I chose the name Giftwrap because, no matter how beautifully it may be packaged, the appeal of Textpattern is the program itself. Iit's what's on the inside that counts (I just made my Mother unimaginably happy). When you choose a content management system, you should base your decision on the platform's power, flexibility, ease of use, security and compatibility. It's my opinion that Textpattern leads the field in all of these categories (and many more).
Everything you need to install Giftwrap can be accessed through this tutorial. In fact, you'll only need your FTP program and two web browser sessions to complete this installation: one browser session with the tutorial in it, the other logged in to your Textpattern installation.
One of the most common requests I've heard from the TXP community is for better documentation on templates. There seems to be some confusion/frustration about how the templates work, how to alter them and how to install them.
I've spent some time on this tutorial (no, I'm not asking for the obligatory donation). I wanted this baby to be thorough and I hoped it would answer most questions. If you see an error or can think of an excellent addition, e-mail me at giftwrap@piggydidit.com.
For advanced users, this baby is built using Travis' handy little scroller java scroller type thingy. Each portion of the installation is anchored so you can easily scroll past sections you're familiar with. You can scroll like normal or choose a link above and watch the page scroll for you.
If you use the linked navigation, the active section of the tutorial should have a white background, parts you haven't reviewed yet will have a light gray background and completed portions will have a dark gray background.
Right now, Giftwrap is in it's initial beta release -- Version .0001 -- with updates to follow. I'll roll out the new stuff as it becomes available. You can track the progress of this prohect at http://www.piggydidit.com/giftwrap/.
I've been asked why I decided on the version number .00001. Well, because it seemed correct. While I am proud of the current status, there's no way that this early phase in development merits an actual whole-numeral identifier but, over time, we'll get there. Coming soon: Giftwrap version .00002!
This theme uses several plugins and I give credit to the authors below but I've also incorporated icons by graphicPUSH and FamFamFam. Muchos gracias my friends.
I will continue working on Giftwrap as long as there are people interested and time (?) allows. I can't promise a monthly update for the next 30 years and wouldn't it kill the "livin-on-the-edge" vibe we're starting here if I did anyway? The truth is that I like this project. It's challenging and it's a good stress reliever. When that changes, I will release the final version and skip on down the road of life.
Yes. In most cases, the answer is yes. You can change things, delete things, help, contribute, add things or redistribute. Pretty much, no matter the question, the answer is yes. For more info, see the FAQ section.
For the easily offended, I've used the word "bitches" one time in this tutorial, in a rather obscure place. I apologize in advance for any hurt feelings; it's all in good fun. The template it "bitches" free. He he.
Back to top
Once you've done this, you're ready to begin the installtion portion. Could you be more excited? It's doubtful!
Back to top
NOTE: These plugins remain the property of their creator/owner/copyright holder. I am in no way affiliated with the plugin authors.
Why am I altering the style?
A cascading style sheet, or CSS, determines the look and feel of your website. It's basically a list of preferences that tells the user's browser how you want the page to appear. What fonts to use, what color you want the links to be -- all of that is contained in your style sheet.
There are many style elements, or classes, that are specific to the Giftwrap theme. In order for the site to render properly, we need to properly install the style sheet.
What is a form?
A form is pretty much just as it sounds -- it's a bit of formatting that dictates how certain data will display. For this theme to work, we have to change the default forms that come with Textpattern and add a couple of our own.
Why the heck do I need to alter the pages?
That's a super question, my good fellow. Up above, we added a bunch of pretty new styles into your site. Now we need to tell Textpattern when to use those styles and how we want the pages to look when they are pulled.
Textpattern stores all of your information in one central database. When someone clicks a link and tells Textpattern they want to look at a certain article, Textpattern will use the style, page and forms we specify to pull the data out of the database and display it for the user. Make sense?
This is a good point to take a break. Go grab a snack or catch a few minutes of Grey's Anatomy (shamless fanboy plug).
Back to topThat's pretty much it. You don't have to configure the plugins, add style information or insert meta -- all we had to do was configure your Textpattern setup and install a few extras to extend TXP's functionality.
If you have any questions, please refer to the FAQ section before e-mailing me. Many questions can be answered by visiting this page.
Design, images and tutorial copyright Ryan Arrowsmith.
I assume no responsibility for lost data or improperly installed sites/themes. Using this theme is a choice. If you make that choice, you are fully responsible for the outcome.