> > something like:
> >
> >  koha/opac/htdocs/templates/<theme>/<theme>.js
> >
> > Any ideas?
> 
> My ideas:
> 
> 1st:
> koha/opac/htdocs is not true for everybody,
> I'd prefer to say serverroot.
> 
> 2nd:
> The designer of a theme has his/her theme-directory as a theme-root.
> All theme related data resides below this directory.
> All language-specific theme data goes in <theme>/<language>/ .
> All language-independent theme data goes in <theme>/all/ .
> 
> 3rd:
> For the ease of theme-design a 'templates'-subdirectory below htdocs (or
> public_html) makes no sense.

Why not?

> We still are lacking a decision wether to mix the templates with the
> rest of the website-stuff or not.

OK... What are the advantages/disadvantages of storing templates with
the rest of the website-stuff compared with other location?

> In my opinion storing the templates together with images, css and so on
> is not a big problem but it increases the html-like-aproach to designin
> a theme (some tags in the html get replaced automatically by the
> scripts). I think this is what html::template was made for.

I have tried a few Google searches on designing with HTML::Template but
have not found anything useful - Can anyone please suggest any links to
more information?


R.