How does the template override work?

English forums
1

I have tried to understand, how the a.m. topic is technically implemented, but was not really successful…

I have searched the OXID-code for references to “sCustomTheme”, but only found 1 usage in “[B]oxconfig.php[/B]”:

        // Check for custom template
        $sCustomTheme = $this->getConfigParam( 'sCustomTheme' );
        if( !$blAdmin && $sCustomTheme && $sCustomTheme != $sTheme) {
            $sReturn = $this->getDir($sFile, $sDir, $blAdmin, $iLang, $iShopl, $sCustomTheme, $blAbsolute, $blReturnArray);
        }

which does not really explain to me, how it works…

Can anybody help me out here?

2

Hello,

actually the answer is already in pasted code lines.

Most directory getter functions use oxconfig::getDir which takes theme as a parameter.


// see this simplified code
class oxConfig {
    function getDir ($sTheme,...) {
        if($sCustomTheme) {
            $sResult = $this->getDir($sCustomTheme,...);
        }
        //check lang, shop, theme, out levels
        //put to cache
    }
}

To fix smarty internal includes we added function oxUtilsView::_smartyDefaultTemplateHandler as callback for Smarty’s default_template_handler_func, which searches for template using oxConfig::getDir() .

more general information how to use it, was added in release notes http://www.oxid-esales.com/en/news/blog/new-major-version-420-oxid-eshop-released

A Template Override System for an easier design customization maintenance was implemented. A new option sCustomTheme was added to config.inc.php for this reason that you have to fill with the value of your choice, e.g. ‘custom’. Now, make a new directory with the same name (custom) and structure as you know it from basic and copy all of your adapted tpl-files to this location. The shop will now look up if there is an adapted file in your custom folder; if not it will return to the basic folder. This works for included files as well,

Hope it helped.

Alfonsas

3

[QUOTE=alfonsas cirtautas;17705]Hope it helped.[/QUOTE]
Yes, it did.

THX for the info.

4

Just wanted to tell you, that I have converted my template for version 4.2.0 to use the “template override”-feature.

It works like a charm!

I have separated the template like follows:

everything [B]but [/B]

css, button-graphics, box-header-graphics and any graphics specific to a user template, [B]plus[/B] my central structure-definition template “_index.tpl” and my template configuration files

went into the [B]main [/B]template, the a.m. items into the “[B]override[/B]” template…

I also tested overriding one of my “box”-templates (which is necessary now and then if a customer wants a different layout) by copying it into the “override” template-structure, and it [B]really [/B]has taken precedence over the one in the main template!

Very nice indeed!

This feature will help [B]a lot [/B]in getting a better organisation within the template-system, so that you need to maintain the vast majority of the template files for [B]all [/B]your customers’ templates [B]only once[/B]!

But, at the same time, still preserving the necessary flexibility to support [B]any [/B]thinkable designs…

[B]So one big issue for me with OXID templating is resolved![/B]

Technically speaking the underlying template files for our first OXID 4 CE customer shop at http://www.digital-readers.de/ has become [B]my(!)[/B] standard-template now, it has got all the hooks and bells and whistles I will need to create all other shop designs we will do.

From experience with xtcommerce (where I use my own template overriding) typical candidates for overriding will be the css-files, “product.tpl”, “details.tpl” (maybe some “boxes” now and then) and my “[B]_index.tpl[/B]” for defining the overall shop structure.

So you can achieve [B]any [/B]shop design and layout rather elegantly…

And, what is at least as important, it is [B]maintainable [/B]even for a large customer base…

The template overriding is really a big advance.

(As a matter of fact, if it were not supported now in the shop core, I would have done it myself (like in xtcommerce)!)

5

I tried to use this feature, it worked for the templates, but I started getting 404s for images, so there maybe a bug in the path-getter there somewhere.

Sorry to not be more specific here, but I tried it a while ago…

Best,
Achim

PS: Did you NOT have this image problem?

6

[QUOTE=oxal;22545]PS: Did you NOT have this image problem?[/QUOTE]
No, and there is no reason you should have one…

The template, override-template and pictures directories are on the same level.

I.e.: the pictures have nothing to do with the tempate(s) at all.