more flexible templates and XHTML format

empoweri

empoweri

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Joined
Feb 15, 2005
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Location
New York
The skins while allow us to customize many parts of the control panel, there are items like tables that are stuck conforming to DA layout and column order. (I'm not talking about using stylesheets, which we have used to change a table's look)

I would like DA to have some loop logic (like PHP's smarty) that can support customization of tables. In some cases we want to remove columns from the table but cannot because of the limitation. One example is we don't want customers to use the registry download for Email accounts using outlook. We find it too confusing and wish to remove it from the table listing but can't because the table is template block.

Also we've converted the skins to match our web site and made it into XHTML format. A bunch of the HTML is not correct. Ideally you should be using XHTML to support current and future standards. This also would make it easier for us to modify the control panel's look with less HTML changes required.
 
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xhtml is all fine and good, but using it is not a neccessity and will not be for several more years. By then DirectAdmin will probably have a new default design which can conform to any new standards. However my personal opinion on the matter is xhtml is just hype at the moment just like html 4 was over previous versions. Eventually we'll get there, but it ain't gonna happen overnight.
Currently I can't see any advantages of using xhtml over html 4.01 at the moment, of course I haven't made any of my own skins...

A more pressing matter that needs to be dealt with is a complete template system where nothing is hardcoded as the main tables you mentioned are. Once that happens then the skin designer can make the decision on the desired standard to use.
 
XHTML hype?

For a good example of XHTML check out:

http://www.csszengarden.com/

same XHTML but different CSS. for the skin the same setup could apply. No changing of the HTML would be required to change the skin's appearance. All would be needed is a new stylesheet.
 
xhtml and html 4.01 are fine and dandy it's the html and not seperating code from presentation is the real deal. Doesn't matter which html version you use as long as it's a strict doctype but using stylesheets to outline the actual design would help a lot.
 
+1 for that. This thread was made before 2 years, but it's still very important :) We really need that.
 
Yeah, one more here. A full templating system would be sweet.

John could hire someone to take care of this while he keeps doing his priorities, it's about time. :rolleyes:
 
I vote for this too. It would be great to selectively change what features are displayed in DA, change things like the header image without having to change the skins, change colors, etc. The possibilities would be endless. :)
 
Anyone wants to recreate enhanced skin? :) I'm not a designer, but I can help someone to do this :)
 
jlandes said:
I vote for this too. It would be great to selectively change what features are displayed in DA, change things like the header image without having to change the skins, change colors, etc. The possibilities would be endless. :)
Click to expand...

They could take our DA skin and use it as a basis.
 
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