How to create a 12 column layout.

This is for mjk3r who had a few questions.

What I'd like to have is:
- work with 12-column grid layout
- to get 12-column grid image loaded into page layout in debugging mode (instead of 16-column grid image)
- have the HTML code output for 12-column instead of 16-column

How it would/could be in ideal scenario?
- in theme configuration UI user would have options:
*to use 12/16/24/12+16
*to load corresponding "X-column grid image" in debugging mode

What I understood from your replies:
- its not possible in current version(s)
- not sure if it will ever be available through UI

As for now - I would still accomplish the few little things mentioned at the beginning of this message.

Questions:
1. How to get HTML code output for 12-column layout? Is it so that the only way would be through modifying page.tpl.php? It can not be done through settings in ".info" file - right?

2. How to get 12-column layout image loaded in debugging mode? I mean it must be possible - there is an image "12_col.gif" in /images/ folder. So how to upload it? Other than renaming image files (I mean really?!). There must be sensible solution...

thank you in advance and have a most wonderful day...

Although it's possible to setup a page.tpl.php template to handle multiple column layouts programmatically, I don't think it is practical. When working within a grid framework like 960.gs there is an expectation to dig into the html source and change it so it aligns itself cleanly to the grid. The idea of not touching your markup like CSS Zen Garden doesn't apply here unless you want a very generic site.

What I can do is have an example 12 and 24 column layout in addition to the current 16 for themers to copy and get a jump start on. I think I'll do that, thanks for the idea.

For the debugging mode, it already handles all the containers and nothing needs to be changed to have it work with your 12 column layout. Just turn it on with this in your .info file:

settings[ns_columns_debug] = 1

I do plan on providing a UI to change which grid style to include (ver2?) but switching HTML containers doesn't make sense for what is supposed to be a framework to build upon. This theme never was about creating your site through the UI. As I mentioned before, you build on it by changing the source html. There would be little point in writing code to switch layouts when most themes will have their own versions of the page template. There are other complicating factors to this but I would have to give a very long winded answer and I don't even want to think about it. It would be a big headache. :)

For now, select the style you want. The default includes the 12 and 16 columns but there are 4 options.

960.css (default)

12 + 16 columns

960-12-col.css (smaller file size, gets rid of 16 columns styles)

12 columns

960-16-col.css (smaller file size, gets rid of 12 columns styles)

16 columns

960-24-col.css (lot more granular, encompasses the other two but probably overkill for most site)

24 columns

To choose, add this to your .info file:

; Valid values: 12+16, 12, 16 or 24
settings[ns_columns_select] = 12

After that, download the page.tpl.php I attached with this post. It's made for 12 columns. Place it in your subtheme and hack away.

I highly recommend the presentations given by Todd Nienkerk. Just google his name and NineSixty. Also checkout the links within the README.txt.

Good luck.