Hello and thanks for your work.

I'm trying to use this theme for a project I just started and must say I'm a bit confused.

I usually use the Zen theme with subthemes, and never used a grid system, which is a lack I intend to cure now.

I hope many of the questions below come from this, and would be really happy if it was the case.

1) Regions

Maybe I'm missing the obvious, but I saw that there is no region parameters in the info file. Does it mean the theme doesn't use it ?

If it's the case, I would say it's a big problem as it's a central concept in the Drupal theming system.

Perhaps I need to be enlightened and read a good doc to learn how to compensate this.

2) Subthemes

The docs say I should proceed as for a Zen subtheme, a process I'm quiet familiar with.

But fluidgrid is very different from Zen : no node.tpl.php, page.tpl.php contains sidebars classes, but the default styles don't place it well (both are at the right of the content div).

I know I can play with the default page template file and adapt it, and write my own CSS, but then the benefit of using an already built theme system would shrink, right ?

Also, the string replacement part

Subtheming is critical for my project, because many sections of the website will have a different layout from the main page.

3) Documentation

As with many Drupal projects, documentation is small. More importantly, it seems to be very outdated. It mentions things like page-12.tpl.php or an option to override the default page templates with the standard page.tpl.php, but I can't find any of these anywhere.

I took a glimpse of the dev version and it doesn't seem that different in that matter.

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Please don't get me wrong : I WANT to use this theme, I find the concept very appealing and I would be really glad if I could help enhancing it in any way. I'm no CSS guru, but know PHP and am quiet familiar with Drupal.

I think what I need the most is a clear understanding of the specifities of this system compared to more classic ones.

I read somewhere you moved to a new place and hope you enjoy your new life. May I ask if you intend to release something for fluidgrid in the not too far future ?

Comments

Countzero’s picture

Countzero commented
Title: Regions and other Drupal inegration questions » Regions and other Drupal integration questions
Countzero’s picture

Countzero commented

One of my sentences is unfinished : here is the complete version.

As for the string replacement part of the subtheme creation, it doesn't work as in the zen documentation, the functions being named and managed in a different manner.

Sorry

Anonymous’s picture

Anonymous (not verified) commented

Thanks for trying FluidGrid.

Before I start let me remind you something very important, stated in the theme page : Fluid Grid is still in BETA stage. Only use to test or preview, and NOT on active projects.

so to answer your questions..

Regions

Yes, Fluidgrid uses the regions system. If no regions are define in the info file, it is just to use the default Drupal regions. You can add your own regions in the info file, but make sure you also add them in the templates (page.tpl.php)

Subtheme

When the templates like node.tpl.php are not present in the theme or subtheme, drupal revert back to the default one. It's like the regions. You can add your own templates in each theme or subtheme. To find the default templates, go to the module folder and look into system.
Then, placing the sidebars is obviously different from Zen, as this is a grid system, and you only use class to define your layout. I would encourage you to look into the documentation on how fluidgrid works, but I would have to write it first.. You can however edit the page.tpl.php of the subtheme, or edit the style.css of the subtheme (called "STARTERKIT") or even add new css files to the subtheme by adding theme in the subtheme's info file.

Documentation

I mentioned that I would have to write it first, and even before that, I would have to polish the grid system itself (still on BETA 3 stage) that should be available for download sometimes... when ? I would love to be able to tell you, but I'd rather not make promises that I can't keep. As you heard, I moved from Canada to Australia, and I'm also getting married, started a new job, spend my time finding furniture, or getting my new place set up, on I'm still waiting for the internet to be connected.

So yes, this is still a very active project, but it is a very slow project. I'm for now focusing on getting the css system as good as possible, and then I will adapt the drupal theme to work best with it. If I could define quickly fluidgrid, it's nothing else but a layout builder, like 960, but it can build layout for any width, even fluid. It uses a grid made of columns and gutters, all defined by CSS only. It aims to be stable on all major browser.

Thanks for your interest, but again, I wouldn't recomend using fluidgrid on an active project.

Cheers.

Hubert.

Countzero’s picture

Countzero commented
Status: Active » Closed (fixed)

Ok, thanks for your quick answer.

I hereby give up using fluidgrid for my project, which must be finished by the end of April.

I understand fluidgrid won't be production ready by that time.

As a sidenote, I don't think fluidgrid is beta stage. More like alpha in my book. That's what lured me into thinking I could compensate the unfinished features myself.

I know all the "reverting to default stuff" you mention, but IMHO, a theme should at least propose a working version of the basic templates (node, page), with, for example, the left sidebar appearing on the left if I assign a block to this region. It's not the case (by default, both sidebars appear under the content div), so I'd be better writing my own theme, as features I consider basic are not included and so have to be coded anyway.

Enough said. I still believe your idea is excellent, and think a fluid subthemable theming grid system would definitely be a great tool for Drupal (and any CMS actually), so I'll keep an eye on this project.

Wish you the best for your new life, and long live to fluidgrid.

Closing the issue.

Anonymous’s picture

Anonymous (not verified) commented

When I say Beta stage, I'm not referring to the theme, but the framework : http://fluidgrid.net/

So yes, again, the theme is missing stuff, you might find it not complete, or not perfect, even not usable. And that's normal because for now, I'm only working on the framework, not the theme. When the framework is out of beta, I'll get the theme updated. It would be fairly backward to get the container ready before content don't you think ?

Countzero’s picture

Countzero commented

I plainly agree, of course, and I didn't meant to criticize your work or your way of doing.

I see your project from the Drupal point of view, like any other Drupal people visiting this page. From this point of view, even if your framework was production quality level and twice as feature rich as it already is, it would remain more or less useless because of the lack of integration. I only meant to warn people reading this thread. That's what early adopters are supposed to do.

English is not my mother language, and maybe I sound more blunt than I intend to. I'm sorry if it's the case and apologize.

Let me say again that I'm very interested in your work, and will follow closely the progress of this project to adopt it in my standard workflow as soon as it's mature.