Need help fine tuning my customization
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OldGuy
Joined: 2004-01-15
Posts: 25 |
Posted: Sat, 2004-01-17 09:49
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I have gallery successfully merged into my site's layout. Actually wasn't hard to do but then my site has a very basic layout. What I want to do now is is pick the nits which I expect will require changing some style sheets and php. I are not a php programer but I might be able to fake it IF I knew where to look and what to look for. So that's what I'm looking for--someone to tell me which files control what, and which routines do what. There are'nt too many changes I want to make. I put together a list of mods. It's at www.oldguy.us/gallerymods.html A link on it will open the gallery in a new window allowing you to view it as you read the list. An unrelated question: is there a config setting I missed that deletes the orig photo after resizing? I don't need the original photos to be retained and prefer not to expend the disk space. |
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Posts: 332
The best thing to do is to ask specific modification questions. It would take many many posts to describe what everything does. You could look at my Visual Tutorial site to get an idea still on v 1.3.3 (In process of updating to 1.4.1 files) but it will give you a general idea of what the files do.
Once you know what mods you want to make a search in this forum may answer many of your questions.
Good Luck!
=)
Jade
Posts: 25
Jade:
Please bear with me. There is a point to this long post but I'm saving it for last.
Agree. That's why I made the list of specific questions. Thought it would be easier to use if I made a link to the questions instead of putting them in the post. Guess not. Probably for the best though, because your post made me go back and look again at your tutorial.
I'd looked at it earlier but was put off because, by it's title, I expected to see some "visuals" (pictures such as b4 & after along with a "here's where you go to do this"). Instead what I saw was confusing. I didn't see a "starting point" much less an A-Z roadmap (which I would expect in a "tutorial."
So I decided to use the eclecticpixels.com tutorial as a guide for making the basic changes needed to fit gallery into my site layout and come back later for and ask for help on the finer details.
Having done that (making changes to some wrappers and getting gallery to actually fit inside my layout) I read your reply and went back to your tutorial. This time, after a little bit of putzing around I finally had an "aha" moment. I realized that a php file is nothing more than an html file with embedded scripting.
So that's where I am now. I understand html and css. As a former (retired) IT guy, even though I don't know the specifics of php, I understand the logic of scripting and can putz around and, using your annotated examples, can most likely make the changes I want with little or no additional support.
I think the point I want to make is best summarized by a post from an newbie in the Sticky: Tutorials for customizing your gallery. READ THIS FIRST thread:
This is a classic example of "what we have here is a failure to communicate." One of the best lines ever from a movie.
From my experience as a newbie I think that an introductory document that gives the "amateur" (no php experience, some html experience) site builder a basic overview and roadmap is needed. This would complement the documents that already exist, not replace them. A "front end" so to speak.
When I finish my customization I think I'll try and write such a roadmap for other beginners. If/when I do this I'll post a link to it here and let ya'll decide if it is in fact a useful contribution.
Anyway, I'm off now to putz around in some php files. Wish me luck.
BTW, I commend you and the other experts who put so much time into writing the tutorials and monitoring this board and responding to us "dont have a clue" newbies.
Posts: 25965
You asked:
This is the box that will allow you to navigate to other pages. It will be required when you add more photos that will span multiple pages. You can however remove the 1 px line from the table with css.
Same as above. You can remove one or the other (there is 2 navigation bars). This will require a bit more effort. It is easyer to just remove the 1 px border around the table with css.
More to follow….
Dave
Posts: 25
Dave:
Thanks. You saved me from making a big mistake. I didn't stop to think that it was there as an additional nav bar for when the number of albums exceeded one page.
Posts: 25965
You asked:
A few ways to do this.
A quick and dirty way would be to use css and change the font color to the same as the background color.
Change the css so that the font is very very small.
Another way is to comment out the relevant code in albums.php. Around line 405 you will see where it all starts:
<span class="fineprint"> <?php /* * <?php echo sprintf(_("Last changed on %s."), $gallery->album->getLastModificationDate() )?> */More to follow…. I type slow and have to look at a few sites. :o Only one small screen and one 4 year old wanting to play....
Dave
Posts: 25965
You asked:
Are you sure? :roll: When you log in as admin that line will get very crowded. If you really want to let me know as it will get a bit involved. You might like it where it is as you add more albums and sub albums…. 8)
Centering it will be easy though. :wink:
More to follow….
Dave
Posts: 25
8) But I'd better take the path of commenting out the code. IfI ever decide to change bg color in the future I'd undoubtedly forget and wind up scratching my head if the text reappeared.
Lucky me. I've got two large screens and no kids swarming around. But I do have a very pushy cat that loves to stand on the desktop between me and the keyboard. He'll get off only if I move my chair back so he can move into my lap and get his ears scratched. Ever try to type one handed?
Checked your site. Your kids are cute!!!! Bet Andrew is a handful.
Posts: 25965
You asked:
This will be affected as you add more albums and pictures. Also look at the navigation.inc file you will be able to change centering their or use css and center the class as you wish. I think we have gotten you started on some customizations and you need to add some more albums to see if some of the mods are really what you want. You will be able to post back here or start another thread if you want. Play for a few hours and see if it moving toward what you are looking for.
Don't forget to save mods you do so you can go back a step or two if you make as many mistakes as I do. :wink:
Cheers,
Dave
Posts: 25
At this time I not very concerned about how admin mode looks. Though I reserve the right to change my mind later.
Once I find out where to make the changes I'll play around until it either looks okay or, if it gets to messy, I'll just go back to the default.
You make a good point though. I'm going to add a bunch more dummy albums so I can see how it could look in the future. Hmmm, I should probably add some nested albums also.
This is good stuff you are making me think about. Thanks!!!!!
Posts: 25965
OldGuy wrote;
We will all look forward to this. Can we hold you to your word? :wink:
Thanks for the comments on the kids. They are a bit of a handfull but well worth the trouble. :wink:
Dave
Posts: 25965
We like to let you learn at your own pace and not hold hands :D
Posts: 25
Save mods? Real programmers don't make backups. :D ....crash/burn/mangle....OMG, two days of work.....NOOOoooooo!
I see you missed my equivocating "if/when" and "I'll try " tags. Guess I should have put my weasal words in bold.
A good policy. Guys (especially us old one's) don't hold hands with other guys. Now, if you were Jade it'd be different :D
Thanks again....I'm outta here!