Thread

Indeed, this is not a new way of working with templates in your day to day, but how we are choosing to make something good out of the 2 points enumerated as to why template themes in 1.x never really became useful or used by the masses.

Ah I see. So you’re going for the mass market appeal rather than solving my personal pains in the ass?

Ah I see. So you’re going for the mass market appeal rather than solving my personal pains in the ass?

Seriously, this is like complaining that I put on a show about fine gorgonzola, and you asked how come my gorgonzola couldn’t be used as bread.  That I talked about gorgonzola doesn’t mean that I don’t have any bread, it means the gorgonzola isn’t bread.

Let’s see, 2.0 to do list….

1. New CP
2. Update theme installation
3. Make life harder for smallbeer

All is going as planned! 😊

Very nice…. Looking forward to seeing the details on how this works.

It seems the EE templating space is really going to heat up in the near future possibly creating a new market.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on this to see how its going to affect one of my secret projects… muhahhahaha

😊

Hm, don’t think so. I just wouldn’t want “templates you create in the CP going to be automatically turned into files” without being given the choice, since I for one am not using file-based templates. I might have simply misunderstood you.

ETA: What Leslie says.

See I’m the exact opposite. I find it incredibly annoying to (1) develop templates in the Web browser, and (2) that it’s a pain to convert ...every ...single ...template ...into ...a ...file. Whew, it’s about that exhausting. Plus it gets messy when I go to edit the templates again in the browser if for some reason I feel the need to, or am working remotely.

I just prefer to keep everything in files and update via my IDE of choice (Dreamweaver, actually).

So I would like a global config option, sure. Or at least an easier way to convert all the templates I create to files quickly. 😊

...

But given, this thread is about themes, which are distinctly different, although easy to confuse. 😊

Seriously, this is like complaining that I put on a show about fine gorgonzola, and you asked how come my gorgonzola couldn’t be used as bread.  That I talked about gorgonzola doesn’t mean that I don’t have any bread, it means the gorgonzola isn’t bread.

I think that might be the best forum post ever.

Seriously, though, this sounds great. I have a set of files that I use as a starting point on nearly every project—my own personal framework, sort of. Just the fact that I won’t have to create a bunch of empty templates and open them all in a browser and check a box and resave them just to get them onto the server as files makes 2.0 worth the cost of the upgrade (whatever that may be). Now if there were only an easy way to pre-populate a set of custom weblogs/custom fields/statuses, etc.THAT would really make templates useful.

Now if there were only an easy way to pre-populate a set of custom weblogs/custom fields/statuses, etc.THAT would really make templates useful.

I agree. Since Derek mentioned install_preferences.php I have high hopes indeed.

As a certified representative of the Gorgonzola Cheese Consortium, I’m going to have to flag this thread, late on a Friday afternoon for further actions next week.
We are also lobbying the committee to have the site ported to EE from asp.net.
just kidding all. what a hoot

I’m working on a project in EE from scratch and I was just thinking how much better it would for my workflow be to have some of my own templates or ‘snippets’ of code closer to hand. I tried exporting templates in an early version of EE and never got it to work and consequently I tend to develop templates for html/css in Dreamweaver/BB Edit first and then cut and paste into EE. I struggle a lot with the lack of formatting in the browser form field interface and I’m constantly hunting for bits of code and tag parameter/variable syntax which eats a lot of my time.

Not sure whether I could be working more efficiently with how EE is now, or whether the said change for V2 for templates will help?

Thoughts anyone?

I’m not sure I understand your post, and I think that speaks to the problem I am going to describe: 

I am a comfortable user of Typepad but I haven’t used EE (though I bought it several years ago) because I need a three column theme.  (I’ve also promoted EE—based on all that I’ve researched about it and the testimonials from so many respected people—on my blog for nonprofits.)

Your design contest awhile back produced some good themes, but there are just a few, and none of the good ones are three-column.  For example, I think there should be a number like Alexa Blue, or like the one that the Moxie folks did, but with different color and column combos.  (Similar to the choices Typepad offers.)

For as good as EE is as software, I think EE needs more stock themes that are easily customizable and simple, e.g., simple three column-themes especially.  (Not to mention themes that easily integrate a slogan or tagline under the title of the website.) I think you are missing a large audience of folks who might otherwise go to Typepad or Wordpress because of a choice of themes.  Not all of us are designer superheroes.

Now, perhaps I a missing the very point of your post.  Could you be so kind as to further explain your post to a non-techie like me?  Does it mean that the standard themes in EE 2.0 will be easier for someone like me to customize?

Thanks.

From what I understood, correct me if I am wrong, this only gives users the oppertunity to pick a “startup” theme, or in better words, a “startup framework”, when installing EE2. You know, when you first installed EE on your server, it had this theme in the template section of the control panel called “site”, which was the first thing you saw, and it had rss/atom feed, index, comments etc.

In the end, your still working almost as you normally would in the CP with your templates, but for those who like to have a certain framework to work from when they start up a project, like a reset.css document, perhaps swfobject.js or jquery.js etc. can now include that in a “theme”, and after a EE2 install, those files will automaticly show in the template CP, giving you a jump start on making your site.

Right, or am I totally wrong? :p

In the end, your still working almost as you normally would in the CP with your templates, but for those who like to have a certain framework to work from when they start up a project, like a reset.css document, perhaps swfobject.js or jquery.js etc. can now include that in a “theme”, and after a EE2 install, those files will automaticly show in the template CP, giving you a jump start on making your site.

Now that is good news.

@Wolfrey - you are 100% correct.

@jHuynh - I find this comment puzzling each time a similar one is made, but it’s very informative:

I am a comfortable user of Typepad but I haven’t used EE (though I bought it several years ago) because I need a three column theme.

You fall into the category of the rare user that does want a pre-cooked theme.  The reality is that you don’t need EE to supply a theme for you, because you can pick any three column design you want from sites like OSWD, Layout Gala, CSSPlay, etc., slap EE tags in place of the static placeholder content, and you’re done.  Heck, you can take (and many have) an open source design available to Typepad, WordPress, MT, or any other source with freely licensed designs, and use them as your ExpressionEngine layout.

I don’t think we’ve failed you (plural as I’m now speaking of you and users in your same situation) in terms of making 3 column or this or that type of layouts available to you.  I think perhaps we’ve failed to make that something that is easily discoverable for you, and guiding you through that process.  This new method of creating and sharing template “themes” should bring some benefit for you, as it will be easier for people to make and distribute EE-specific templates.  But the more important education and guidance through this process will still be critical for you and users like you.  More to come.

Good to see I got it right.. and Sean says, it’s indeed good news ;o)
Now give us some template news, like will forum/wiki/member/other templates get a spot in the templates so we can work on them more easily? ;o)