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[Scott Lavelle Friend Scott LavelleJoin date: November 2010Posts: 266Downloads:16Uploads:5 Thanks: 6 Thanked: 64 times in 27 posts]

#200811

Hello all,

I create a lot of websites using the T3 Framework with the T3 Blank Template as the starting point. Obviously, there are enhancements and bug fixes to each of these (as well as Joomla itself, of course).

As a general rule, upgrading Joomla and the T3 Framework system plugin don’t generally cause big issues, but the template itself definitely does. I usually build a site based on a “base” that I modify every so often with the newest version of each. So, my workflow for a new website is to start with this base file and build from there. Usually, this is fine and all I need to do until Joomla itself updates and then I approach with caution but eventually upgrade Joomla versions and often the T3 Framework system plugin, make sure it all still works, then do it to the live site.

I’m looking for instructions to be able to do the same with the T3 Blank template. I know how to do the upgrade itself from within the JA Extension Manager, but this replaces so many files/details within files that getting it back to the right look I designed Is difficult or impossible without basically copying all of my backed up template files over the new ones, which of course pretty much negates the update.

There are sometimes things in new versions that don’t work right that COULD be due to a certain version of the template, but I don’t know what’s causing the problem, so short of getting the newest version, I can’t know what to independently fix. An example is the site I’m working on right now where the off-canvas button doesn’t work right on Windows Phones – everywhere else it’s fine. I know the advice is going to be “did you update to the newest revision?”, which is why I’m here now 🙂

Does anyone have any advice on how you go about this to get the most useful combination of bug fixes and such without completely ruining the template? I’ve searched the forum but didn’t really find anything definitive about the process.

Thanks for any direction.

Scott Lavelle - Technical Resource Solutions, LLC
Certified Joomla Administrator

[swissa Friend swissaJoin date: November 2011Posts: 1955Downloads:7Uploads:277 Thanks: 175 Thanked: 717 times in 572 posts]

#547320

I can only speak for myself but here is what I do,

Clone a layout and theme and name it as my own. This will not be overwritten when I update.
Then when updates do come through (and it seems that T3 framework and T3 base template are done at the same time) I check to see if it is compatible with the latest Joomla version by going to the update blog. If it is I update (I always use a dev site to test before doing it on a production site).

I also always check the docs especially the changelogs – really detailed so that I know what is new.

That’s my way. JA may have a better way in which case I’m also interested!! 🙂

1 user says Thank You to swissa for this useful post

1. Saguaros

[Scott Lavelle Friend Scott LavelleJoin date: November 2010Posts: 266Downloads:16Uploads:5 Thanks: 6 Thanked: 64 times in 27 posts]

#547366

Swissa,

I don’t do my stuff as a theme within the T3 Blank template, but as the template itself. I don’t think I’ve ever actually used a theme for anything. I create a custom.css file in the css folder, which doesn’t get overwritten, but any changes that get made to the tpls files (like header.php, footer.php, mainbody.php, etc) which I update in almost every case. I also make a bunch of changes to variables.less, which I think also gets updated with these changes. I also make changes to the layout files 9 times out of 10.

Do these changes not apply in the case of a theme?

Thanks for your input.

Scott Lavelle - Technical Resource Solutions, LLC
Certified Joomla Administrator

[swissa Friend swissaJoin date: November 2011Posts: 1955Downloads:7Uploads:277 Thanks: 175 Thanked: 717 times in 572 posts]

#547402

When you create a theme it sets up separate less files including variables.less.

Layouts should be cloned too so that they don’t get overwritten i.e. swissa-home, swissa-portfolio etc (docs)

The blocks however will change on update. If you clone them and use your own names i.e. header-swissa.php, mainbody-swissa.php then these will be unaffected by any update and then use diffmerge or the change log to see what has changed.

Basically clone it all!! 🙂

1 user says Thank You to swissa for this useful post

1. Saguaros

[Saguaros Moderator SaguarosJoin date: September 2014Posts: 31405Downloads:237Uploads:471 Thanks: 845 Thanked: 5346 times in 4964 posts]

#547500

@slavelle: you can use the clone method as Swissa suggested. With this way, you will have files with different names from original files and they will not be overridden by updated files.

We got several feedbacks from users that their template settings and customization are lost when upgrading to new versions. Hence, recently, we’ve implemented a new feature for T3 framework to prevent this issue. In the new version of T3, we provide a new folder called local in directory: {root}/templates/{template-name}/. This folder will be independent from template and is the place where you can put all of your settings / customizations ( less, css, layout, js, Joomla default, template parameters, etc, …)

When you update T3 framework or JA template, ONLY files/folders in T3 framework plugin and template folder are overridden. Your customizations in local folder will be absolutely safe.

Check out this documentation for more information about this new feature: http://t3-framework.org/documentation/new-features#isolate-template

1 user says Thank You to Saguaros for this useful post

1. swissa

[Scott Lavelle Friend Scott LavelleJoin date: November 2010Posts: 266Downloads:16Uploads:5 Thanks: 6 Thanked: 64 times in 27 posts]

#547587

So in the case of the older versions of the template which were not done this way…

I have always thought of the “theme” as a way to create a variation on the same template – like everything is the same but with different colored headings and whatnot. When I look at the templates that are created by Joomlart for purchase, they are parallel to the t3_blank template in the structure, not as a variation/local/theme of it. I’ve thought of just doing a template copy and naming it my own to start with, but then none of the T3 blank template updates would apply.

I’m still a bit at a loss of how to deal with this for a bunch of already existing sites. Really, there are just a few that actually need anything done to them where there are things that don’t work or are “odd” but I will be looking into the “local” way mentioned above as part of how I create new ones going forward.

Also – in the case where I use the local folder in the future and I put a bunch of my customized things in there, how do I know when an update would have updated the file that I’ve overridden and then the same question applies – how do I deal with the changes?

For example, if I have modified the t3_blank/tpls/blocks/mainnav.php file and a new update to the T3 template provides some sort of fix that includes changes to that file, how do I identify when this file needs an update (short of looking through every update and finding all files included in the changelog), apply the changes only without messing up my customizations (the point of not just leaving the file in place to begin with), etc? And how do I know which of the many files that are included in the template update will have some adverse affect on my customized files if the changes aren’t applied to those files?

Lots of questions, I know – but I have a TON of custom templates that I’ve built on the T3 framework. I generally never need to do anything with them once the site is launched, but when it comes to upgrading to Joomla 3.5 when it comes out or any other updates that get done to sites, I need to know how big a box of trouble I’m going to be working with! 🙂

Thanks for any help.

Scott Lavelle - Technical Resource Solutions, LLC
Certified Joomla Administrator

[Saguaros Moderator SaguarosJoin date: September 2014Posts: 31405Downloads:237Uploads:471 Thanks: 845 Thanked: 5346 times in 4964 posts]

#547746

Hi Scott,

The updated version often includes small bug fixes or changes due to Joomla update. It will be not a really big changes and effect much (like mess up your site, …) to your customization in template. So, generally, when there is new update version, you can take a look at the update blog and check the changelogs as Swissa mentioned or use our JA Extension Manager component which provides you options to check if there is any update or make a comparison between the file/folder in update package and the existing one.

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