Is a 3-column template necessary for my needs?

Hi, I just installed MODx and I already like it, from all the sites built with MODx I have visited so far. Just awesome!

I need that kind of cms for my existing (SMF) forum, not necessarily bridged, but which will allow more (flexible) contents than Tiny Portal.

I’m a little confused (but determined!) about templates. I would like one to reflect exactly how our forum looks (link below), so I was thinking about getting a html/CSS with 3 columns.

The way I understand how MODx works, we can add blocks on the sides, or snippets or chunks and so on. I need to visualize clearly what the results will be. For instance, I want a center column for presentation, or news, then I want a left column for a list of articles, links, glossary, etc as well as a right column for different things, like boxes showing random images, and so on.

So my question remains: do I necessarily have to install a 3-column template (on the first page, at least) in order to get that design??? or is there something else in MODx that takes care of the "placement"???

I really hope than I can get through with this first step and appreciate your replies in advance.

My forum is located at Beaux-Arts et Ateliers. You will land on the Tiny Portal page, that might give you an idea of what I’d like to achieve!

Thanks!

P.s.: My MODx installation can be viewed at http://portail.bozarts.org

If you want it to look exactly like that, simply take the HTML (view source) of that page and use it for the template, simply replacing the content items with MODx tags.

Or make up another HTML page that looks like it (yes, three columns) if you want a different (non-table) layout giving the same look.

MODx in no way controls how your page is laid out. You make your own HTML "skeleton", then put MODx tags wherever you want the various items to appear (content, menus, etc)

There are a number of three-column templates available in the Resources (link at the top of the page). I’ve got some demo’ed on my loripsum site linked in my sig.

I would recommend using a code editing program like Adobe Dreamweaver after copying the source code from any template to sort through the html code and replace the head, search box, etc with MODx tags. (in case you get confused with so much code). Just in case this helps. when I started out, I went to the default templates like "MODx Host", opened them up to see the source code, and figured out which tag went where.

For more info on MODx tags, visit this link: http://modxcms.com/adding-tags.html

Thanks for your warm response, both of you! I’ve been reading and searching and I think I’m ready to try my hand and once I get the hang of it, I’m sure I will become quite creative with it thanks to its flexibility.

@Susan: actually, that page is Tiny Portal’s way of doing things... therefore, I’m not sure if its html will be the ideal result for my MODx page(s). I’ll try and grab a simple 3-column template instead, with the same css file, perhaps. Thanks for the tip! I’ve also perused your website and indeed, very nice works in there!

@Miamisurf: very good idea and tips, thanks! Best way to learn too, looking at the model!

Have a great evening!

I keep seeing a "template tag" mentionned in most of the how-to documents but there is NO template tag in my manager. I have uploaded the Arches template dir in my file manager, copied the html file in a "new model" and followed the install directions for copying the chunk, snippet & css files.

Not having a template tag doesn’t really bother me that much, even tho it should be there. Doing it manually is okay but I would just love to be able to "associate" chunk, snippet & css files to the html somehow, so that I can work on the images and get the site rolling.

Quote from: Boz08 at Feb 28, 2008, 10:04 PM

I keep seeing a "template tag" mentionned in most of the how-to documents but there is NO template tag in my manager. I have uploaded the Arches template dir in my file manager, copied the html file in a "new model" and followed the install directions for copying the chunk, snippet & css files.

Not having a template tag doesn’t really bother me that much, even tho it should be there. Doing it manually is okay but I would just love to be able to "associate" chunk, snippet & css files to the html somehow, so that I can work on the images and get the site rolling.

Are you, by chance, a WordPress refugee?

I’ve never seen the phrase "template tag" in any MODx document and when I googled it, all I got was this thread and some WordPress docs.

You might mean "template variable" or you might be referring to the tags MODx uses for snippets and chunks. The reference to "new model" in your post is also a mystery. Did you mean "new template"?

It’s hard to help you without knowing exactly what you mean. Take a look at the site in my sig. for an overview of MODx terminology, templates, and getting started with MODx. Then feel free to ask any remaining questions here.

Bob

Hi Bob Ray, thanks for replying! It’s kind of late but hey...

Quote from: BobRay at Feb 28, 2008, 11:06 PM

Are you, by chance, a WordPress refugee?

That, and a PHPNuke and a few other CMS.

I’ve never seen the phrase "template tag" in any MODx document and when I googled it, all I got was this thread and some WordPress docs.

Well, in the resource link’s documentation in the right hand corner of this site, it does mention a template tag in the manager panel. Compounding the problem is that mine is in French...

You might mean "template variable" or you might be referring to the tags MODx uses for snippets and chunks. The reference to "new model" in your post is also a mystery. Did you mean "new template"?

Yes, that’s what I’m trying to make... a new template to replace the default one! I’ve uploaded the template folder, copied the html & css files but am utterly clueless as to how to associate them, along with the images!

It’s hard to help you without knowing exactly what you mean. Take a look at the site in my sig. for an overview of MODx terminology, templates, and getting started with MODx. Then feel free to ask any remaining questions here.

That’s very nice of you, Bob, thanks a lot! I will do that tomorrow because now, I feel extremely... well, I have a headache. It is a challenge that I intend to overcome, not just for me, and it’s worth every effort.

That’s supposed to be "Template TAB"; when you go to the Manager, Resources -> Manage Resources you get a tabbed page, with tabs for Templates, Template Variables, Chunks, Snippets etc etc...

Yes, sorry about that and thanks, I thought those tabs were at the top, they’re in "Ressources" (Gestion de modèles). Now, after calling the template in the config panel, it’s still not loading, I guess I’ll read some more.

Have a great day!

It was just a stupid detail: the link to the css was faulty, my bad. Thanks for your patience. It is really one step at a time, now... to organize!