Need help with a theme switcher

hughesdesigns

[FONT="Arial"]Hello
I've built a CMS using a templateing system

What i want to do is add a module that users can see a list of all the directorys in the template folder and for them to beable to select the theme feom that lidt now i have done something like this before😛 but i did it based on CSS documents this time i want to beable to do it so that when the user selects the desired theme it auto uses that them based on a file in the dir called template.php and for it to be saved as a cookie for the next time they visit 🙂 can anyone help i hope this makes some scence im crap as explaining my self lol!!!

Looking forward to hearing from you thanks bill🙂[/FONT]

Kudose

Please post some code for us to help you with.

hughesdesigns

<?php
session_start();
$css_styles = array();
$css_styles['def']['file'] = "css/1.css"; //def
$css_styles['black']['file'] = "css/2.css"; 
$css_styles['playboy']['file'] = "css/3.css";
$css_styles['black']['file'] = "css/4.css"; 
$css_styles['def']['name'] = "Original"; // default
$css_styles['black']['name'] = "Skyline";
$css_styles['playboy']['name'] = "Playboy";
$css_styles['clubland']['name'] = "Clubland";
$default_value = "blue"; // set the default value here

if (isset($_GET['style']) && $_GET['style'] != "") {
    $_SESSION['css'] = $_GET['style'];
} else {
    $_SESSION['css'] = (!isset($_SESSION['css'])) ? $default_value : $_SESSION['css'];
}
switch ($_SESSION['css']) {
    case "black": $css_file = "2.css";
    break;
    case "blue": $css_file = "1.css";
    break;
	case "playboy": $css_file = "3.css";
    break;
	case "clubland": $css_file = "4.css";
    break;
    default: $css_file = "1.css";
}
function style_switch() {
    global $css_styles;
    $style_links = "<!-- This is the CSS Style Switcher Code -->\n";
    foreach ($css_styles as $key => $val) {
        if ($_SESSION['css'] != $key) {
            $style_links .= "<a href=\"?style=".$key."\">";
            $style_links .= "<b>".$val['name']." | </b></a>\n";
        } else {
            $style_links .= "<b>".$val['name']." | </b>\n";
        }
	}
	$style_links .= "</ul>\n</div>\n<!-- End of CSS Style Switcher Code -->\n";
	return $style_links;
}
?>

I would like to convert that so i can get it to use .php files insted of using a .css i have tryed many times an attempts and all failed i may be missing something really silly but hey ho learning curve😉

nrg_alpha

Hughs.. I was wonding..
Looking at your switch statement.. I noticed you jump to different CSS files, depending on what your $SESSION['css'] is set too..

What I would recommend is having a base CSS for your styling .. but leave font colours, background colours and what not embeded at the top in your pages of your site.. you can have font colours and such driven by depending on what your $SESSION['css'] is set to.. same with graphics.. if entire graphic elements change depending on the theme selected.. I would have those graphics driven by php.. and if they need to be tied into css (for example .. a backgound image that tiles), see if you can embed this aspect in the your page..and again, being driven by the $SESSION['css'] variable.

I think it might not be a big issue if your .css files are small.. but if they get big, keep in mind that browsers do cache those files in.. so if the user start jumping around all themes, you'll get 4 .css files cached..(again, this issue might be negligable).

For me , the bigger reason for what I mention in my post is the need to modify style sheets... so if you make changes on one, all must be changed. But if you can cleverly separate some of the css aspects that will remain set in stone into your pages (and have those .css elements driven by the $SESSION['css'] variable, you can use simply one style sheet.

Cheers,

NRG

hughesdesigns

yes but what im trying to do is move away from CSS documents

for the system to work with my cms it needs to load a template.php not a style.css

i would like to cinvert the code to get php documents insted of CSS documents

i do apoligise for my lack of understandning here im crap at trying to explain things lol

www.hughesdesigns.co.uk

nrg_alpha

Keep in mind though that css is not responsible for generating content. It is the presentation of that content. CSS should be able to play nice with CMS's if the CMS is done correctly.

for the system to work with my cms it needs to load a template.php not a style.css

Mabey I'm lost in understanding things.. but if your CMS is being viewed by users using fairly modern web browsers, why would you want to move away from CSS when browsers support it? By using CSS, you get slick control of the 'presentation' of content.

Again, I might just be misunderstanding what it is you are trying to do..
In either case, I am suspicious as to why CSS can't play nice with what you are trying to do..

Cheers,

NRG

hughesdesigns

well i still use the CSS but my cms looks at a directory called themes then it selects the them name by the name of a directory in the themes folder.

then when its selected the theme it looks in the selected dir for a file called template.php and thats how the template system works

the css document is in the directory also but what i want it to do is select the directory insted of the css document