[support] HTML template with drupal in background

[inkfree press]

"Mil Imon" wrote:


> No No, directness helps a lot.

Taking you at your word...here are some direct thoughts...


> I'm the project manager for a large website.

Okay. :-|

> I've been hired to take over for a contract that is 3 months overdue. The
> programmer chose drupal and has a substantial but not-functional site
> designed. The owner wants to use the design, but doesn't like drupal's layout
> which is more suited for blogs than a commercial venue.

That's an opinion which is, I think, flawed. Since you've inherited the
project, perhaps your understanding of the range of Drupal's capabilities is
a bit more narrow than it needs to be.

> I offered to copy the
> drupal layout into HTML pages and solve the infamous drupal screen resizing
> problems.

"infamous drupal screen resizing problems"?  That's the first I've heard of
this, so I would really conclude that "infamous" is the wrong word (besides
actually _being_ the wrong word in other ways as well. ;)

Any "screen resizing problems" are related to HTML + CSS and not to Drupal,
which is a PHP content engine.


> This also allows us to walk-around drupal on its other limitations
> such as custom templates not fitting standard modules.

"Custom" and "standard" should be flags for you.  Something that is "custom"
would have its own set of responsibilities and would not be considered a
limitation of Drupal.

> The problems getting
> drupal to output back IN to the HTML. I've no problem submitting the data
> correctly, but drupal always "wants" to output a full html page when all I
> want it to do is give me back the SQL data and some content.
> 
> When I use a FORM action I can direct drupal to another page, but this only
> works haphazardly, and I'd like a more seemless interaction with drupal NOT
> handling the HTML!

Er?  Yeah, I would guess that using a CMS to do nothing but dig for SQL
queries is a bit of overkill.  If you're a web programmer, then perhaps you
should be focusing on PHP and not on Drupal, per se.

That really might be the best course for you right now, since you
essentially are saying that you would like to use Drupal's PHP code but not
have it display anything to the view port (browser, etc.)

> The drupal programmer went on VACATION with the contract still unfilled and
> now four months overdue.

Hmm.  Okay, it's either 3 months overdue, or 4 months.

> We are paying 250.00 a day in site expenses until I
> can solve this problem, allowing us to terminate the contract and apply for
> remunerations.

Sounds like you need:

a) a much better hosting plan (no site that I've ever heard of costs that
amount or there simply would not be a "web".)

b) some legal advice, as it reads here like you're not only "contracted" to
finish the site but also somehow involved now in "remunerations" [which
should not even be on your radar]

c) lots of reading about Drupal, because apparently this just isn't the
software for you [Drupal runs _many_ commercial web sites and is not a "blog
engine", so your understanding of this software is already just a bit
skewed].


I can solve your $250 per day problem right now.  Email me and I'll drop
your costs to about $0.07 per day.  How's that for earning your keep with
your new "client"...you'll be the hero for many months to come.

(Of course, I could just drop your costs to, say, $100 per day and then
you'll still be hero and I can be even more happy that with the $0.07
arrangement I suggested.)


All in all:  I think your post is really not a question at all, but a kind
of "dig" intended to rattle the cage and make you feel like someone else can
solve your problem.

Lookit:  If you can't handle the Drupal stuff, then you've only compounded
the problem and you will not be helpful to this "client" who pays exorbitant
rates for a web site.

But, that's just my opinion.

Perhaps the Support list is better for you than the Developers list.
(That's a real suggestion, since I think you need a more basic entrée into
the workings of Drupal.)

Over and out.