Quote:
I work with GoLive to build sites and that's the environment I'm used to.
Carpe Diem mentions using an ftp client and text editor - can I use GoLive? How do I do that? Do I get server coordinates and download templates onto my hard drive and work on them in GoLive?
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Run! Run! Run away from GoLive!
It will mangle your code...
There is a way to keep it from ruining your code, see this post:
http://forum.x-cart.com/showthread.php?t=6297&highlight=golive
Now, let's assume you can be coaxed into giving up golive (I'm an ex-golive user, now using dreamweaver for things that I can't simply hard code)...
1. Get an FTP client that has an integrated, or linked text editor. ON the mac,
TRANSMIT is a very good ftp client, and it integrates very nicely with
TEXTWRANGLER - I don't know a comparable solution for Windows... maybe CuteFTP?
2. Give up wysiwyg. You don't really need it for 95% of your work in xcart. For the 5% that it can be useful, copy the html, take it to dreamweaver, or golive if you have the filter installed (but be very careful), then bring it back via your text editor/ftp client.
3. Give up wysiwyg. Yes, it's time to look at your code and realize that your work in golive is bloated, and you can do better without it.
4. Give up wysigig. Uh, this Carpeperdiem (please note, my username, there's a "per" in there, changes the meaning of the phrase...) guy is a jerk... no, I'm actually here to share, to learn, and to give back when I can. I wish someone gave me some tough love earlier in my journey.
5. Now that you are looking at the templates in
webmaster mode, get a HUGE piece of posterboard -- get a few -- so you can do this in a few different ways -- now, dissect x-cart -- use your own codes and colors -- but diagram how it all fits together... in your own pen. You'll learn to really love/hate the nested templates. Nested tables, etc... WHY, you ask? This is the ONLY way to quickly learn the structure. BUT I'M NOT A PROGRAMMER! Trust me, this isn't programming. Editing html and smarty and CSS is just a step removed from basic web design. YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO ANYWHERE NEAR the php code, with minor exceptions, and then, it's about simple mods.
6. Ok, now, use Webmaster mode, find the template that needs changing, find the css if needed, edit your css, if needed - make a new class. There you go....
7. You may need to look in the
LANGUAGE file of the admin... if you have been brought in simply as a designer, and not the xcart admin, time to get friendly with the xcart admin and make an arrangement -- you will need to get into the admin for some tasks... some editing requires a trip to the langauges....
8. Did I mentioned it's time to give up wysiwyg?
Good luck -- there are lots of smart folks up here always willing to help.
Jeremy