X-Cart forums

[carpeperdiem]

Okay, what I want to do is change the colors of the default template.

Because how else are you going to edit the files? Using the built-in editor? Ugh...
Very small input box.
Doesn't work on some platform/broswer combinations (especially mac).
Because using a ftp client and text editor is a good practice.
Because you can undo an edit to the text editor.
Because you have a better visual representation of the code (line numbers, line breaks, color coding for code type, etc).
Because application switching is fast and easy (and fun).
Yes, find and replace -- and of course grep.

And my # 1 reason: because it's the right way to do it.

[paula]

Okay, separately from the tools needed to do the editing - I'm still completely confused. When I go into admin > edit templates I get a page that says "browse templates". Then there's the list at the top with skin1.css and buttons and today's news and a couple of others, and below there's a window with 2 columns full of folders. Are these 2 different groupings of the same templates? How many total templates are there? How many do I have to edit to accomplish my objective? Is there a flowchart anywhere that I can access that tells me how many "pages" theoretically are in the default site?

Am I reacting in an unusual way? Are there people who know exactly what to do and just sail in and make changes? Am I especially dense? I can't seem to get my bearings. There appears to be assumptions operative about what people should know coming into this thing and I clearly don't know things that are apparently obvious to others. What basics am I missing?

Here's what I know how to do: I could download an "unknown" html website into GoLive. In there I could open individual pages, and/or templates, and/or components. I could open the CSS File. Within all of those I could find where colors have been applied and change those colors. I could tell what's live text, what's a table cell and what's a graphic, and would know that if it's a graphic I would have to make changes in Photoshop. If I didn't want to have to mess around with resizing columns or table cells, etc., I would replace one graphic with a different graphic of the exact same size. That's the perspective I'm bringing to this.

Can I do that with an X-cart site? I went to the link you posted earlier about things to do in GoLive to keep it from screwing up the coding, which seemed helpful. Could I download the X-Cart site, and use my in and out links window to find all the linked templates? Do I just need to obtain passwords and settings, etc. to be able to connect to the server and access the site?

Since the site is dynamic would it not "download" as a series of pages and folders? Would it just be a collection of folders full of these individual templates? Like downloading a 100 components or something?

I haven't ever used a different text editor so I don't think I'm properly grasping what you're talking about when you talk about using the ftp client and text editor. Are you simply using a different tool than GoLive to connect to the server and access the pages?

Thanks again for your input and advice.

[carpeperdiem]

The reason you DO NOT want to download the entire xcart directory to your local drive, and open templates in golive, is that 99% of it is useless from within golive, and at best golive won't destroy your code.

Download a ftp client - most come with a 30-day free trial -- and everyone should have one, especially anyone doing work in the digital domain --

You will work in real time on the files -- that is, every time you "save" it's as good as an upload.

You will view your text files, er, templates, as code. Scary for a golive user at first!!! I know -- but you really need to make go live go away.

Are you simply using a different tool than GoLive to connect to the server and access the pages?

Yes. A tool that will not ruin your code.

Try it!

[paula]

Okay, the mists are slowly parting...

First, Let's say I download Transmit 3; do I need to get ftp settings to be able to access the X-cart site?

Second, when I ftp into a server now, what I see is a long "list" of individual pages, files, and directories that have individual pages, files, graphics, etc. in them. Their relationship would not necessarily be clear just by seeing them in an alphabetical listing. Is that what I will see using Transmit or similar tool? More or less what I see now in the admin? Or does Transmit have tools like GoLive (like the In and Out Links) that will help me know what is linked to what? Will there be individual pages as well as directories? Or am I still going to be confronted with this big list of .tpl's, with no apparent organizing prinicipal and I'm going to have to still try to figure out where the heck I can change the page color from yellow to white? There's about 72 files/folders in my browse templates window - mostly .tpls, a couple of .js files and css files. And some of them have more folders inside them with more .tpls.

Thanks, thanks, thanks

[carpeperdiem]

do I need to get ftp settings to be able to access the X-cart site?

yes. of course. just as you woould need if golive were to access the site. same settings.

when I ftp into a server now, what I see is a long "list" of individual pages, files, and directories that have individual pages, files, graphics, etc. in them. Their relationship would not necessarily be clear just by seeing them in an alphabetical listing. Is that what I will see using Transmit or similar tool?

a file list is a file list -- some ftp clients make it better looking.

does Transmit have tools like GoLive (like the In and Out Links) that will help me know what is linked to what?

No. You will use Webmaster Mode to tell you what file contains your code. You will then navigate to the template, and edit it. Or find the class that needs to be edited, then go to the correct css file.

You are going to have to be prepared to view code as text, and understand the heirarchy of the templates in the filesystem. If you are not prepared to deal with this, then you should return xcart, and get your money back - or hire a pro.

It is NOT a graphical envoironment like dreamweaver or golive.

You're gonna have to learn to read/edit some code if you want to do anything more than import products manually.

There's about 72 files/folders in my browse templates window - mostly .tpls, a couple of .js files and css files. And some of them have more folders inside them with more .tpls.

No disrespect intended, but there are many, many more folders and files nested as you dig deeper... hundreds and hundreds...

Yes, there is a learning curve if the idea of editing code via a FTP client is new to you. If you're not accustomed to viewing/editing code, you are in for a longer learning curve than most.

You may want to read some tutorials on html, smarty, ftp, and basic techniques... it will help you get over the hump.

[paula]

Thanks for all of your help.

[nabeelaejaz]

http://rawpk.com/up/img/5579contact.gif

Kindly also tell, where can I change or remove this altogether. Thank you.

[carpeperdiem]

did you read anything that I posted?

you will use webmaster mode, determine which template the item is in, then edit the template.

In this case, you'll see a LANGUAGE variable, and you can hard code it, comment it out, or edit the language entry in the admin.

you can also search the forum -- this question has been asked at least 1000 times...

[balinor]

Hi Paula, if you plan on sticking around, please read this thread and post your X-Cart version in your signature. Thank you

http://forum.x-cart.com/showthread.php?t=23970

[nabeelaejaz]

Originally Posted by carpeperdiem

did you read anything that I posted?

you will use webmaster mode, determine which template the item is in, then edit the template.

In this case, you'll see a LANGUAGE variable, and you can hard code it, comment it out, or edit the language entry in the admin.

you can also search the forum -- this question has been asked at least 1000 times...

Thank you once again, I had been using Fire Fox and hence some difficulty with it, now i am using explorer so alls fine. Thank you.