Re: GUIDE: How to customize the default templates [SOLVED]

[Charmie]

Hi,

I am completely new to all this.
I have just installed CMS Made Simple for my church website, which is growing too large to be a static website any more and am hoping to create a new layout design.

I am very good at both HTML and CSS, though I am a little old fashioned as I tend to create all my websites with tables, so the tag is a bit new for me, but I am begining to understand the principles of them.

I am having a bit of trouble, I created a page design/layout using pure CSS and tags and want to use this as my template.
How do I go about doing this?
Also how do I know where to put all the tags, that will fill in with information, ie content, tittle etc...?

I have uploaded my .html file which I re-named .tpl and added the css to go with it.

This is very frustrating as I have not been able to find sample templates that I can modify or work back from, can anyone tell me how to do this or where to get them from?
I tried downloading the themes off of the CMC Made Simple web site, but these were .xml files and I am unsure what to do with these.
Also how do I associate my css to the template and also select the correct navigation type?

Sorry for a lot of questions in my first post, but have tried everything and am stuck.

Hope someone can help,
Charmie

PS

I am adding a link to the page on my site where I have uploaded the theme to:
http://www.christchurchnorthfinchley.co ... l-template

As you can see it says 'page=minimal-template' even though I set this to be 'design1'

Also this is the tag I entered so that it would use the correct navigation:
{cms_module module='menumanager' template='simple_navigation.tpl'}

[Dr.CSS]

If you have gone to the theme site and downloaded a theme you may want to read this page...

http://themes.cmsmadesimple.org/Download_Themes.html

As far as using div/css you may want to read up here...

http://www.w3schools.com/default.asp

If all else fails you can contact me and we can see about getting you fixed up...

[fredp]

...
I am having a bit of trouble, I created a page design/layout using pure CSS and tags and want to use this as my template.
How do I go about doing this?
Also how do I know where to put all the tags, that will fill in with information, ie content, tittle etc...?

I have uploaded my .html file which I re-named .tpl and added the css to go with it.

Hi,

I'm not a CMSMS expert, but here are a few things I've found helpful:
1) Did you know you can enter your template directly into the CMSMS database instead of uploading it as a file? This makes it easier to fine tune the template during development. 

Login to the admin console, select the 'Layout » Templates' menu item and then click the 'Add New Template' button.  Fill in the page and click 'Submit'.

2) For menu templates, you can "import" (copy) a file template into the database for your own use.  You might import a copy of each of the file templates available and see which one best suits your needs.

Go to 'Layout » Menu Manager' and click on the 'File Templates' tab.  This should show you a list of available (file) menu templates.  Import a copy of one of them by clicking on the "Import" icon to the far right of the template's name.  Then you'll be asked to name your new template.  Enter a name, but don't include a .tpl extension  (i.e.,  "foo" not "foo.tpl").  Click 'Submit'.  This should send you back to the 'Database Templates' tab.  Click on the name of the menu template that you just created.  From here, you can modify the template's code as you see fit.

Note: invoke your database template using the same name you gave it at import (again, no .tpl extension):
   e.g.:     {cms_module module='menumanager' template='foo'}

3) When you installed CMSMS, did you select the option to install the sample content and templates?   If not, you might consider installing a separate copy of CMSMS, including the sample content+templates, and use that as a "reference".  For example, I installed a copy of CMSMS on my laptop, where I can refer to the examples as needed.

Hope this helps,
Fred P.

[Charmie]

Done all that...and it worked brilliantly...thanks loads for the tips......