How to change the look?

[vxt]

I want to edit index.php and play with the look of my blog.

Is there any way to do it visually in Dreamweaver or any other editor? How do you all do it? Or must I learn php?

I tried to have Dreamweaver open the file from server and use the server to render it visually for editing. I couldn't make it do so, don't even know if thats possible. I'm lost! :confused: Please tell me how I can do it!

[ranko]

"the look" is controlled by the css (usually "style.css") and html files ("image_template.html, " "browse_template.html," etc.) in the folder of your chosen template--no need to know php. as i understand it, the index.php simply renders the information from your pixelpost database as dictated by the those files (someone correct me if this is wrong).

not familiar with dreamweaver, but i imagine it would work for the css and template files--though i've read that it tends to write a lot of unnecessary and redundant code, and redundant code. and unnecessary code.

if there's a way to render the templates visually while editing, i'd like to know, too--with the text editor i use i can't see the changes i've made until i've uploaded them to the server.

anyway hope that helps..

[blinking8s]

vxt:
dreamweaver, mx2004 and before does a horrible job of rendering css/xhtml. You will need to at least get a grasp of xhmlt/css to make a custom template really cool. Its not too hard and thats why we have a template/design/front-end-code area of our forum...to help you learn...there are many resources there

ranko:
what you can do is install a server on your computer, its pretty easy to do, especially if you use OSX, but once its installed you have php/mysql running locally for a dev/testing enviroment. You can then save your changes and refresh your browser, which would be pointed to http://localhost/whatever...

I'm not familiar with server stuff for pc anymore, I have used a all in one package for the last few years http://www.firepages.com.au/


*edit* ranko, you dont have to edit your post for spelling and grammar, they make us forum junkies read fluent typo ;)

[vxt]

Oh now I see the templates and styles in different folders. That is great. Thanks guys! Well I know htmls and css well enough to change the look now.

Now I have to figure out how to have the comments show on the main page. Thats going to be tough I think.

... and yeah Dreamweaver adds a lot of junk I know. So its great that I dont have to use it. :)

[blinking8s]

just make sure you read the tags.txt file in the docs folder, that's all you will need besides an editor and some code skills

if you have any questsions about your template, please post in the front-end code area of the forum

[vxt]

I'm gonna try posting here instead of making a thread.

I'm having this problem now with the comments section. Say, i write a comment and press Enter twice to make a new paragraph. When i post it, the comment shows up with huge space between the two paragraphs.

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/9612/commentsgx9.jpg

Screenshot (http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/9612/commentsgx9.jpg)

Site: www.fstop9.com

I'm quite sure its because the comment text is handled as bullet list items. Is there any way to close this gap up a little and make it look normal?

[Connie]

it would be better to give us a URL

so it would be possible to check your code online and find out what is done how..

a screenshot will not help because it does not show the html and the css divs etc.

http://wiki.pixelpost.org/index.php?title=I_read_about_the_%22webdeveloper_e xtensions%22_in_the_forum_sometimes._What_are_they %3F

read this, than it would be very easy for you to identify the relevant code and to edit it until you get the desired result

[vxt]

ok heres the site www.fstop9.com

You can make comments as you wish and see what happens in the code. this blog is still in development.

[DikkieBurger]

Each enter is two times <br /> so now you have 4 <br /> tags, solution: just hit enter once

[vxt]

Each enter is two times <br /> so now you have 4 <br /> tags, solution: just hit enter once

Hmm, well I can do that but when a visitor is typing a comment they are going to hit enter twice most definitely.

[Connie]

yxt,

first validate your page. You have at least 8 HTML-errors!
http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fstop9.com%2F&charset=%28detect+automatically%29&doctype=Inline&ss=1&verbose=1


after cleaning the code you might start to change the CSS to get rid of that big space between the lines.. :)

[ranko]

actually i think what vxt is referring to might be an issue with index.php, not CSS, as discussed over in this thread:

http://forum.pixelpost.org/showthread.php?t=4455

(of course i could be wrong.) i'm experiencing this same behavior with my comments (have yet to upgrade from 1.5RC1, don't know if it was fixed in the final 1.5) but it doesn't really bother me that much, i just edit the comment(s) in the admin. or not.

@blinking8s: thanks for the tip! i'm on a PC though--checked out firepages.com.au but they lost me at hello :) for now i think i'll just stick with the system i have going--i have a second pixelpost installation set up in another directory where i test the changes. might look into it when i have a bit more free time..

[vxt]

Thanks Connie, boy! had no idea i made so many errors.

ranco: I have 1.5 final, and its still happening. I'm quite sure its because the text is treated as list items.

[ranko]

did you take a look at the thread i linked? the guy says he was able to solve the problem by editing his index.php

[blinking8s]

i think its an issue inside markdown system used for comments with pixelpost...its been adjusted several times before...there should be fixes in similar threads int he forum.

It's added to the investigate/to-do list for 1.5.1 though.

[vxt]

Yeah, you're the man ranco. Sometimes its hard to find things in forum because you search for different words than others used for the same situation.

Thank you for finding it for me! It totally solved the problem. This thing was so disappointing. Now I can go and finish up the design.

BTW, how did you do the comment sliding open thing on your blog? I wanted to do that originally. But dont know how to. Your photos are really amazing too. Going to watch it.


blinking8s: the code changed above really fixes it, but dont know what other damage it may be doing. hopefully none

[ranko]

@vxt: no problem, glad i could be of help. was following that other thread too, that's why i remembered it.

the comment sliding thing is moo.fx (http://moofx.mad4milk.net/).

thanks for dropping by!

[vxt]

Thanks!

[Dennis]

by the way, you have seriious issues under firefox... none of the images show up.

Nor the big one as the ones in the category.

[Connie]

schonhose,

did you point to www.fstop9.com ?
I can open that in firefox and get all images, thumbs + originals ...

[jgrayson]

what you can do is install a server on your computer, its pretty easy to do, especially if you use OSX, but once its installed you have php/mysql running locally for a dev/testing enviroment. You can then save your changes and refresh your browser, which would be pointed to http://localhost/whatever...

blinking8s,

could you tell me how to install a server (php/mysql) on my mac? i've been wanting to do this for some time now for testing but haven't gotten around to it.

thanks

[Connie]

is there no XAMPP for MAC?

Look for apachefriends.org
we here at PP cannot support the whole world ;=)

[RAitch]

I got XAMPP working on my portable hard drive so I can take my web design wherever I go.
With Apache and MySQL running you're able to install PP locally as if it was on the net. Then making changes only requires a save to update. Then just browse to 127.0.0.1/pixelpost and you're rockin'.

You should be able to set that up very easy... and can even run it off of a thumb drive. It works for the PC... so I'm guessing the Apple shouldn't be a problem either.