Simple Skin

Please note that files attached to this page are obsolete. You can get recent version from my Usability Twiki - whre alway will be the latest version - together with CommentPlugin

I designed this skin as a replacement to default (classic) Twiki skin for non-technical users and newbie wikizens, see discussion in TWiki:Codev/SimplerDefaultTemplates. Simplest skin to install and use.

My goal was to make simple skin based on same approach as original "classic" skin. So no tables used in page body (only in header and footer), no CSS (sorry). Plain, simple, easy to use (I hope). By design, it's not as sofisticated as KoalaSkin or PatternSkin.

I use this skin on FAQ farm site where I host FAQ for CPAN:CGI::Application (perl web application framework) and possible FAQ for other packages.

In SimpleSkin, every web ("forum") has own logo, which links to web's homepage. Is stored in WebPreferences page as file weblogo.gif and and is used in SiteMap. Of course SiteMap on FAQ farm is much nicer - with logos.

26 Aug 2003: Skin in pre-production status for me, works 100%, no deep changes expected. SimpleSkin was converted to use savemulti script from KoalaSkin to make "save withoutpreview". I did not uploaded it here yet - I'll like to know if anybody is interested. If you want to try it, talk to me at TWikiIRC or email me

Actually this is family of 2 skins (simple and empty), where

• empty has no links in header/footer, except logo, which sets skin to "simple". Does not look as a wiki at all, which was exactly what my users asked for. With one parameter SIMPLESKINMENU you can use it i.e. in help system
• simple is plain skin without advanced features for newbie users (to less intimidate them with many linkc to choose from in the header/footer). Most "action" links are in the header.

Screen Shots

#SimpleSkin - #HelpSkin - #EditScreen - #SiteMap

When using SimpleSkin, SiteMapp? and AdminTools are using web logos. Also, all maintenence stuff from WebHome I moved to AdminTools.

• example: simple skin:
  

• screenshot: empty skin with menu "Help":
  

• Edit screen: Please note brief overview of formatting rules in header
  

• Sitemap with logos (and links to many important pages):
  

You can see this skin also "in action" for current BeijingRelease here.

Installation

1. Create Plugins web and SimpleSkin page in it
2. copy files twiki.simple.tmpl view.simple.tmpl view.emty.tmpl and oopsmore.simple.tmpl into your templates directory
3. pick gif file as logo, rename it to weblogo.gif and attach it to WebPreferences
4. edit WebPreferences page. Set SKIN = simple or empty
5. Set WIKIWEBLIST = your user webs (see below)
6. for empty skin, Set SIMPLESKINMENU = list of links to display. Nothing else will be there, clicking on menu will give you simple skin

Webs are displayed in two chunks on right side of the header. Top row (syswebs) has your homepage (WIKIUSERNAME), Twiki docs (Help), SiteMap? and Sandbox. These webs are fixed and in each distro AFAICT.

Below that, webs (userwebs) listed in WIKIWEBLIST are displayed. Because dafault value set it TWikiPreferences contains also webs listed in syswebs above, you may want to set also WIKIWEBLIST.

Note: You do not need to install anything on the browser to use this skin. The following instructions are for the administrator who installs the skin on the server where TWiki is running.

• Download the ZIP file from the Skin Home page (see below)
• Unzip SimpleSkin.zip in your twiki installation directory
• Test if installed: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Plugins/SimpleSkin?skin=simple
• For skin activation see TWikiSkins

Skin Info

Related topic: TWikiSkins

-- TWiki:Main/PeterMasiar - 22 May 2003