Suggested Template Layout for MODx?

Is there a specific layout for MODx templates that works best?

I’ve been I’ve been looking at the template code and css from Susan Ottwell, Scotty D and Left Blank’s designs. I’ve also been checking out the code on Zen Garden’s site.

I ran across a thread in the forum that says Zen Garden is not good "production" code. Is this true?

Is there a good target layout for MODx newbies? High maintenance newbies who can’t just pick a template and be happy with it?

I have found some templates that I like, for the most part, and I would like to tweak them for MODx. I’m not a coder, but the one I’m working on now doesn’t seem to use css very effectively. It has html tables and spacer gif’s.

I’m going to go ahead and tackle it, but would like to know if there is a good direction to take.

Zen Garden are all copyrighted designs, not templates available for the taking. You’d need to get each author’s permission to use them. Any template that works in HTML can be adopted quite easily to MODx.

Any layout suits MODx best.. It really doesn’t matter what it is. I don’t understand the quote that "Zen Garden is not good "production" code". Zen Garden is a site where web developers, who are usually very keen on web standards, can post their work for others to take a look at and I would think that you will see the most accessible, usable, source ordered and SE friendly templates right there. But you know that you can’t just take the templates off from Zen Garden for yourself? They are not there to be downloaded, just for show.

And many would say that tables should not be used in layout anymore.. Tables are to be used for tabular data.

Actually, ZenGarden is intended as a showcase for graphics designers, and contributors cannot change the HTML code; this includes the content. So it’s great for getting general ideas, but you really don’t want to be using their HTML and CSS, even if you could.

If you want templates and template ideas, better to go to http://www.openwebdesign.org/ or http://www.oswd.org/. But you still need to check the licenses, some require permission for commercial use, some require a link.

Also an excellent site for general layout and css is http://www.positioniseverything.net/.

Oh, I stand corrected.. but what’s wrong with their HTML and CSS? seems good to me..

Actually, it’s been a couple of years since I looked at the source, so maybe I’ve missed something.

Their source hasn’t changed... that’s the whole point of the Zen Garden.

Thanks for the info. I’m going to go check out the position is everything site.

I just wanted to look at some good clean code to know where to start.

For an outline you could not go wrong using Andy Clarke’s ("transcending CSS") suggested web 2.0 semantic outline. Give it a look - drop down on the page to "My suggestions", stir lightly and Enjoy.
http://www.stuffandnonsense.co.uk/archives/whats_in_a_name_pt2.html
Cheers,
HalD