One of the, if not the major new feature in Bulletproof v1.1 is the possibility to add additional colorsets. Users can add their own colorset without having to edit any of the template's core files as long as they follow certain instructions.
Here's how it works: Create a new stylesheet in the template's directory, /templates/bulletproof/. The file has to be named <COLORSETNAME>_style.css, with <COLORSETNAME> being the name you want to give that new colorset. I.e., if you want to call it mycolorset, you have to create the file /templates/bulletproof/mycolorset_style.css. Bulletproof will automagically detect and include this colorset in the list of colorsets available via the Bulletproof theme options in your admin backend. You don't have to do anything else.
It might be a good idea – especially for new users – to start by copying one of the colorset stylesheets provided with bulletproof and modify it. That way, you don't have to start from scratch. Also, keep in mind that there are other stylesheets (base.css, style.css, ie5.css, ie6.css, ie7.css) included in Bulletproof. Some of these (base.css, all ie-specific stylesheets) are crucial to Bulletproof's layouts. Overwriting styles included in these files might break the layout. style.css on the other hand is kind of a fallback stylesheet – it includes many styles which are not crucial to the layout, but common styles used in all colorsets, meaning they may be overridden, but they don't have to be.
You'll also have to provide the colorset specific icons for your new colorset. These have to follow the same file naming convention like the stylesheet, i.e. a colorset specific back icon for the example mentioned above would have to be called /templates/bulletproof/img/mycolorset_back.png. These images have to be PNG images, and they have to be in the img subdirectory – otherwise the automagic detection won't work. If you feel your graphic skills are too poor or you just don't have the time to create these files, you can always copy the default ones or those used in any other colorsets. Remember, if these images are not present, visitors will only see the alternate text for them.
BP is great!
Dunno. I just felt like missing something. Perhaps I was thinking if there are up [...]
Producing templates based on BP is as you say an option, and I may take it up, but the beauty of BP is the automatic colorset finder. This feature NEEDS to be used more and will encourage non-designers to do their bit if they see how well supported the technique is.
One option is to allow colorset designers to include a unique info.txt, perhaps using the same naming convention as the other colorset files, ie colorset_info.txt which contains their linkback URL, then in the footer of index.tpl, change the credit to bulletproof template using colorsetname. Then all you have to do is use css to capitalise the first letter of the colorsetname so it looks the same as the rest of the credit link.
A bigger problem would be getting the backlink url into the database so that constant file handling isn't required. I'd suggest reading the colorset_info.txt only in the template config screen, but Garvin would know more about this.
The ability of bp to now "see" colorsets that are not distributed WITH bp is a great feature... bp can be extended with a simple css file and perhaps some images without the need to include the base stylesheets and tpls.
Unfortunately, we did not originally see BP itself being used that way! We saw it as a framework that a template designer would start with by first deleting all bp's colorsets, then adding their own, even if none of the tpls and base stylesheets were changed!!!
We'll have to get Garvin involved on this one to see what options might be available so that someone can get author recognition (and link) in the footer of just a "colorset" without having to release an entire template that is 99.9% otherwise identical to bp.
From a usability point of view, I'd prefer to provide a colorset. They take less time to code up (meaning I could churn out more in less time) and the user benefits. After all if you've already pasted in your navbar links, worked out exactly which entry footer to use, and then you have to do it all again, I imagine it would be frustrating.
Unfortunately, I also can't use BP because due to the bp image in the footer. This code has a tendency to throw the page top margin into negative pixels when a user clicks on a comment link from the recent comments plugin.
If I can remove the image but leave the text version linkback in place then I can use BP.
Carl
I'm not sure what you mean with the top margin becoming negative due to clicking on recent comments.... I do not see that behavior on this site, my site, nor YL's site. Do you have a "live" example of this behavior?
I think the link to bp and attribution is more important than the actual button. I for one have no problem with a text link in lieu of a button.
What can I do?
Thanks!