Documentation: skins/index.php

skins/index.php - Scan subdirectories for downloadable skins

This page lists all skins that can be downloaded from this server.

Simply speaking, a skin is a straightforward way of changing the visual rendering of your pages.

What is a skin?

A skin is a set of files used by YACS to generate the text that is sent to the end-user.

Any skin should provide a complete set of files with at least:

skin.php - the library of functions used to build items (titles, blocks, etc.)
template.php - the main template used for the final rendering
manifest.php - the skin descriptor

For the skin named myskin, you should put skin.php and template.php in the myskin directory. skin.php will contain the Skin class providing a library of common functions and declarations template.php will be included at the end of the page to produce the actual HTML

All images, style sheets, and other HTML components related to myskin should be located into a sub-directory of the skins directory, e.g., put everything into skins/myskin.

How to select a skin?

If you are an associate, click on the preview image, or on a 'Use this skin' link.

Alternatively, go the main configuration panel at control/configure.php. A list of available skins is displayed. You can select one of them and submit your change.

How to derive a skin?

Since reference skins are part of the YACS core set of files, they may be updated unattended in a future release. Therefore, the best approach is to create a skin on your own, dedicated to your server. You don't have to start from scratch for that. Look at all skins featured at your site, then click on the 'Derive this skin' link. YACS will copy files of the selected skin to a new directory, where you will be able to safely modify everything that has to be modified.

How to remotely change a skin?

For complex situations, it is recommended to access and test all skin files locally. You may install a local copy of YACS for this purpose. Then download skin files to your computer, modify them and test rendering. When the result looks good you will have to upload the entire set of skin files to the server.

For minor changes, we recommend you to use the on-line web form. This little tool allows you to edit remotely any cascaded style sheet, and the main template script.

How to install a new skin?

First, select among available skins at some reference site. You may start at http://www.yetanothercommunity...skins/index.php. On private installations within a large company, the ideal solution is to have a reference server to publish all recommended skins for intranet servers.

Second, create a subdirectory under the 'skins' directory, and name it after the skin name.

Third, download the skin archive from the origin server, and put all files into the skin subdirectory.

Four, go to the main configuration panel at control/configure.php and activate the new skin.

How to describe a skin?

Any skin may be described through a file named 'manifest.php' put into the skin directory. For example, here is an excerpt of skins/acme_marketing/manifest.php:

$skins['skins/sita_marketing'] = array(
    'label_en' => 'The ACME Marketing skin',
    'label_fr' => 'Le style ACME Marketing',
    'description_en' => 'This skin has been build after the original marketing web site.'
        .' To be used only on web servers inside the ACME intranet.',
    'description_fr' => 'Ce style a &eacute;t&eacute; d&eacute;velopp&eacute; d\'apr&egrave;s le site du d&eacute;partement marketing.'
        .' A utiliser seulement sur des serveurs web &agrave; l\'int&eacute;rieur de l\'intranet ACME.',
    'thumbnail' => 'preview.jpg',
    'home_url' => 'http://marketing.acme.info/');

Obviously, manifest.php simple task is to append to a public variable named $skins an array of attributes to describe the skin.

What variables can be used in template.php?

All attributes (x can be changed via skins/configure.php) that can be used throughout template.php are listed below:

$context['page_title'] - the page title
$context['site_name'] x - server name, maybe something like that: 'My little but interesting web server'
$context['site_copyright'] x - usually something like that: '2002-2003, acme'
$context['language'] - 'en' or 'fr', etc.
$context['skin_variant'] - to select among skin variants, if any
$context['site_email'] x - the e-mail address of the web master

Here is the list of attributes (x can be changed via skins/configure.php) that are used specifically into the head part of the page:

$context['site_description'] x - to build the <meta name="description"> field
$context['site_keywords'] x - to build the <meta name="keywords"> field
$context['site_icon'] x - the small icon that may be locked to this page, if not favicon.ico
$context['site_head'] x - to be silently inserted between <head> and </head>

And here are all attributes used only while preparing the body of the output page:

$context['debug'] - for the software developer only - an array of strings to be displayed at the bottom of the page
$context['error'] - an error message to display, if any, usually in the first part of the page
$context['extra'] - additional extra boxes such as comments, sidebars, etc.
$context['page_image'] - the main image of the page, if any
$context['page_menu'] - an array of $url => $label to show available commands (e.g., 'back', 'edit', 'delete', etc.)
$context['path_bar'] - an array of $url => $label to show the stack of pages from home
$context['prefix'] - some page prefix
$context['suffix'] - some page suffix
$context['text'] - the main content of the page

How to design a skin?

If you need some color scheme, go to the excellent on-line tool provided by Wellstyled.

This script is a reference file of this system.

Voir aussi:

Licence: GNU Lesser General Public License

Auteurs:

Bernard Paques bernard.paques@bigfoot.com

Reste à faire:

add a layout_home_articles_as_hardboiled for polars (hardboiled)
add $context['user_menu'] to templates, to allow for user menu overriding