Altering templates

[freshpurple]

I've been browsing these forums for a while now, in preparation for setting up our e-commerce site and it's been very useful in learning about the different packages on offer.

One question I had was, assuming we go with one of the open-source carts there (I'm quite keen on Magento as having most of the features we would want "out of the box"), how easy is it to maintain the site after the initial design is done?

Specifically, if say, we wanted to alter the template, add in payment options or revamp product lines, how difficult would this be to do ourselves, or would it be a case of going back to the web designer?

I can do some basic html/css coding and would be comfortable learning more. However our budget is such that simple changes would probably have to be done in house, or not at all!

Many thanks,
Michael

[DesignsOnline]

Whether or not you could do this yourself depends on your own ability. If you have the skills and familiarity to edit the PSD template files in Adobe Photoshop and then apply those changes to the html or ASP or PHP files for your website then you can edit the design yourself.

The same applies to the adding in of features, if you can understand and edit the programming language used in the cart (CFML, JSP, VB, ASP, ASPX, or PHP or whatever language the cart was written in) then you can add these features yourself. Failing that (and due to the fact that you needed to ask the question I suspect this is the case.) you would need to go back to the web designer you used and get them to make the modifications for you.

Having said that, if you just wish to add additional payment gateways, sometimes the backend management system has the facility built in to allow you to do that.

Warm Regards,
Joe

[mke]

You're grossly overcomplicating the issue, Joe, with respect. OS carts, at least the best known ones, are PHP/MySQL driven and all have reasonably user friendly site management interfaces. Adding and altering products and product categories can easily be achieved within that interface.

I don't know too much about Magento, Michael, but you can certainly alter the template and maintain the site reasonably easily without technical knowledge using ZenCart or osCommerce. Magento is rapidly building itself a very good reputation, so I would guess it's the case there, too. Adding options and modules can also be done. FTP access is needed to upload. Follow the intructions in the README and INSTALL files which come with each package.

[DesignsOnline]

Specifically, if say, we wanted to alter the template, add in payment options or revamp product lines

I wasnt refering to simply using the options already in the content management system, but more to changing the actual template's design, than uploading a changed design or altering features in the Ecommerce website that are not offered through the content management system.

Anything that the CMS offers the admin can learn to do themselves. But the CMS wont change the design for you, it likely simply allows you to apply the changes someone has designed. Also if you require a feature that is not offered through the CMS you are going to have to dive in to the actual code of the system to add it in.

This is what I was referring to.
Warm Regards,
Joe

[NuBlue]

Hi Michael,


We use Magento a lot and I think you will find it ok for most day to day tasks. The templating system in Magento is not the simplest so I would recommend getting someone to make those changes for you, but with regard to product management, gateways etc.. the control panel allows these things to be changed easily and the community on www.magentocommerce.com has plenty of people who would be willing to help you out.

P.S We're a Magento partner if you need any help getting set up (hosting or development)

[mke]

In the two options I referred to, Joe, ZC and osC, it is very easy to change, modify, update or with patience even build from scratch a template. No technical skills required, just FTP access.

Not knocking your otherwise helpful posts, just a couple of points on software I have let non-technical customers loose on with confidence and a clear conscience.

[FireFleur]

If you want to change the design then you will probably have to delve into the code.

Most PHP based sites, haven't really cottoned onto the idea of templates quite yet, and tend to slam in include files willy nilly, even though Pear (http://pear.php.net/) and PHPLib (http://phplib.sourceforge.net/) have been around for quite sometime.

So, to get to the HTML you normally have to wade through PHP code.

CSS can be embedded in HTML and of course JavaScript can manipulate the DOM. So, it can be very awkward to alter a design unless you are familiar with these thing, but it can be made a lot simpler by the designer if they keep content separate from business logic, and keep style separate from markup.

But, if you just want to change a bit of text, perhaps add an image then set the widht and height, you can scan your eyes through for those small nuggets and flip them.

FTP, much like Telnet is insecure, get the designer to show you how to use putty and ssh for scp or sftp, if they don't know how, then charitably give them some time to learn, or run :)

[Bradley]

Hi Michael,

I think I have quite a reasonable solution to you requirement....

We are Kent based company, I had gone to what you have been looking for, we are design & web development company with hugely talented pool of development in e-commerce, shopping carts etc. We would be happy to recommend you to use either Magento...however what are thoughts on other open source like OS-Commerce, X-Cart or Zen-Cart etc?

Is there a way we can help you in offering you a solution?

Do let me know if you have brief where we can discuss it over.....!!!

We work with competitive & affordable pricing!!

Look forward to hearing you soon!

Is there a number where I can reach you or online chat messengers that you use?

Regards,
Bradley

Chilliapple Ltd

[mke]

PHP based sites, haven't really cottoned onto the idea of templates quite yet With ZC, at least, as with Drupal and Joomla, termplates are in a separate directory, each with its own set of css files. Business and presentation logic are entirely separate for all practical purposes. I've seen people go into the core structures to make changes, but there are much easier ways to do it.

[freshpurple]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, definitely the case that if we need to do any back-end coding then I'm going to have to call someone in. I would have hoped though that by using a reasonably established open-source cart and, at least initially, sticking with its core functionality that I could avoid the need for this to any great extent.

With ZC, at least, as with Drupal and Joomla, termplates are in a separate directory, each with its own set of css files. Business and presentation logic are entirely separate for all practical purposes. I've seen people go into the core structures to make changes, but there are much easier ways to do it.

Ah good, this was my understanding of how templates should work in most carts as well. So that sounds more like the kind of thing I could consider doing myself.

I think that what we're going to do is first look for hosting, have a fiddle, see just how badly I can mess things up myself :D and then call in the experts to start from a clean install (but at least I'll have a better idea of how things work this way). Our timetable allows for a couple of months before we need to be up and running anyway!