Theme Manager 2.0

[kendo451]

I've been converting HTML sites and templates to CMSMS for about three years now, and I think this is the most awesome content management system for web designers/developers.  

However, I find that the current theme manager is limited in the area of global content blocks and module templates.

For example, nearly all themes use News or CGBlog, but when you install a theme with current Theme Manager there is no way to make sure the correct News module templates are used.  Since displaying the modules correctly is a key part of the theme, this omission leaves you only the choice of using the default module template in your theme - which is very limiting.

I suggest that Theme Manager 2.0 would allow complete theme import/export if it had the following additional abilities:

- Dependencies - verify that a required module is installed
- Ability to insert module templates in template table when you install the theme.
- Ability to insert global_content_blocks when you install the theme.
- Insert Menu template

With these three abilities I could truly create a theme that produces a turnkey site with a given set of modules.

[kendo451]

Continuing with that thought, the global content blocks and module templates could be name-spaced to prevent conflicts.

Example:

Theme is named: "Big Bucks"

GCB's & Module Templates prefixed with

big_bucks_

Part of the reason I'm asking for this kind of extension to Theme Manager is that I have been talking to Envato Marketplaces to ask them to allow putting CMS Made Simple themes on Themeforest.net.  I think this would greatly raise the profile of our CMS.  But until we have a theme system that allows complete import/export, I don't see that happening.

[Sonya]

I think it is a great idea and I am able to extend the functionality of Theme Manager 2.0. Still I would not like just to fork the project and develop on my own. For the module http://dev.cmsmadesimple.org/projects/thememanager there is no link Request to join.

I will communicate with both developers to see if they can include me in the developer list.

[Dr.CSS]

One problem with putting our themes on any other site for download is someone trying to use them for something other then CMS Made Simple, then you would get all kinds of, How do I use this it has all kinds of weird stuff in it like {menu} etc. or how come it is a .XML file how do I use that...

[kendo451]

One problem with putting our themes on any other site for download is someone trying to use them for something other then CMS Made Simple, then you would get all kinds of, How do I use this it has all kinds of weird stuff in it like {menu} etc. or how come it is a .XML file how do I use that...

I think you are mistaken for several reasons.

First, Envato is a place where the theme designer can sell their templates.  So the person who puts the theme up for sale gets the support questions.

Second, Envato already sells Wordpress Themes, Joomla themes, and HMTL CSS themes.  So the customer base already understands that certain themes are designed to go with a CMS and those cost about double.

Third, this would encourage the creation of new themes for CMSMS.  I wouldn't be putting any of the existing themes on Envato.

And I think we do want to get new users, because we want this community to continue to grow.

[Dr.CSS]

Well for everything else but menu templates, which theme manager exports/imports...

1) Don't think it will ever happen...

2) Do a zip file with the extra templates in it and the XML of the template itself, or include them in the template in comments that they can copy/paste where needed...

3) The same as second choice for module templates, include in the template in comments with appropriate tag all in comments...

[Zoorlat]

kendo, This is a great idea. Would be tremendously helpful for for the idividual programmer / desginer when it comes to backing-up, porting and re-using parts of CMSMS sites.

Sonya, any luck getting in touch with the developers? If not, I would vote for forking into a new project, since the usefullness would be so valuable

[Simon66]

I think this is a great idea.
I've often found that using GCBs as elements in templates gets messy when exporting templates.
Smarty does allow for nested templates, but it doesn't seem to work when the templates are in DB.

Good luck with it, I hope it gets off the ground.

Simon66

[kendo451]

It is in theory a good idea.  I am noticing however, that certain modules, like Comments, do not allow multiple templates.  So, my hope of being able to automatically install a template and allow the end user to switch between templates with theme manager, is not looking so good now.

[Deak]

This kind of talk has come up before and has always met with support. As a Theme builder myself, I would love to see this happen.

Don't underestimate how much good Themes help increase the popularity of a CMS -- give us something better to work with and we'll build pretty stuff.

[Sonya]

I will communicate with both developers to see if they can include me in the developer list.

Now, 2 weeks later, I did not get any answer from the developers. It seems like I have to fork the core module. I have created a new project and now wait for approvement.

[kendo451]

Regarding my earlier post, Calguy forked CGFeedback off of Comments so as not to break sites already using comments.  The CGFeedback module uses multiple templates and work well with what I've suggested here.

So, has there been any progress on this?  Anything I can do to help?

Thanks,
Ken