Template Customizing for Dummies?
 

I am new to X-Cart and still figuring it all out. Is there a step-by-step tutorial or other article that shows how to edit templates to fit the look and feel of the website I'm adding it to?

I'm using the standard 2-column template and am talking about basic things like changing the style sheets for text or changing the color of the background for the header of "Categories" box. I also want to change the orange color of the title bar where the search box is. Stuff like that.

These questions may seem simplistic, but please go easy on me!

Re: Template Customizing for Dummies?
 

Coming soon!

Re: Template Customizing for Dummies?
 

Well you need to know at least basic css/html/smarty to be able to edit the templates. Unfortunatelly for you the version you are starting with is brand new, just released, and its template system is different from previous version. But css/html/smarty rules still apply. You may have hard time finding what's what and where it is as almost every bit of info here in the forums is for previous versions.
Start with using Firebug plugin for FF which will help you with css styles/classes, Webmaster in xcart will help you with finding out which templates are called from any page and where they are, Webmaster also can edit language variables on the fly.
I guess just start playing with it.

Re: Template Customizing for Dummies?
 

Start by reading this:

http://forum.x-cart.com/showthread.php?t=21529

It is for an old version, but the same concepts apply. Use Webmaster Mode to determine the actual templates for 4.4. I'll write a new guide once I get familiar with 4.4 myself.

Re: Template Customizing for Dummies?
 

I am very proficient in HTML and CSS, but not so much smarty. In fact, I had never even heard of smarty before I installed X-Cart. Is is one of those esoteric systems that you have to be a guru to use? If so, X-Cart may not be for me. I don't have the resources to devote to learning a new programming language.

But if it's something I can dabble in and figure out, I can do that! I will install the recommended FF extensions and see how far that gets me.

Thanks for the extra info! :)

Re: Template Customizing for Dummies?
 

Creative,

Smarty is a simplified PHP in my opinion that can be used within HTML & CSS. I don't mind it since it allows you to see the code better rather than having PHP tags all over the place. It just takes some getting used to, but it's not bad.

I've been fooling around with X-Cart for several years and just now started working on this latest version. It's much different and a little confusing. Sometimes I wish there was a stripped down version without all the additional templates.

Re: Template Customizing for Dummies?
 

You can say that again!


Will you please post a link here when it's ready?