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

#256997

<em>@Menalto 62790 wrote:</em><blockquote>If i remember correct i posted this before, the reasons you dont see the developers around here at the forum is that they don’t speak/write/understand english very good. So i wont say its a “who cares” attitude.
Bug fixes: Not completed to make me satisfied.
Download system: Not completed to make me satisfied.
Forum setup: I wish to split up the forum for 1.0.xx and 1.5, we use way to much time to ask for which Joomla version a user uses. If one forum for 1.0.xx we can give support for 1.0.xx and vice versa.
</blockquote>

Hi Menalto,

The webdesigners really do not have to participate, in fact, it is better if those involve in the webdesign stick to what they are good at. I myself lose my concentration when I am interrupted.

However, Joomlart must dedicate one staff — not just volunteer moderators — who actually has to get a good grasp of what is happening in the forum and that these are addressed. To give some examples:

1. You have have helped Chris resolve issues for his site. Quite a few of these require “scripts changes” that are not in the current version downloaded. So, if these are solutions, that it looks from the forum postings are encountered also by many users, why not implement the following:

a. make a regular compilation of fixes that work
b. provide frequent updates of the template that include these fixes

Many users, like myself who do not understand scripting may not know exactly, or who have not yet encountered the problem. The template update fixes released regualrly will solve so many problems:

=> frustrations of customers because their site is not working
=> wasted time of customers trying to solve these problems
=> wasted time of customers and others posting in the forums about the problems, waiting for answers, looking for answers, etc.

2. There are many requests for features that I think are valid, some of them I requested myself and other did — but no one even bothered to answer them.

One feature, I have seen a customer provide a solution to the problem based from the feature of his site. According to him, the strategy I proposed should work based from our discussion here, but it is not working for me. So, I am missing something.

3. I agree that there are problems that are due to Joomla, but if there is a problem with Joomla, I assume that during the development tests, these problems are encountered by the staff or whoever are involved in the testing stage. They must be solved, or the template will not work properly.

The point is thisL If Hung is the point man here in the Forum for the company, he is not doing a good job of “collating” all the known problems, presented fixes and the making sure that all these fixes are addressed and the solutions be provided as a package for updates, regularly.

Failing in these, there will be continued threads like this.

It is true that there is a disclaimer about selling the product as is. If Joomlart sticks to this policy, they should not be surprised with growing discontent.

Customers if they find something better will go where they can have their needs met. I have not encountered this much growing unrest since I became a member here.

Cornelio

[Menalto Friend MenaltoJoin date: May 2007Posts: 4736Downloads:0Uploads:43 Thanks: 2 Thanked: 531 times in 361 posts]

#256999

<blockquote>1. You have have helped Chris resolve issues for his site. Quite a few of these require “scripts changes” that are not in the current version downloaded. So, if these are solutions, that it looks from the forum postings are encountered also by many users, why not implement the following:

a. make a regular compilation of fixes that work
b. provide frequent updates of the template that include these fixes</blockquote>

a: this is a good idea, which will not be hard to complete at all, its just a matter of communication between several parts here, and to have access to the needed files/folders/directories.
The way JA do it on now, i cant, even how much i want to do it i still cant due to no access.
I spend more time in this forum resolving bugs, help out people, but i still cant update that .zip file with the changes needed to make it work.

b: The way they do it on now it will never work out. Lets take Helio as an example,
i posted this here: http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/bugs-in-template/
I then downloaded the package and found this: <blockquote>1 Fixed color css bug , don’t change link color when change JA_TOOL_COLOR</blockquote>
Does that help out much?
People need to know which changes made in which files.
This would be a better way to post a update:
<blockquote>2008-06-10 Menalto emailadress

* File: red.css, added this code to make the red color scheme work:
a#active_menu.mainlevel {
color:#CC0000;
font-weight:bold;
}

a.mainlevel:hover, a.mainlevel:active, a.mainlevel:focus {
color:#CC0000;
}

* File: index.php, replaced this code: <link rel=”stylesheet” href=”<?php echo $tmpTools->templateurl(); ?>/css/template.css” type=”text/css” />
width this code: <link rel=”stylesheet” href=”<?php echo $tmpTools->templateurl(); ?>/css/template.css” type=”text/css” />.</blockquote>

Atleast then people know what they need to add/change in the template files instead of do a full reinstall and redo all the changs they have done.
Same with Larix, didnt work out well. Sometimes i get very bored to talk to a rock.
Things needs to be changed here i a proper way of doing things, not just trow out some useless things.

<blockquote>There are many requests for features that I think are valid, some of them I requested myself and other did — but no one even bothered to answer them. </blockquote>

When people get a problem with something in a template, it can be 5 different ways to solve them on.
Some is a pure hack, a work around, redo the code etc.
As i said before, the template is buildt as it is, to work as the specific setup you see on the demo(you can change,replace, move things around, but again…..im not a developer here at JA.

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

#257001

<em>@Menalto 63162 wrote:</em><blockquote>a: this is a good idea, which will not be hard to complete at all, its just a matter of communication between several parts here, and to have access to the needed files/folders/directories.
The way JA do it on now, i cant, even how much i want to do it i still cant due to no access.
I spend more time in this forum resolving bugs, help out people, but i still cant update that .zip file with the changes needed to make it work.
</blockquote>

Yes, I agree Menalto completely. Something like this must be done by any template company.

<em>@Menalto 63162 wrote:</em><blockquote>
b: The way they do it on now it will never work out. Lets take Helio as an example,
i posted this here: http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/bugs-in-template/
I then downloaded the package and found this:
Does that help out much?
People need to know which changes made in which files.
This would be a better way to post a update:

Atleast then people know what they need to add/change in the template files instead of do a full reinstall and redo all the changs they have done.
Same with Larix, didnt work out well. Sometimes i get very bored to talk to a rock.
Things needs to be changed here i a proper way of doing things, not just trow out some useless things.
</blockquote>

Posting this in the forum as scripts would not help some people and may cause more trouble. There will be questions of where to place it, how do I find the file, etc. And, if they are not familiar with scripting, or how a css file is created, they migh forget a semi-colon or something else, and the changes will not work.

What Joomlart should do is this:

Let us say, there are a few common changes (not colors) but really bugs or “desired” modifications to improve the template. Here’s what I do:

If I find bugs or have desired changes that I want done; and, since I install quite a few sites, I make either specific changes to a file or folder. If these changes are best done before the installation, I have what I call, a “corrected” version and that is what I upload.

The ones that are for specific sites only, I have a folder of files that were already with the desired modifications. And, upload the files that are pertinent to each site.

Basically, to avoid, technically-challenged users. these corrected files must be compiled in a certain place, accessible to members. A list of these corrections and a description is made, and under each the link for the corrected file included.

For example:

Joomla 1.5x: JA Teline II

1. Hot topic module
Problem: Title is blue in dark background (not very readable)
Solution: Change the color to white
Corrected file: include corrected link here
Route: : this route will be a cryptic presentation of the path that leads to the directory that must be accessed.

2. JA News Article Titles:
Problem: : Article titles are not bold
Solution: : Change to bold
Corrected file: include corrected link here
Route: : this route will be a cryptic presentation of the path that leads to the directory that must be accessed.

etc.
etc.

They can be grouped for easier intuitive searching. I think the above is almost “idiot” proof. And, the database is easy to build, once a system is in place.

The beauty of the above is that a few members who have encountered the same problems were willing to share the solution that they found to other members. If the above database is in place, they could just point out to the specific fix. This beats going through the forum, or reading through some irrelevant responses — like the ones I post sometimes 🙂 that may confuse (causing the delay in time) the usr.

[QUOTE=Menalto;63162
When people get a problem with something in a template, it can be 5 different ways to solve them on.
Some is a pure hack, a work around, redo the code etc.
As i said before, the template is buildt as it is, to work as the specific setup you see on the demo(you can change,replace, move things around, but again…..im not a developer here at JA.</blockquote>

To a certain extent that is true Menalto, but you have to admit that there are cases that are really useful because there might actually a weakness in the architecture of the layout. To take one, the one you solved for Chris. The case where the addiiton of certain banners at the top caused the disappearance of the “tab modules”

What problem did you find? The height for the position is fixed and the solution you did was to make the height more fluid. The same is true with the area user 9 and 9, I think.

So, these options must be made known to the customers because from what I read, sometimes many sees the same thing or perceives the same problem and wanted it changed.

Cornelio

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