After repetitous comments from users (Lavr) (and feeling uncomfortable with a table based layout) I have set myself (again) to try a complete css based layout.

I did not know it was possible, but most problems have been tackled now.

The main goal is to let big images and tables not mess up navigation and text. My other goal is to advance from cairo pattern skin to allow the page to be centered in an easy and flexible way.

2 main test pages:

• http://visiblearea.com/devtwiki/bin/view/Sandbox/BigImage
• http://visiblearea.com/devtwiki/bin/view/Sandbox/CenterPage

AC

The view templates is now at 85% of the work. Other templates have to be reworked.

ETC: Friday 24 Feb.

AC

---

Sample screens look promising. I'll say, keep on the good work. Maybe there will emerge the proposed TWiki:Codev.BasicSkin. I'd like to see a standard skin with which it is easily possible to profit from the many available CSS themes out there. Michaels TWiki:Plugins.NatSkin has great stuff in it that some day should be standard. One part of the community is eager about what will emerge. Some more conservative people will warn you to change too much and too often, cause this may disturb people. I'm curios which side will win.

FJ

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Progress report

Gains

The main template view.pattern.tmpl uses the NatSkin principle of including page.pattern.tmpl, that includes body.pattern.tmpl. Each template includes the parts it needs. For instance in view:

%TMPL:INCLUDE{"page"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewtopbar"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewleftbar"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewrightbar"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewtopicactionbuttons"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewtoolbar"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewbottombar"}%

while oops does not use a topbar or leftbar or toolbar:

%TMPL:INCLUDE{"page"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"logo"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewtopicactionbuttons"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewbottombar"}%

This way it becomes very obvious how to build up a template page.

Form at the top

Putting the form at the top is easier than ever. In a topic template, write:

%TMPL:INCLUDE{"view"}%
%TMPL:DEF{"formattop"}%%TMPL:P{"form"}%%TMPL:END%
%TMPL:DEF{"formatbottom"}%%TMPL:END%

See example user page with form at top

Excluding page parts

Excluding the left bar

• To excluded the left bar in a template, just don't include %TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewleftbar"}%
• To exclude the left bar in a topic, include the template viewnoleftbar (in preference setting): NoLeftBarTest

Excluding the top bar

• To excluded the top bar in a template, just don't include %TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewtopbar"}%
• To exclude the top bar in a topic, include the template viewnotopbar (in preference setting): NoTopBarTest

Some pages need a login. I've created a TestUser with pw test.

• view with big image
• view with centered page
• user page with form at top
• edit + preview + changeform
  • edit form
  • edit text
  • edit settings
• more
• oops messages:
  • oops with registered feedback
  • oops lease conflict
  • oops access denied
  • oops save error
• attach:
  • attach new file
  • update attachment
  • move attachment
  • delete attachment
• rename/delete:
  • rename topic
  • delete topic
  • rename web
• login

• search:
  • changes
  • WebChanges
  • regex search
  • 'view' search for 'test'
  • search bookview
  • TWiki.WebHome - to check if Tip of the day still works
• history
  • revision
  • compare sequential
  • compare side by side
  • compare debug
• View:
  • view.print
  • view.plain

SVN 9055.

TODO

• Update documentation, skin page
• Update cookbooks

AC

---

One thing I like about the modularity of NatSkin is that it makes it easy to implement a Kiosk style end-priuct such as TWiki:Main/LynnwoodBrown's Museum application at http://museumconnections.org/bin/view/Front/WelcomeToMuseumConnections.
Being able to turn off the button bars or being able to customise their look-and-feel in a manner similar to TWiki:Plugins/NavBarAddOn or TWiki:Sandbox/TabbedBrowsing

It would also simplify implementing TWiki:Codev/HideEditingBarFromUsersThatAreNotAllowedToEdit

See also TWiki:Codev/TopicComponents TWiki:Codev/HomePageNavigation TWiki:Plugins/TabInterface

-- AJA

I agree about NatSkin has many good features. My only worry is the initiatives seem to continue to be independent. NatSkin and PatternSkin need to be merged.

-- MC

Arthur, this is excellent work (as always!). I like the new location of jump and search / language selection.

Is it possible to have access keys for the jump and search box in the default distribution?

-- SP

Anton (and Michael): what is the mechanism in Nat to you would like to implement?

Stephen: access keys are possible. There is more access key work: the action buttons cannot be localized now so I would like to fix that as well.

Also the pot script needs to be ran because a few texts have been updated (and I can't on my Mac).

AC

---

You seem to already be pulling out

%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewtopicactionbuttons"}%
%TMPL:INCLUDE{"viewtoolbar"}%

which goes part of the way.

The other part is better control over branding. See for example templates/defaulttopbar.nat.tmpl where one can set the site logo that affects everytting ... topics and oops.

-- AJA

That can be set in logo.pattern.tmpl.

which goes part of the way : what is missing?

AC

Since this is actually triggered by and the fix for Item1634 (the width problem) this update - though major - should be tagged for 4.0.2. There is no small fix for 1643. THIS is the fix. And a good fix. And a much needed and urgent fix. It was agreed at the previous Edinburgh meeting that 1643 needed to be fixed in 4.0.2 so I see no reason why this is tagged for a major release.

KJL

Some good news. I went through all open Pattern Bugs. And many of them are resolved with this update. Here is my status (I also put this status in TWiki:Codev.EdinburghReleaseMeeting2006x03x06. Created it here so it is available when evaluating the closure and merge of this bug report).

Fixed

• Item1146 (Two Create buttons): Fixed by 1672
• Item1147 (Raw view should show normal view action button). Implemented as 'View Topic' link when in raw view with in 1672.
• Item1623 (Web Left Bar border margin in FF 1.0.7). Confirmed fixed with the new pattern skin in 1672.
• Item1634 ( The big width bug). Fixed by 1672
• Item1430 (inconsistant width constraints on top bar and content area). Fixed by 1672.

Easy like changing one word

• Item1148 (Change Update to Save in Edit settings): Change ONE word. Closed and marked as ready for merge. AC
• Item1616 (inaccurate password changed message): I propose adding one little 'may' - see bug report - and close it as part of 1672 updates. Or discard it because it is necessary with Apache login to close browser sometimes. Closed and marked as ready for merge. AC

Partly fixed - still need more actions or discard

• Item959 (Change top bar image and heigh by preference). Top bar image was already implemented in 4.0. Height requires template change.
• Item1331 (header art for PatternSkin). Not sure if this is already implemented or there is anything additional the reporter wanted. Maybe a discard candidate.
• Item1550 (does not show TOC properly). Seems like a discard candidate because reporter never provided a test case that could make developers reproduce it.
• Item1659 (Splitting pattern skin templates into smaller chunks). Partly done. If more splitting is needed it should be Edinburgh.
• Item1704 (Make pattern skin depending on TwistyPlugin instead of TwistyContrib). Maybe done already? Then move it up. If not. Edinburgh.

Not yet fixed

• Item1560 (favicon.ico being fetched even when there is none attached to web preferences). It gives annoying error logs. People can work around it by adding a favicon.ico. Should be fixed but not urgent in KJL's humble oppinion.
• Item1617 (WebLeftBarPersonalTemplate always points to TWiki Web). KJL does not understand it. Need to try what he is reporting to see what it is. If he is right it is an easy fix.
• Item1417 (TWikiPreferences for CSS mixes up skin styles). Obvious Edinburgh candidate. Needs more cross skin planning.
• Item1327 (Make "save" button on preview screen conditional on "text" parameter). Can have surprising effects. Edinburgh!
• Item602 (Rewrite "additive" templates using COVER). Edinburgh!
• Item1783 (Plugin updates to work with 1672). Two of the plugins should be have their templates updates so they are ready for 4.0.2 release. Edittableplugin is broken (code will not run).

Conclusion: Merging in this one closes 6 bug reports (including this one). Two more can be closed by adding or changing one word in templates. 1617 may be an easy one.

There are some discard candidates. And about 6-10 Edinburgh items where none of them are of urgent bug nature.

KJL

Closed at twiki_edinburgh release meeting 13/3/06

CC

Closed with the release of 4.0.2

KJL