Guest Posted February 17, 2004 Posted February 17, 2004 Hello All, This is my first e-commerce. I have had some experience making a various types of pages based in HTML XML and DHTML but am not very advanced in PHP. I have a question for the contrib experts out there: If I use layers to layout my site, which template contrib is best? STS or BTS? What kind/how many layers you ask? Just two. One for the header and one for the body. The entire "store" area will be in the body in the same sort of three column format that is in the default osC store. The header layer is right above it, not overlapping but lined up with the background image. Not very complicated BUT: I would like to stick the ACCOUNT, CART, CHECKOUT in the header layer and am wondering if there will be any problems with those elements... I would like to use the STS, as it is a simple HTML page that I have no problems working with, but I understand from reading various other posts that BTS is more flexible once you get used to it. Any comments/suggestions? Cheers, R Quote
DiamondSea Posted February 17, 2004 Posted February 17, 2004 BTS and STS do two completely different things. Short Version: BTS for programmers, STS for designers. Long Version: BTS doesn't really change the OSC code, but it move all the display code into separate files from the "logic" code to make it easier for a programmer to modify HOW osc displays things. BTS is great if you want to modify osc functionality yourself, but it can also make it difficult to add on contributions because the code you would compare to when adding the changes has now been split into two different files, the "logic" files and the "display" files. STS makes a some small changes to the application_top/bottom and column_left/right scripts to capture their output, which then allows STS to map that output into $variables that you can place on your HTML template page. You can't change WHAT osc displays with STS, but you can control WHERE it displays it, and put a simple "wrapper" around your $content area to make it look the way you want to. Bottom line: They're both great packages, but have different uses. This help? - Brian I hope this makes some kind of sense to you. Quote Simple Template System (STS) Layout your site with 1 (or more) HTML file! Download STS: http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1524 Support: http://www.oscommerce.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=58541
Guest Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Very informative Brian. Since I am concerned with layout I guess STS is it for me... but I am wondering if, in the STS HTML file, is it possible to use layers? And insert the $variables into table within the layers? Maybe I should email the STS people about this... Thanks again. Rusyn Quote
Guest Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Cheers!! I realized that you were the STS people when I looked at the template after the install. I saw the homepage link in the bottom right. As far as the layers are concerned I plan on sticking the entire body in one layer, and the logo in another. If I do this in the sts_template it shouldn't interfere with the PHP includes, which don't contain layers.... Sorry I am kinda talking to myself here. Anwyays, it doesn't look like I need a header. When I tried to delete it from the template nothing changed at all. In fact, I don't think I have "activated" the STS or something. After installing I copied the files and put it up, but no effect it seems. Take a look: http://www.stratus11.com/catalog/includes/sts_template.html Quote
DiamondSea Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Cheers!! I realized that you were the STS people when I looked at the template after the install. I saw the homepage link in the bottom right. As far as the layers are concerned I plan on sticking the entire body in one layer, and the logo in another. If I do this in the sts_template it shouldn't interfere with the PHP includes, which don't contain layers.... Sorry I am kinda talking to myself here. Anwyays, it doesn't look like I need a header. When I tried to delete it from the template nothing changed at all. In fact, I don't think I have "activated" the STS or something. After installing I copied the files and put it up, but no effect it seems. Take a look: http://www.stratus11.com/catalog/includes/sts_template.html Your template file looks fine, but it doesn't look like STS is installed correctly. Maybe you didn't replace the application_bottom.php file with the one from the STS zip file? Try copying all the STS files into place again and see if that helps. Basically, you can do anything you want in the HTML. The template file(s) don't affect the php scripts at all. - Brian Quote Simple Template System (STS) Layout your site with 1 (or more) HTML file! Download STS: http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1524 Support: http://www.oscommerce.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=58541
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