How to edit a theme?

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I've taken over a Concrete5 site and am new to this. I've figured out how to do basic editing, but now it's time to do more and I'll need to edit the theme. They've got it set up with only 2 page designs, the home page (default) and the others are all the same (secondary).

I need to add a blog as well as make other changes but I don't even know where to start. I'm used to working with static sites using Dreamweaver 5.5. I know a little bit about PHP and have used includes on some static sites.

I downloaded all the files from the server (did I really need all of them?) and have WAMP set up and running, but I can't view the files in Dreamweaver. Actually, I'm unable to view them in my browser either.

What am I doing wrong? Or ... backup a few steps and tell me where I should have started :(

 
adajad replied on at Permalink Reply
adajad
I think you will find my post below very helpful:

http://www.concrete5.org/community/forums/themes/how-to-work-with-a...
MysteriousCleon replied on at Permalink Reply
MysteriousCleon
You need to understand how the themes are created first. Theme is not a html page, but it's almost it. :)

Take a look on these two tutorials:
http://www.concrete5.org/documentation/how-tos/designers/converting...
http://www.concrete5.org/documentation/how-tos/designers/make-a-the...

And when you understand whole idea, I'm sure you will be able to edit what you want, as you want.

Best,
Emil
jodzeee replied on at Permalink Reply
Thanks for your help, but I'm still stuck. I think I need to back way up ...

First of all, the theme I've inherited is not editable within the admin area. I can't even add pages to the navigation.

I understand the concept of themes, but need to know where to start in order to edit it.

When I first inherited this site, I had my webhost migrate it for me. So what I tried to do was download all the files from the hosting server using Dreamweaver (and WAMP), but I'm unable to preview anything. If I go to localhost/mysite, I get an error (cannot connect to database).

Keep in mind ... I've never worked with a CMS before other than editing in a browser, so I don't know what I'm doing :(

So my next step was to download Concrete5, I copied the files to my WAMP folder and when I go there, I'm prompted to install ... now it wants database info. I'm not sure what info I should be putting in there or where to go from here. Am I on the right track at least?

I'd really like to be able to edit the code and preview in Dreamweaver. What's the normal workflow, how do people create and edit their themes?

Is it possible to edit any of the code within the admin area? I feel like I'm missing something!

Thanks again.
MysteriousCleon replied on at Permalink Reply
MysteriousCleon
It's all simple, but not as simple as you thought... What you ask are basics, there are many how-tos here:http://www.concrete5.org/documentation/how-tos/...
For instance you can read there how to move the site to another hosting and so on.
You have to know, that concrete5 uses MySQL database - when moving only files, you will not get proper effect, because many important data is stored in database. So you have to move database too. But everything you have in documentation, how-tos and old forum threads.
Editing theme is editing files of one theme in themes folder, not all c5 installation... but I'm not sure if it is possible to edit with Dreamweaver.
If you start working with CMS just try to learn basics.
jodzeee replied on at Permalink Reply
I am trying to learn the basics and haven't gotten very far. It seems like all the how to's I've read are aimed at developers that already have experience working with a CMS and databases.

I don't need to know how to move it within hosts, that has already been done. I just need to know how to edit a theme ... where to start.
MysteriousCleon replied on at Permalink Reply
MysteriousCleon
You asked about database, so I thought, that you have also problems with moving...

Ok, about the theme - you have to find where it is. If you use built-in theme it is: /concrete/themes/, if you installed one through the dashboard they are in packages/theme_name/themes. You have to remember, that they often have header and footer in other php files (often in elements folder), and the page types are also php files with parts of php code. You just need to edit these php files, and the other needed, like css or js...
adajad replied on at Permalink Reply
adajad
Have a look at this post and I think you will find some answers and good links to get you started.
jodzeee replied on at Permalink Reply
There wasn't a link with the last reply.

I've muddled through the documentation, how to's, videos, etc. and have learned a lot, but I'm still not there. If nothing else, maybe I know better how to frame my question...

My biggest problem was understanding how to work with the theme offline (using localhost via WAMP). I don't know a lot about databases and maybe moving it is, in fact, what I need help with.

Here's where I'm at. I successfully installed Concrete5 to my local server and it's working great. I had initially simply FTP'd my existing site thinking that would work and it doesn't.

After reading up on it a bit, I exported the database from my host, then imported it into my WAMP environment but that didn't work.

So ... onto Plan B. My next idea was that since I have a working install of C5, I'll just copy the theme there and make the edits I need, then FTP it back to the host. Do I need to have the database intact to work with the theme? I'm thinking not.

BUT ... that didn't exactly work. So I compared the code and saw that it was calling the stylesheets completely different than the sample theme. I changed that up and viola, it's working.

Almost.

It looks like there is still something missing and I'm worried that I'm going to completely hose things up.

So I guess my questions are:

What is the best way to edit an existing theme locally ... as in ... how do I copy it from my live host to localhost and make it work?

Or should I continue with Plan B and rebuild it based on the sample and/or one of the tutorials?

Hope I'm making more sense now. Thanks for all your help!
adajad replied on at Permalink Reply
adajad
Sorry about the link... I simply forgot to paste it but here it is: http://www.concrete5.org/community/forums/themes/how-to-work-with-a...

As for working with themes I usually do it this way.

C5 install on dev server (or locally depending on your environment).
Going crazy with the theme on dev server until it's great.
Move the whole theme folder (clean from redundant files and code) from dev server to prod server.

You don't need to have the same db content in both places as themes and content aren't that dependant on each other. An Area is an Area no matter what content you put in.

Anywho, read the now supplied link, which holds a few more really good links when it comes to working with themes.