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[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#128994

I do not always have the Modules layout of a template in my mind. Some are obvious. However, more are not, because the user modules, for example, can be anywhere.

Also, for each template, some of the modules may not have been used in the Demo, so that they will not appear in the Demo layout.

Without the schematic layout of the template, sometimes I ended up placing a module incorrectly.

Thanks.

Cornelio

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#250907

You have the options in both 1.0.xx and 1.5.3 to get a preview of the template with positions in.

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#252261

http://www.yoursite.com/index.php?tp=1 is a good way to find out.

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1. cgc0202

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#252284

<em>@Menalto 55700 wrote:</em><blockquote>You have the options in both 1.0.xx and 1.5.3 to get a preview of the template with positions in.</blockquote>

Hi Menalto:

To rephrase my question: How do I preview the full layout?

<em>@mpurvis 57423 wrote:</em><blockquote>http://www.yoursite.com/index.php?tp=1 is a good way to find out.</blockquote>

Thanks mpurvis,

Your suggestion helped a bit, but it only provides me with the modules that were already used but not the full layout.

In the Module order, there are more module positions, and I wanted to know where those positions are. For example, when I use your suggestion, notably missing are the following location for the following positions:
Advert 1
Advert 2
Advert 3
icon
inset
User 1
User 2
User 6 (this was not showing using the procedure you suggested, but this is just below User 5

and some others. Previously, when Joomlart introduces a new template, they provide a “cartoon” or mock up of the full layout — (or what I called above as the schematic full layout. This is what I am looking for but unless I missed a link, I did not see this in the introduction of the JA Teline II

Cornelio

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#252290

Can this here help you, when you see “user7”, that is a module position above left & right but below “user6”

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1. redlight_traitor

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#252294

<em>@Menalto 57454 wrote:</em><blockquote>Can this here help you, when you see “user7”, that is a module position above left & right but below “user6”
</blockquote>

Thanks Menalto,

I was able to infer that from the ones shown in the Demo, and when I was trying to move things around. To rephrase my original question: Is the cartoon you provided the full layout for JA Teline II?

But, apparently the full layout may have more positions, perhaps including:

Advert 1
Advert 2
Advert 3
icon
inset
User 1
User 2
and a few more positions based from the drop down position menu used to position existing and newly created modules.

Were the aforementioned “position options” disabled, non-existent or removed in the actual full layout of JA Teline II?

In case the aforementioned “position options” are non-existent or removed in the actual full layout of JA Teline II, how can these new user positions be added:

1.) Add back the multiple “user position” modules — restoring for example the ” five (5) user positions” found in the original JA Teline?
In the original JA Teline, was it was configured such that the aforementioned ” five (5) user positions” are “collapsible to 1-5 positions depending on how many of the ” five (5) user positions”. This “collapsibility would be desirable for customizing the site.

2) How do I add a single column user position below the “left” and “right” positions?
I find that in actual webpages, the dynamic content of the “left” and “right” positions triggers an uneven (jagged) appearance of the actual layout on the right side of the page. It is not aesthetically appealing to me. A single single column user position below the “left” and “right” positions would sort of smoothen such jarring appearance.

There are related questions I wanted to ask in regard inserting “modules” but I will defer from asking that until I get a clarification for the aforementioned questions.

Cornelio

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#252295

<blockquote>
I was able to infer that from the ones shown in the Demo, and when I was trying to move things around. The question is that, is that the full layout?</blockquote> Yes

<blockquote>But, apparently the full layout may have more positions.

Advert 1
Advert 2
Advert 3
icon
inset
User 1
User 2
and a few more based from the drop down menu used to position existing and newly created modules.

Were the above position disabled, non-existent or removed in the actual full layout of JA Teline II?</blockquote> The above image shows all positions available in the template. The reason you see Advert2,Advert2,Advert3 etc is beacouse they are in a different template you have installed, or/and that they forgot to edit the xml file for the template.

<blockquote>1.) Add back the multiple “user position” modules — restoring for example the ” five (5) user positions” found in the original JA Teline?
In the original JA Teline, was it was configured such that the aforementioned ” five (5) user positions” are “collapsible to 1-5 positions depending on how many of the ” five (5) user positions”. This “collapsibility would be desirable for customizing the site.

2) How do I add a single column user position below the “left” and “right” positions?
I find that in actual webpages, the dynamic content of the “left” and “right” positions triggers an uneven (jagged) appearance of the actual layout on the right side of the page. It is not aesthetically appealing to me. A single single column user position below the “left” and “right” positions would sort of smoothen such jarring appearance.</blockquote>

This can be added to this template also. It will require some work of course. I am not sure how your skills is with php,css,html?

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#252317

<em>@Menalto 57461 wrote:</em><blockquote>

This can be added to this template also. It will require some work of course. I am not sure how your skills is with php,css,html?</blockquote>

Menalto,

It should not be really. However, if it will require payment to do so, and you are interested to help achieve the goal, we can discuss this in private, to explore if we can agree to the terms. Basically, what I would need is help annotate the “beginning and end” of specific position features, as explained further below.

With a little tutorial, I think I can create a more universal template, from then on. So, it would be worth it.

What I mean by little tutorial for this specific task is simply these steps:

1.) This is the script of a “user position” module.
2.) This is how it is inserted relative to other user position modules.

The position features I am asking for are already in some of the existing templates of Joomlart. If the script that defines the general layout template is well annotated, i.e., marked with “beginning and end” of the various position modules then I know how to copy and paste to customize a layout template (see example below)

As to skills, I have no background in scripting or programming and in a sense technically challenged, in this regard. Thus, my questions in this forum. I have many many more questions actually than I ever posted here. Quite often I was able to resolve many of them on my own, by trial and error, and so they were never posted here.

I understand the basics of html. Given a css, I can modify it usually (to achieve the layout that I wanted). I have created css for static templates on my own. It takes me forever though to create a decent css though because I spend quite some time in envisioning the “overall layout” — including the major tables, rows and columns.

With professional templates, I am able to modify the css, sometimes the scripts, and the modules to create a more customized site.

I am less familiar with more complex php, especially those with many “else” or iterations, but again, if annotated, I know how to copy and paste (see example below).

Cornelio

Copy and paste experience with php

For example, this sample page:

http://likas-philippines.org/

integrates in a “single page” dynamic images and text from more than 20 different databases (and sites of) coppermine photogalleries (CPG). In theory, I could have unlimited galleries integrated but my webhosting service would not be too happy, as it would hog the server CPU.

The page uses the CPMFetch developed by Vuud to perform the intergration of the various CPG. I have used the above demo to integrate the dynamic images to a Joomla page, but it uses too much CPU — so I do not do it.

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#252320

<em>@Menalto 57461 wrote:</em><blockquote>

This can be added to this template also. It will require some work of course. I am not sure how your skills is with php,css,html?</blockquote>

Menalto,

As a further answer to your comment, while I have no background in scripting and programming, I learned by trial and error, as well as “copy and paste” route learning to understand some aspects of php, html and css.

Please allow me to use the two template companies I use to illustrate and show demo of what I can do. Maybe this will help you understand where I would need some help, in case you would consider the proposition I mentioned briefly in the previous post.

I start with the Gavick templates because it is more modular, more complex general user positions template layout that amends itself to easier customization

Gavick templates

This is not to denigrate the capabilities of Joomlart webdesigners but allow me to use the Gavick Pro templates

http://demo.gavick.com/

to illustrate what I can do in terms of modifying a site. Check for example, the demo Gavick News Portal there/

Using the modular design of the template, I have transformed the simpler layout, by extensive modification of the css and customizing the modules to create demo pages more similar to the more complex format of online. For example, here is my early “learning demo”

http://www.treasuresoftheinternet.org/jgtoti15x01/

of a general layout to extensively modifying some of the scripts, the various css and the various modules. In the case of the News module in the Gavick template, it is portable and designed to allow multiple news modules, so that each could be customized – color, columns & rows, max. characters, contents and their positions (title, image (size and position, with or without), text, more text, number of links in each module) and even whether to combine articles from different sections, and or categories.

I then modify the prototype template, using a master layout such as the one shown above, to create my specific sites. Because of the extensive modifications — unless I retain the “GavickPro” brand, not too many will know that the modified site came from a Gavick template.

Joomlart Templates

In general, I find the Joomlart templates more rigid in their layout, with less user positions, and thus less amenable to customization.

In theory, I can do something like that with a Joomlart template, if Joomlart has already in place, a more versatile master template. In reality, this is not as easy because of the limitation of the “general layout position options” in each Joomlart template.

This was what I have been asking for since I first came here — a modular master Joomlart template that has well thought and complex “position modules” that may be collapsed (by non-usage of specific positions) to customize the demo template for a specific site.

This is the weakness in the Joomlart templates — its layout is more rigid, less modular because of the fewer options in the modular user positions. Every time Joomlart webdesigners create a new template, they seem to create a modified layout by tweaking a previous one — move some user positions around, or remove or add some. I think this is a great waste of time. And, as you noted above, the webdesigner may forget to similarly modify some features — for example, the missing user positions in JA Teline II that prompted the posting of this thread. Sometimes, the continued and unnecessary tweaking of a master layout sometimes lead to the bugs encountered.

To cite one very simple example, and I hope I am mistaken in this, I believe that the “day-date” and the character “size” features are embedded as specific php scripts in a php file of the template. If this is the case, it requires a user to find and modify that php file, to remove the aforementioned features, and then move the script to another another php file. It would have been easier had the aforementioned features were made modular, so that they could be moved around in the various user positions.

More specifically, in the case of JA Teline II, other than the Frontpage, the grouping of the sections are limited to the one set in JA News module — more than likely a uniform two-column format because a three-column format would not be very nice.

It would be very difficult to create from the available user positions and the JA News module, a more complex layout like this with the

http://www.treasuresoftheinternet.org/jgtoti15x01/

with the JA Teline II.

One possible solution to this is to create a few master general layout templates with more user positions where different modules may or may not be placed — collapsing when a position is not used.

Why am I back to Joomlart then?

Simply because Gavick, as of this writing does not have anything comparable to JA Teline II, yet. My hope in presenting the Gavick templates here is that Joomlart designers may be able to borrow and improve on some of the modules of Gavick, and integrate such features in templates like JA Teline II.

Cornelio

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#252322

Actually, the “original” layout of Teline is a good starting point for each and every site, and if i think correct you are after a layout starting like this:

Where you have the extra full width module below left & rigth, and 5 modules at bottom?

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1. cgc0202

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#252406

<em>@Menalto 57496 wrote:</em><blockquote>Actually, the “original” layout of Teline is a good starting point for each and every site, and if i think correct you are after a layout starting like this:

</blockquote>

Indeed, that is quite correct Menalto, Thanks!

I posted a separate thread here, explaining that the layout script for the JA News in the original JA Teline is better than the one adopted in JA Teline II,

Also, what you stated:
<em>@Menalto 57496 wrote:</em><blockquote>
Where you have the extra full width module below left & rigth, and 5 modules at bottom?</blockquote>

is part of what I am looking for in the universal modular template that I was espousing. Please allow me to explore each of them separately and in more detail, plus some other features. In doing so,

I hope this exchange you will be able to share with Joomlart towards developing a few basic master templates that is then adopted in creating specific “monthly templates”.

If the staff do not keep on changing the script, there will be less chance that unintended error will happen.

Cornelio

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#252421

Request:
Can you please lobby the Joomlart webdesigner to modify the JA News for JA Teline II that will adopt the layout of the JA News in the original JA Teline?

I agree with you that the layout of the original JA News is much better than the comparable one adopted in JA Teline II. So, let me start with my thoughts on this before going to other issues.

The general layout of a page:

Basically, all templates have these three general layout sections:

Header
Body
Footer

usually each of the aforementioned subsections is further subdivided. Then various “user positions” are situated in each of the sub (or sub-sub) sections, of the aforementioned major section.

Comparison:

JA News Layout in original JA Teline

The JA News is part of the user position in the main left section of the Body of the site. Schematically, let me present this as follows:

(div body)
(div main)

(div JA News)
Script of JA News content here
(/div) /* => JA News */

(/div) /* => main */

(/div) /* => body */

The aesthetic beauty of this layout is that, there will never be jagged appearance in the contents of the JA News of the original JA Teline.

JA News Layout in JA Teline II

For some reason, the webdesigner of the JA News for JA Teline II opted for a different layout: two major columns

then, the JA News script, after detecting how many Sections included in the JA News, will arrange the Section modules, as follows (assume 9 Sections):

(div JA News)

(div ja news major left column module)
1
2
3
4
5

(/div) /* => ja news major left column module */

(div ja news major major right column module)
6
7
8
9
(/div) /* => ja news major right column module */

(/div) /* => JA News */

Except for the aforementioned

The aftermath of the aforementioned layout decision for the JA News in JA Teline II is that — in actual websites, where there is always variations in the characters for the headline, article text, variations in the size of the images, etc. — will always have a rather ugly jagged layout.

Any attempt to correct this inherent weakness of the aforementioned layout, by specifying the height will run into problems when the site visitor changes how large the characters are in the page. When the characters become large enough, the bottom of the contents of the top Section will spill into the top of the module directly below.

Apparently, whoever designed the JA News for JA Teline II did not fully appreciate the “auto-adjusted” height of each row in the JA News layout in the original JA Teline.

Cornelio

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#252423

There is a reason why I presented the layout differences of JA News in the original JA Teline vs. JA Teline II, before I explain my request for the user position modules, for specific positions in the page.

Basically, any additional script added, to define a new user position would be the same, the differences as you alluded by how the script will specify, the equivalent “column span” or “row span”, of the position module added.

Customization of the Template Layout

“Full span” user position:

While I requested the addition of new position module, for example that spans the “left” and “right” positions, I think the php script will essentially be the same script that will define the new user position if I want to place a similar new position module:
1.) underneath “user position 8, and 9”
2.) above the “JA News and User 5” (i.e., above the Body and below the
3.) a similar one that spans the bottom of the “Body”
4.) or even above the Header

For users with no scripting background, it will be best to add the aforementioned “user positions”, that may be “collapsed” if not used.

Alternatively, for those who are gaining more experience in scripting via a “copy and paste” understanding of using “packet of defined scripts”, the template layout may be more “efficiently lean”, if any of the above full span user position is added as needed.

This will require a “How to” instructions, with a well-written step by step procedure to add the new script to a defined general layout.

Now, so that a scriptically challenged user will not mess up a php file that is modified, the general layout php file — if I am not mistaken this will be the index.php(???) — must be well-annotated, so that the beginning and end of each packet of the php scripts are well demarcated.

I hope I made myself clear in the above outline.

Cornelio

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#252424

Menalto,

You did get what I meant, about the multiple columns of user positions in your example cartoon.

Addition of new multiple columns of user positions using a clone of JA News

When I was contemplating this when I used the original JA Teline template, it is in theory possible to make a “copy of the JA News”, rename it and say place this at the bottom, then using the features of the JA News to specify the number of rows and columns.

The desired one JA News for JA Teline II would have the features of the JA News from the original JA Teline, as outlined in my post:

Improving the JA News layout in JA Teline II

so that there will be no issue about jagged layout.

Such clones of the revised JA News for JA Teline II may then be placed in the full span user positions indicated in the previous post:

Desired features of the added new “full span” user positions

What is the advantage of using a clone of JA News to add multiple columns user positions?

The number of columns and rows would be more dynamic, and will not have jagged appearance, if the features of the JA News in the original JA Teline is adopted.

Note:
I tried this actually, by cloning the JA News of JA Teline II, renamed it. I tried to add it to specific user positions, e.g., banner, but somehow, the JA News clone did not appear.

Cornelio

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#252445

There is a specific thread in the Tutorial:

How to create a new user position
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/area-map-within-slide/

while it discussed, a general “How to”; it is missing in details on how exactly to locate the new position relative to the attributes, and existing layout of an exisiting template.

This topic is germane to the discussion here, and I requested for some clarifications:

http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/area-map-within-slide/#post-252444

that is relevant in the ongoing discussion here.

Cornelio

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