How to customize mainbody layout block

gribblej

I am working with a cloned layout. I want to modify the mainbody block. This used to be easy in that you used to have multiple pre-built blocks with different sidebar configurations and unique and distinct block names.. Now though you have gotten way ahead of your documentation.
I see that instead of prebuilt versions of mainbody, you have a folder containing the different versions as separate php files. I think we are expected to copy the file version we want into mainbody.php. And that's how we change the layout now.
Correct?
The big drawback is that any layout using that block will be stuck with the same layout. Homepage and inside pages cannot have different layout.
Correct?
I want to be able to control inside layout separately. On any website nowadays, the homepage is going to look vastly different from the inside pages.
So, what is the solution? I think I need to add a custom block which I'll call mainbody-inside.
Correct?
Then I need to create a corresponding mainbody-inside.php file. I would populate it with whichever layout works best. I would for example grab and copy over the one-side-bar-left layout.
Correct?
And so now I have a separate version of the original mainbody to apply as a block in my inside pages default.php file.
Correct?
But, how does the mainbody-inside block call mainbody-inside.php?
And, how do I name a module position to mainbody-inside block?
So, how will I actually be able to assign modules to it?
Sorry to be asking all this but it was so much simpler when multiple versions of mainbody used to come built in and ready to edit and apply.
This template came with only one default layout and so it has made a lot more work, surprisingly. If we want separate version of mainbody, we have to build them ourselves.
Please note I have watched all the videos. So I know generally what's going on but need some pointers in how to make it happen.
Over time I've gone away from ever using a stock template. Customers never want that.
Thanks to anybody who can help with my latest customization question,
-Jim G.

gribblej

I am thinking I know how to make this work...
Add my new layout in default.php, called "inside-mainbody."
Clone an existing php layout file and name it "inside-mainbody."
Style the 12-block layout to my liking in "inside-mainbody."
That should do it, except for assigning a position name to the module.
Is is it done here?
// positions configuration
$sidebar1 = 'MYMODULEPOSITION NAME';
Correct?

gribblej

Update: I almost got it to work using the above. My new block at least shows in my cloned layout. But I've been utterly unsuccessful in assigning any working positions to it. I must have watched the video four times, but the presenter goes so fast, and skips over so many steps, it is really hard to "make heads or tails. " I am an Internet marketer and web designer with advanced technical knowledge but no degree in computer science.
So, now that I have my new content block and my new php layout, how do I get it work in the actual front end layout? I thought that in template styles screen I could assign positions to the new modules, but that didn't work. On save the module positions revert to "auto." Also, all modules published to position Sidebar-1 or Sidebar-2 publish to home page even if unpublished. At least they show up in the left-hand position where they should be, per the PHP layout. These "legacy" elements were inherited from the six-year-old site I am rehabbing. That site used default layout with left and right sidebars.
Fortunately no harm can be done because this is a cloned layout which I am playing around with. Thanks to anyone who can point out what I am doing wrong.
-Jim G.

gribblej

I want to use mainbody/two-sidebar-left.php for my mainbody layout. I've had to reluctantly conclude that your current documentation leaves no clue. Different versions of this block used to be made available to us to load right into default.php. The template documentation gives no clue either. We have no idea how to use all the sub-versions contained in the mainbody folder.
I think I have some idea but it looks technically daunting.
Also I should mention we want only to apply it to our home layout. We want complete independent control over inside layout.
Please return to your old system of offering pre-built variations of this critical block. Please save your customers time instead of adding to their time, because out here time is money.
Many thanks to anybody who can guide me.
-Jim G.

gribblej

Is this getting close?
<?php
/**
@package T3 Blank
@copyright Copyright (C) 2005 - 2012 Open Source Matters, Inc. All rights reserved.
@license GNU General Public License version 2 or later; see LICENSE.txt
/

defined('_JEXEC') or die;
?>

<?php

// positions configuration
$mastcol = 'mast-col';
$sidebar1 = 'sidebar-1';
$sidebar2 = 'sidebar-2';

$mastcol = $this->countModules($mastcol) ? $mastcol : false;
$sidebar1 = $this->countModules($sidebar1) ? $sidebar1 : false;
$sidebar2 = $this->countModules($sidebar2) ? $sidebar2 : false;

if ($sidebar1 && $sidebar2) {
$this->loadBlock('mainbody/two-sidebar-left', array('sidebar1' => $sidebar1, 'sidebar2' => $sidebar2, 'mastcol' => $mastcol));
} elseif ($mastcol && ($sidebar1 || $sidebar2)) {
$this->loadBlock('mainbody/one-sidebar-left-with-mastcol', array('sidebar' => $sidebar1 ? $sidebar1 : $sidebar2, 'mastcol' => $mastcol));
} elseif ($sidebar1 || $sidebar2) {
$this->loadBlock('mainbody/one-sidebar-left', array('sidebar' => $sidebar1 ? $sidebar1 : $sidebar2));
} else {
$this->loadBlock('mainbody/no-sidebar');
}

saguaros

gribblej
Hi,

Normally, most of our template have different layouts, for home page and specific pages, etc...

Basically, customize the layout in templates built with T3 framework will be in Layout / Block / module position as we mention in our document here: http://www.t3-framework.org/documentation/bs3-layout-system#layout-configuration

Layout: all layouts of a template will locate in : /templates/ja_template/tpls (for example: default.php file will be equivalent to 'default' layout)
In each layout, it will load blocks that will be used in the layout: header, footer, mainbody, et...
In each block, you will call module positions you want.

Kindly share the credentials of your site and tell me how you want to achieve so I can check for you.

Regards

gribblej

In posting this thread, I did give login credentials for milwaukee-yacht-club.com. I am happy to give them again but not here in public.
I have read the documentation and watched the videos and they have big gaps. In this case, the template came with only one layout. And only one version of the critical maincontent block. As you know there are multiple ways to configure mainbody. These alternate versions of mainbody used to be provided with template. Each had it own name. And we could just drop in the block into default.php. Now it appears we must make our own from the files contained in the maincontent folder. That's a lot a more work. Although not a software engineer, I am technically advanced. But I could not find any meaningful guide to doing this for ourselves. I see that right now maincontent is set up for two side columns. There also is a way to have two columns and then the article content. And vice versa. You can also have article and then only one column. Using your back-end disabling of module positions is no good, because all you do is hide the content. The module position is still in layout. The article content will be constrained to the same space. So my question is how to put together a new version of mainbody that provides alternatives to the old sidebar/article/sidebar layout. If we're now asked to do this for ourselves, I hope we can get a little more guidance from Joomlart. I believe I understand the process in principle. Mainbody.php will selectively call the block files contained in the mainbody folder. But exactly how?
I also acknowledge that I am a far more ambitious customizer than most of your customers. So I thank you for your patience and for taking an interest. You've been very helpful to me in the past.
I hope this has made my questions clear. Glad to send credentials via a private channel. But it's getting late here and it's time to turn off the office. We'll continue tomorrow.
You probably have these other versions of mainbody.php on file. Maybe you could just e-mail them to me so I can upload and try them out? Or show me where to download them.
It would be greatly appreciated.
-Jim G.

teitbite

gribblej Hi. Can You please tell me how do You wish to customize the mainbody part? It's all based on T3 framework, so this areas is already pretty much flexible since You can select to have 2 columns on sides of the manibody or on the left or right, etc. So even having one layout You have multiple options of how this can look like. I'll help You to configure it as You wish.

gribblej

Hi, this has never worked very well for me, but let's have a go. How about to start with we have article and then one right sidebar? How to achieve that. Thanks so much for taking an interest in helping. Maybe I have been over-thinking this. Maybe the system has moved beyond having to do all this editing of mainbody.php.
-Jim Gribble

aman204

gribblej How about to start with we have article and then one right sidebar? How to achieve that

You can assign module to sidebar-2 module position and not have any module assigned to sidebar-1 position for the specific menu item as the main-body (component) area will span to fill up the available width for the specific page

Hope this should derive the result as envisaged

gribblej

I did provide logins in starting this thread, but am also happy to e-mail credentials.

gribblej

Just go into the responsive layout tab? Some simple things seem possible there, but what if I want, say, two sidebars and then article?

gribblej

Yes, I think I see how that would work. In the past my problem is that the article didn't fill the horizontal space. It acted as through module was still there. When I do this will it overwrite whichever php layout file I am usng?
Thank you!
-Jim G.

aman204

gribblej When I do this will it overwrite whichever php layout file I am usng?

While assigning specific modules as outlined in previous forum thread, It shouldnt overwrite layout files as such feature is built by default in block structure of mainbody. The corresponding files can be viewed in /templates/ja_template/tpls/blocks/mainbody which affect the layout changes in mainbody block

As you have already isolated the template, You can make changes in files in local folder so when you upgrade, everything in the folder is not changed or overridden as also mentioned in the documentation

gribblej

I did look over all those files yesterday but wasn't sure how they worked. Thanks for the explanation. I'm going to try this on an inside page. Should I use a cloned layout as a precaution? Sounds like there's no need.
-Jim G.

aman204

gribblej Should I use a cloned layout as a precaution? Sounds like there's no need.

Yes, It isnt quite required to create local instances of specific files enclosed in mainbody folder as this would simply lead to more work without much of productivity involved as you arent required to make any changes in subsequent files for this default functionality

gribblej

Thanks, Aman. I will run a test.

gribblej

https://milwaukee-yacht-club.com/join-myc/join-now
It works great. I don't know what the problem has been in the past.
But now, say I want to make the right sidebar 50px wider. And I just want to apply it to my selected style ("myc-inside-pages.) Can be done?
Thanks so much, Aman.
-Jim G.

gribblej

Editing file "/tpls/blocks/mainbody/one-sidebar-right.php" in template "ja_company".
Is this where? And, how to apply to a specific layout/
-Jim G

saguaros

Hi Jim,

Assume that you have layout called 'default2' (simply duplicated the file /tpls/default.php) so you have /tpls/default2.php

Now you want to customize the mainbody block for this 'default2' layout, you can duplicate the folder /tpls/block/mainbody.php to to have a new one: /tpls/block/mainbody2.php

Create a new folder: /tpls/block/mainbody2/ + copy all files inside /tpls/block/mainbody/ folder to the new folder

In the file: /tpls/block/mainbody2.php, make sure that you update the path of these blocks to the 'mainbody2' folder

// detect layout
if ($sidebar1 && $sidebar2) {
	$this->loadBlock('mainbody/two-sidebar', array('sidebar1' => $sidebar1, 'sidebar2' => $sidebar2));
} elseif ($sidebar1) {
	$this->loadBlock('mainbody/one-sidebar-left', array('sidebar' => $sidebar1));
} elseif ($sidebar2) {
	$this->loadBlock('mainbody/one-sidebar-right', array('sidebar' => $sidebar2));
} else {
	$this->loadBlock('mainbody/no-sidebar');
}

Then edit layout here, it will not affect the default layout.

Regards