I dream of this super theme with extensive configuration capabilities.
It would be a theme AND an admin module actually, and it would work like a theme generator. You would have color-schemes, layouts, content areas etc.
For instance you would have a configuration of the color-scheme or palette, which would give you a number of choices: select a predefined (ten schemes provided with the theme default), download a shared scheme (via an xml-feed?) from a theme provider site, create your own interactively (perhaps like this: http://www.colorschemer.com/online.html), and perhaps then share them. (Ajax anyone?)
You would have an area in which to layout blocks of content interactively by adding, dragging and dropping (colored) squares in a screen area simulating the browser window. When clicking on a square you would be prompted to ad content - a node, a node type, a taxonomy term etc. These layouts could be shared too - via xml, and there would be a few (10) presets in the default super theme, and you could run a service providing your own layout templates.
There would be no practical limits to where you could put what content, and it would be possible to define areas on your site with a certain layout.
Is anybody else dreaming of such a super theme? I think there could even be a business model in this? I know Drupal is capable of doing some of this. I just think all Drupal users should have a "theme generator" module, and I'd like it to be interactive and Ajax'ed somehow.
Best Gunnar
Gunnar
I like what I read here.
If you manage to get this going, it would be the killer feature that Drupal is waiting for.
If site admins can change colors and layout on the fly with little HTML or CSS knowledge, then the possibilities are infinite!
On 1/2/06, Gunnar Langemark gunnar@langemark.com wrote:
I dream of this super theme with extensive configuration capabilities.
It would be a theme AND an admin module actually, and it would work like a theme generator. You would have color-schemes, layouts, content areas etc.
For instance you would have a configuration of the color-scheme or palette, which would give you a number of choices: select a predefined (ten schemes provided with the theme default), download a shared scheme (via an xml-feed?) from a theme provider site, create your own interactively (perhaps like this: http://www.colorschemer.com/online.html), and perhaps then share them. (Ajax anyone?)
You would have an area in which to layout blocks of content interactively by adding, dragging and dropping (colored) squares in a screen area simulating the browser window. When clicking on a square you would be prompted to ad content - a node, a node type, a taxonomy term etc. These layouts could be shared too - via xml, and there would be a few (10) presets in the default super theme, and you could run a service providing your own layout templates.
There would be no practical limits to where you could put what content, and it would be possible to define areas on your site with a certain layout.
Is anybody else dreaming of such a super theme? I think there could even be a business model in this? I know Drupal is capable of doing some of this. I just think all Drupal users should have a "theme generator" module, and I'd like it to be interactive and Ajax'ed somehow.
Best Gunnar _______________________________________________ themes mailing list themes@drupal.org http://lists.drupal.org/mailman/listinfo/themes
Op maandag 02 januari 2006 22:45, schreef Gunnar Langemark:
Is anybody else dreaming of such a super theme? I think there could even be a business model in this?
Allthough this can be really cool for end-users i see two reasons why its not there, and why it I dont really need it. 1) we, who would make this are developers. We don't need this ourselves. For theme developers, making a CSS file is often easier then clicking around in UIs. 2) once you rolled out a site, and need to publish/move/update/release it, all your theme stuff is in the database. That is hard to maintain. Much harder then when you can use your default tools (editors, RCS, uploads, etc).
Ber
Il giorno mar, 03/01/2006 alle 10.49 +0100, Bèr Kessels ha scritto:
Op maandag 02 januari 2006 22:45, schreef Gunnar Langemark:
Is anybody else dreaming of such a super theme? I think there could even be a business model in this?
Allthough this can be really cool for end-users i see two reasons why its not there, and why it I dont really need it.
- we, who would make this are developers. We don't need this ourselves. For
theme developers, making a CSS file is often easier then clicking around in UIs. 2) once you rolled out a site, and need to publish/move/update/release it, all your theme stuff is in the database. That is hard to maintain. Much harder then when you can use your default tools (editors, RCS, uploads, etc).
Ber
It could be simpler, end-user oriented: you would be able to define and choose colors schemes (just say five colours), and choose among a given set of standard layouts (one column, two column, etc.).
This way I guess it could be implemented with simple system variables.
Egon Bianchet wrote:
It could be simpler, end-user oriented: you would be able to define and choose colors schemes (just say five colours)
Just to add a further negative to this idea - most users have no design sense and no taste. Giving them control of layout and colour is mostly going to result in sites with bad designs and bad usability (lack of contrast between colours etc).
Yes, you can come up with a restricted set of things they can change, but you're not only making you theme creation job harder, you're also removing most of the reason for doing it in the first place.
Good designs are created by good designers. Great designs are also targeted to a specific purpose. Trying to create these über themes that do everything for everybody will force you to do lowest common denominator design, and at best you'll end up with capable mediocrity.
Adrian
I appreciate your point and it is well take and valid.
However, what about freedom? If someone WANTS their site to be obnoxious or do not care because they are a techie, then they should be able to do that.
It is their site after all, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I see tremendous value in this "theme generator/customizer" module. Drupal sites will all of a sudden start looking unique with little effort.
On 1/5/06, Adrian Simmons adrinux@gmail.com wrote:
Egon Bianchet wrote:
It could be simpler, end-user oriented: you would be able to define and choose colors schemes (just say five colours)
Just to add a further negative to this idea - most users have no design sense and no taste. Giving them control of layout and colour is mostly going to result in sites with bad designs and bad usability (lack of contrast between colours etc).
Op donderdag 05 januari 2006 15:18, schreef Khalid B:
However, what about freedom? If someone WANTS their site to be obnoxious or do not care because they are a techie, then they should be able to do that.
In that case, you will have to narrow the term "theme" a lot. I developed argeebee for a client who wanted a cheap way to allow a huge amount of styles (which is not a theme).
But the theme, the basis, what shows where and how, is the theme. I spent a lot of time on that. I am very sure that you will not be able to catch this power in an admin interface. You will get stuck in an enormous amount of inconsistent *1 settings and options.
A style, the colors and some basic things like a logo, is easy to manage, online, but anything beyond that, is far too technical and hard to had over to the Joe Averages of your site.
Bèr
*1 Search results still show the username and posted dates even if you unselect that in the theme. Its a bug, but this happens a lot. Its an example, one of many.
I see your points. It makes sense. It is a cool toy, but once you have decided on your design, it is over.
Gunnar
Bèr Kessels wrote:
Op maandag 02 januari 2006 22:45, schreef Gunnar Langemark:
Is anybody else dreaming of such a super theme? I think there could even be a business model in this?
Allthough this can be really cool for end-users i see two reasons why its not there, and why it I dont really need it.
- we, who would make this are developers. We don't need this ourselves. For
theme developers, making a CSS file is often easier then clicking around in UIs. 2) once you rolled out a site, and need to publish/move/update/release it, all your theme stuff is in the database. That is hard to maintain. Much harder then when you can use your default tools (editors, RCS, uploads, etc).
Ber _______________________________________________ themes mailing list themes@drupal.org http://lists.drupal.org/mailman/listinfo/themes
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Adrian Simmons -
Bèr Kessels -
Egon Bianchet -
Gunnar Langemark -
Khalid B