Which is easier? New Design or Re-design?
 

Hi guys!

I need to make a choice, and would appreciate a lot your advices!

I have to re-design an e-store composed from 3 e-stores, each with it's own shopping cart. It was installed and designed by another person.

I do know XHTML/CSS and started Smarty. Also the old version is designed with tables, and I want to make it with divs. What will be easier for me? to start from the begining and to reinstall the x-cart and configre it from the beginning or to edit what I already have from the old version?

Please help me make a correct choice! Thanks for your time!

Re: Which is easier? New Design or Re-design?
 

The default X-Cart skins seem to be pretty heavy with tables. Some of the mod producers have some very nice CSS skins. It might be an idea to start with one of these.

Jason

Re: Which is easier? New Design or Re-design?
 

No need for 2 posts on this topic..I have removed your second one.

Re: Which is easier? New Design or Re-design?
 

Thanks for the suggestion, but I can handle this "table to css" transformation...my problem is whether to modify the existing one, or to give a shot with a new installation, configuration and design?

Re: Which is easier? New Design or Re-design?
 

That is entirely up to you. I always find it easier to start from scratch, as I don't have to deal with another programmers often wacky code :) All depends on how well coded the existing site is, and how different the new design is.

Re: Which is easier? New Design or Re-design?
 

Thanks for advices! I'm thinking to start from scratch. This way maybe I'll get a better feeling with x-cart and become more familiar or I can mess it up all:) it's worth to try...:)

Re: Which is easier? New Design or Re-design?
 

Would anyone comment on workflow when starting from scratch. Of course you have design first... I guess then you would edit the necessary tpl files in this manner:

using "example.tpl" as our example:

1. make a backup of example.tpl and call it something like example.tpl.bak
2. create a new file called example.tpl and start coding in your design bits using xhtml (referencing your custom css file).
3. Then drop in the necessary xcart "guts".

I'm sure this is an oversimplification. Can anyone shed some light into a typical workflow for creating skins from scratch? I just setup a development xcart site on my mac using MAMP and would like to do this as sort of a side project/hobby - skill building excercise :) I guess when approaching it in this way you have to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day...

Cheers,