Argos2 Admin Theme

[Argos]

Hi, I'm working on the new Argos Theme for WB 2.8.4. It's a completely new theme, and functionally based on the default 2.8.4 WB theme. But with completely other visuals, and partly other HTML/CSS. I will get rid of old table based stuff as muchs as possible, and use DIV's instead. Also other improvements whenever I think is needed.

I finished the new header, menu, footer, and general visuals, as well as the admin home page and admin add-ons page. I hope you like it. I based the visual look & feel loosely upon the new "flat" Wordpress admin theme. Maybe we can get some Wordpress users to switch

I'll try to work each day on the theme, so hopefully it's done somewhere next week. I might make a responsive and/or jquery version after that as well. That would be nice I think. But the first version won't be that fancy. I focus on getting the basics right to begin with.

Jurgen

[Tez Oner]

Hey Argos,

looks cool  can I be free to propose some features (been busy a few times with
a backend theme) and maybe you'll have something about it;

- Collapsable sections (jQuery accordion) makes the section-page more tight and clean
- Permanent pages overview in left 'sidebar' (page height scrolling div)
- A less big font for 'pages overview links' (there massive in WB 2.8.4 lol)

Cheerz,

Tez Oner

[dbs]

Yes, looks good. 

- Permanent pages overview in left 'sidebar' (page height scrolling div)

Please don't do it. Every Theme in every CMS has this.

[Tez Oner]

Hey,

Please don't do it. Every Theme in every CMS has this.

It's an upcoming GUI feature and what's 'wrong' with it... it mean people
is used to it and therefore more friendly for users / which most of them is
experienced with Wordpress and sidebars (hootsuite / facebook).

Cheerz,

Tez Oner

[Argos]

Thanks for your comments. I will improve all fonts (you can see already the Google Open Sans font for the H2 titles). jQuery is definately on the wishlist, as I mentioned above, but I will focus on the basics first.

I'm no big fan of navigational sidebars in backends, but I may have a look at other CMS's to see if I can copy good ideas. But a sidebar is not on the priority list right now. It's a consistent and modern look & feel what I focus on right now, and improvements of the underlying frontend code if needed. After that some further functional changes may follow, we'll see.

[cwsoft]

Hi,

Hi, I'm working on the new Argos Theme for WB 2.8.4. It's a completely new theme, and functionally based on the default 2.8.4 WB theme. But with completely other visuals, and partly other HTML/CSS. I will get rid of old table based stuff as muchs as possible, and use DIV's instead. Also other improvements whenever I think is needed.

Cool. The attached screenshoot looks promising and much more up to-date than all WB themes I've seen since WB 2.7.

Would be a great boost, if the final WB 2.8.4 would shift with the Argos2 backend theme as default theme instead of the improved, but still somewhat 90s WB theme.

If the Argos2 theme does not make it into the final WB 2.8.4, I would vote for removing the old Argos theme before shipping WB 2.8.4 in order to reduce the upload package. My preferred solution however would be to ship WB 2.8.4 with Argos2 theme, even if this means some more weeks delay before WB 2.8.4 can be publishe.

Cool job, keep up the great work.

Cheers cwsoft

P.S.: @argos: if you need some beta tester, just send me a PM and I am more than happy to test your theme and to provide feedback

[jacobi22]

My preferred solution however would be to ship WB 2.8.4 with Argos2 theme

+1

[dbs]

Looks professional!
Want test ist, work faster. 

[crnogorac081]

like !

[dbs]

+1 

[Argos]

I decided to stop using static icons, and instead opt for the icon font libary "Font Awesome". See http://fontawesome.io/.

So I had to rework some of the stuff I already did. I think it looks better, I hope you think so too. I removed the old screenshots. Here are the new ones...

BTW I use the form framework Formee for the form stuff. See http://formee.org/

[Argos]

And more...

[Argos]

And more...

[instantflorian]

That looks very good.

-Florian.

[Argos]

It seems the tool.php from the Admin Tools section has no matching template file. So I cannot style it. Dev's: please add a template file for this! It really looks awful otherwise.

[Argos]

I also have a question. The admin themes have a language file, but how can I add stuff to that? I need to have an option to add language variables to the template files.

[DarkViper]

It's the same historical problem as everywhere using phplib...
Each translation must be set by example in admin::print_header()

but: not this night.. tomorrow in daytime i'll change the class admin to work more flexible with translations files.

[Argos]

*BUMP*

It seems the tool.php from the Admin Tools section has no matching template file. So I cannot style it. Dev's: please add a template file for this! It really looks awful otherwise.

[DarkViper]

It seems the tool.php from the Admin Tools section has no matching template file. So I cannot style it. Dev's: please add a template file for this! It really looks awful otherwise.

I'll see what i can do... without to much changes

I also have a question. The admin themes have a language file, but how can I add stuff to that? I need to have an option to add language variables to the template files.

Revision 2094 has modified admin.class.php and TranslateAdaptorWbO ldStyle.php
now in header.htt and footer.htt all translations are available from wb/languages/XX and templates/MyTheme/languages/XX. Simply use it like {TEXT_NEW_STRING} (from $TEXT['NEW_STRING']='jhjjkh'; )
It's enough to insert or modify a translation in the language files to make it available.
Do'nt forget to clean the cache after modifications! (Backend: reload languages  or manually delete the content of temp/TranslationTable/cache/)

[Argos]

Revision 2094 has modified admin.class.php and TranslateAdaptorWbO ldStyle.php
now in header.htt and footer.htt all translations are available from wb/languages/XX and templates/MyTheme/languages/XX. Simply use it like {TEXT_NEW_STRING} (from $TEXT['NEW_STRING']='jhjjkh'; )
It's enough to insert or modify a translation in the language files to make it available.
Do'nt forget to clean the cache after modifications! (Backend: reload languages  or manually delete the content of temp/TranslationTable/cache/)

Eh... I'm feeling a bit stupid, but could you give me a hand here? I have updated the 2 php files. But I don't understand how to use the {TEXT_NEW_STRING} (from $TEXT['NEW_STRING']='jhjjkh'; ) part...

Let's say I want to add a new language string on some admin page. I add $TEXT['SOME_TEST'] = 'This is a test'; to the theme language file, and {TEXT_SOME_TEST} to the htt file. I reload the language files, but the admin shows "{TEXT_SOME_TEST}" instead of "This is a test". So it doesn't work yet.

But what to do with the {TEXT_NEW_STRING} (from $TEXT['NEW_STRING']='jhjjkh'; ) Do I need to put that somewhere too?

[DarkViper]

Ok I'll try to explain:

As first step I activate Translate for the print_header() and print_footer() functions (represented by MyTheme/header.htt and MyTheme/footer.htt).
In this two templates you can use any of the translation definitions from wb/languages/XX.php  and MyTheme/languages/XX.php too.

i.E.:
in EN.php you have the definition: $TEXT['SOME_TEST'] = 'This is a test';
so in the templates you can display it using  {TEXT_SOME_TEST}

You need a completely new translation?
insert $MESSAGE['HELLO_AGAIN'] = 'BliblaBlubber..ups'; into your language file.
insert {MESSAGE_HELLO_AGAIN} into your template. That's all...

As second step am working on is to activate Translate for all addons inside the wb/admin/ folder.
Then each addon can(but must not) have it's own languages/ folder. Here all addon depending translations will be stored. Independent from the theme which is in use.

As third step Translate becomes an additional functionality to load language files from active theme or active template (depending from Front- or Backend)

The final result shall be:

Basically Translate loads definitions from wb/languages/
then overwrite/extend this loading definitions from admin/addon/languages/
then again overwrite/extend this loading definitions from MyTheme/languages/ or MyTemplate/languages/
The resulting list then is available to use in *.htt files.

So by default you have all translation definitions from core and the active addon available.
If you need personalized definition in your theme, so add the folder languages/ to your theme and place all language files ( XX.php) into it. Here you can overwrite any previous definition from core or addon. Also you can add completely new, additional definitions.

Any questions more? no problem, i can answer it.
But remember: with Revision 2094 step_1 only is finished yet. The next steps will follow as soon as possible.

Manuela

[Argos]

Ah! Thanks, now I understand it well. So right now I can only put new language definitions in header and footer? That's not very usefull to me right now, I'm afraid. Is it possible for you to continue with step 3 instead of 2? 

I have no idea about the level of work and complexity all this is for you, and maybe step 2 must be done bfore 3, but I really would love to be able to use the flexible language options you describe in step 3 in my new theme...

[Argos]

I have decided to stop working on the new Argos 2 theme for WB 2.8.4. There are several reasons:

1. it's frustrating I can't modify many things in the theme without help from a developer. Help that is sometimes given quick and practically usable, but mostly rather rudimentary and therefore not usable for me as a non-coder. And often support and communication is just completely absent. I don't blame devs for this, it's just the situation that makes it hard for me to continue. I just can't improve the theme like I want to, on my own.

2. the continuing success and development of Wordpress, and the very large number of very useful themes, addons and extensions, makes it less and less desirable to focus on WB. The development of WB is very slow, and while it has some big advantages over Wordpress, the market leader is Wordpress and as a commercial website creator I have to go with the flow. Also WB just can't do many things that Wordpress can.

3. after WB 2.8.4 there will be a new template engine (Twig), so the work I do now cannot be used for the next version. Also the new engine should give more power to non-coders to create good backend themes on their own, so I'm told.

----------

So maybe if WB 2.8.5 (or 2.9, or 3?) will be a major step forward and can catch up with Wordpress in some aspects, I may consider creating a new modern backend theme for WB. Otherwise I'm afraid I will focus more and more on Wordpress, and using WB only for very simple websites.

I think it's a shame to see WB slowly fall back in usefulness. The last years development have almost halted, from a "power user" point of view. The devs seem to have been focussed primarily on internal technical stuff and security issues, strangely enough mostly leading to decreased usability, and very few actual benefits for users and non-coders. It has lead to the current point of near stagnacy in everything concerning WB.

Anyway, I'm focussing on Wordpress now, because I have a business to run and Wordpress is the name of the game right now. But I hope WB will see some real, major development and improvements for website builders and power users in the near future. Otherwise I fear WB will be dead and forgotten within a few years, and probably sooner.

BWT: I will keep my "job" as a moderator here, and try and help people when I can. So I won't leave the WB community. I just quit putting work into the new admin theme I was working on.

[cwsoft]

@argos: sad but true. Your backend theme could have made the difference.

The default backend themes and frontend templates shipped with WB are so outdated, unable to attract any user in 2014. 10 years back it was ok, but not in 201x.

Cheers cwsoft

P.S. WB2.8.4 already ships with the new template engine Twig, also it is only used in some newer updated parts of WB

[Tez Oner]

Hey,

what pity! But regarding to security issues WP isn't something to rely on except when u install loads of plugins

Cheerz,

Tez Oner