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I am new to sitecore and my company has been using external company to manage their sitecore, which I totally understand, since it involved so much work on the development.
As a designer myself, I found extermely difficult to create a custom page unless I use what's already available. I could use simple page to insert my html codes but again, it's just way too long. In regular case, when you build a html site, you could simply create pages in dreamweaver and view it on your local computer.
I have tried to make a custom page with the presentation control, but each time I called a sub-rendering. the page is just a BLANK.
*so my 1st question will be, What's the procedure to create a custom page? *
I know sitecore suppose to be powerful and there is many api, I really would like to find out why I found it's so difficult......
my background is, designer base with knowledge of html, css, and php. I am not a developer that's for sure. :)
Thanks for taking time read my blah blah..:)
1st question will be, What's the procedure to create a custom page?
To answer your first question, there are some high levels steps you would generally take.
Create a page template that includes any fields or metadata you need to render the page
Create any layouts, sublayouts, or renderings necessary to render the custom page - this is where having access to a developer normally becomes necessary
Assign the renderings and datasources to the instance of your new template (or better yet, assign the renderings to __Standard Values item)
Publish everything out
You should reference the Self-Study to Building a Very Simple Site from Sitecore
2nd question will be, why do we need to call the developer each time when we want to have some feature inputs?
To answer your second question: To get very far with customizing Sitecore you will need to be a developer or have access to one. This can be mitigated to some extent depending on how flexible the solution is they developed. But let's be real - Sitecore is an Enterprise CMS, it's not Wordpress where you can install a theme and a few plugins.
As someone just learning, there are a number of options
Training from Sitecore - this is probably your best bet
Download and play with Launch Sitecore for sample code and examples to build a real website
Check out the Sitecore Marketplace for modules that can get things done for you
Subscribe to and read John West's blog for inside information of basically every aspect of Sitecore
3rd question is, why I can access the CSS?
This question doesn't make sense frankly, so I will assume it was meant to ask "How?" or "Where?" Without any more information about the site in question, you can normally map the URL to the location on disk. For example:
http://www.mysite.com/css/styles.css
This URL might map to c:\inetpub\wwwroot\mysite\website\css\styles.css
I do highly recommend that any code changes, including CSS, be done through your source control system and only be deployed following your standard release management.
Honestly, I don't believe you are qualified to modify and maintain the Sitecore site given your current training and experience level. The first step I recommend is getting that Sitecore developer training and any training available from your vendor on the specific implementation. Good luck!
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I recently started learning coding I actually didn’t know where to start after doing some researching I decided learning the javascript language as a first step . After finishing the courses on freecodecamp I didnt know what to do next I heard so many things to the point that I feel like I dont know anything . I would like someone to actually help me understand basics before languages, html css ...
Here are my questions :
Are libraries essential to build a website or create games ?
What ui and ux ? ( I heard that its for webpages designing though I also heard that css is also for web designing )
What’s a framework ?
Does all languages have libraries ?
Can you develop apps without libraries or frame work just using css html and javascript(example)
Are libraries essential to build a website or create games?
Yes. Any code you write will fundamentally become your library.
What ui and ux?
UI is the user interface of any tool that requires input. UX is the user experience of a given interface. For example, an airplane pilot is given an interface to control the aircraft, and the controllers are meaningfully arranged to give the pilot the ability to fly safely. The result of the user experience is determined by the pilot's ability to accomplish a task.
What’s a framework?
A framework is the foundation for deploying multiple functionalities for specific tasks. For example, an airport specifically manages how passengers arrive and depart to a new location by air travel. Similarly, a boating dock specifically manages how passengers travel over water. Here is a list of a few web frameworks out there: Github Frameworks
Do all languages have libraries?
Most languages include built-in libraries. For example, Javascript includes basic math functions.
Can you develop apps without libraries or frame work just using css html and javascript(example)
Yes and no. HTML is a markup language, and CSS is used to style your information. Fundamentally, you can write a static web app with html, hide or reveal information with css, and link out to other pages. If you intend to write an app with functionality that manipulates the HTML or CSS, you will need a programming language such as Javascript.
Are libraries essential to build a website or create games? In a way no, but they will make your life much easier if you use them properly.
What is UI and UX? User Experience and User Interface. The first one (UX) is in charge of researching the user and it's context to plan and design the basic structure and flow of any platform, app, etc... The later (UI), using the UX outcome, manages the final design, the look-n-feel of it, as well as all the interactions.
What’s a framework? A library of a coding lenguage. They are very useful when you are developing, helps cut time if you can settle for somewhat generic functions-styles. Personally, I still customize the looks as some of them they can look a bit too generic
Does all languages have libraries? Most of them, yeah. All web development languages I know do.
Can you develop apps without libraries or frame work just using css html and javascript(example)? Yes, but for these lenguages it sounds like a waste of time not to use them. The basics to start on those 3 would be Bootstrap, jQuery and their
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I want to create Websites for small companies like restaurants. But i can imagine that i will often get called when they need help "Changing the text". Because they simply doesnt know better. Then i often will have do it for them. But there might be another way?
Image changing is simple. Just rename any Picture you want.
Like:
indexPicture.jpg
Everyone easily can replace those jpg. They simply rename any picture to indexPicture.jpg (preferable same size).
But when it comes changing to text. I can imagine a customer, that destroys html code. and removed some tags like (30 min work). Because he doesn't know better.
Can't I bind some text file to a <p> tag? So they simply have to open it and write something new.
Are there any better method?
Like a free App, they can open every website and simply drag and drop changes or select a <p> tag and simply rename it?
This isn't something that's really supported in basic HTML5, so the simple answer to a simple question is: no.
But life is never that simple in the modern web. If you're using a client-side templating framework like React or Angular (both are JavaScript frameworks which are freely available) you can code the pages to load fragments of text from disparate files which your client may have an easier time editing. I don't believe posting example code here is valuable to the question since that's basically a tutorial on how Angular or React work. There are great tutorials and examples on their sites.
As suggested in the comments the most accurate thing I can think of is to use a CMS. These are very helpful when changing the content of your site. Some examples are Wordpress, Drupal or Joomla. You can have a look here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/building-great-websites/managing-your-website/using-a-cms
I hope that helps you!
You could try a shtml file instead? No CMS needed. I recently found out about this when creating my own HTML5 site as I wanted an easy way to edit a common footer rather than going through all the pages.
Just create a folder with the necessary files (Every paragraph maybe) and include it in the main file using a code like this:
<!--#include virtual="../filename.shtml" -->
I noticed that you didn't want to use a CMS such as WordPress, which as the comments suggest would be a really effective solution.
I once had an issue where I couldn't use a CMS cause I didn't have Cpanel access and what we essentially did was the follow.
Define a XML file, with clearly defined tags for each section of the
website that the client may want to change periodically.
Access the XML file through PHP(something like SimpleXML), and
display the tags/relevant content in the page.
Create a backend that allows the client to view/update content
through forms.
Alternatively, you may use a similar solution with databases and give forms for editing.
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I'm new to web development. So far, I have a good idea of HTML and CSS.
1) I would like to know what are programming languages are required to develop a website like Imgur and what's the role of each language that will be used.
2) Assuming that a user has just uploaded an Image to Imgur, What would be the required steps to generate a unique HMTL file for that particular Image.
You would need:
HTML
CSS
A server-side framework (e.g., PHP, Ruby on Rails, etc.)
Most likely Javascript (but you might be able to get by without it)
A database backend, such as PostgreSQL or MongoDB
You wouldn't need individual HTML sites. When someone goes to http://www.yoursite.com/image/1, the backend (usually .htaccess in Apache) will process it and turn it into /image.php?id=1, which PHP (or another framework) then uses to create an image-specific HTML page.
Good luck!
-totallyuneekname
1) You're probably best looking into either PHP or ASP for a server side language. Also learn SQL, as you'll need to store information about the images somewhere, and a database will probably be best.
2)
Get unique ID of image from URL
Get the address of corresponding image from database, along with title, description etc.
Fill data into relevant parts of your template, i.e image address inside image tag, title in h1 and title tags etc.
You wouldn't need to create new HTML files every time you want someone to view an image. You can just have 1 php file which loads something from a database which gets what you are looking for.
For this you'll probably need: HTML, CSS, MySQLi\pdo, javascript.
It might also be beneficial not just for you to learn a framework, but to work on one too, as it can help you in big projects.
One I regularly work with is codeigniter and it has a lot of good documentation to read through.
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I'm trying to get in the habit of designing the interfaces to my websites at the very beginning before I do any actual coding. I've read "Getting Real" by 37 signals and they recommend doing the interface first, before any actual code is produced.
What exactly is meant by that? Does that mean use pure HTML and CSS to design the site and add php, js logic to page afterwards, or is it okay to sprinkle in the php, js from the beginning?
What if your using a framework, should I set up empty controllers that simply call the views, or should the early stages be solely html, css?
Also, what do you guys think about design first vs later?
EDIT I'm talking about AFTER I have sketched everything with pen and paper.. I'm taslking solely about the html mockups. And I'm not too sure about using extra tools that I would need to learn to do this
I think that the majority of the benefit of designing the interface first has been achieved after you are done your paper sketches. Basically, you are just ensuring that you have a design in your head and that your coding process is somewhat end-user driven. You are also trying not to waste time on needless documentation.
Getting the HTML in place (or the skeletons of the Views in an MVC app) makes some sense and this is the main thrust of what 37signals says. I would certainly not do anything beyond this that is just going to be thrown away.
I think if you have a proper design, it is immaterial if you next move on to writing the back-end code after the HTML or if you do the CSS and JavaScript. The CSS and the code should not even need to be aware of each other.
Do whatever gets you excited and motivated. Do whatever gets you thinking more deeply about how the app will actually work so you can catch any flaws in your original thinking. I like to code before CSS but that is just me. You might find it important to get the CSS further along before the app takes shape in your head.
Joel Spolsky likes Balsamiq as a mocking tool. I think that 37signals uses Draft (an iPhone app). I use a Sharpie. The key is not getting too detailed though.
Opinions vary, but I believe that JavaScript should come last. I believe most sites should be designed so that they work 100% without JavaScript and then have JavaScript added for polish.
Learn more about Unobtrusive JavaScript
So (for me):
Quick and dirty sketches of views
Get some HTML in place
Maybe some basic CSS for layout (or more if I need to impress somebody early)
Write the core logic
Add support for web services and AJAx calls
Pretty it all up with snazzy CSS
Write some JavaScript to add the sizzle
Let me ask you this. Do you paint a car before or after you have made the working parts? Maybe you have chosen which paint but ultimately it cannot go on until the car is finished. Maybe you don't agree with this analogy but I think coding will bring out issues that cannot be understood before a site is designed. Code first, design second.
Get a pad of paper. Each page represents one page of your site.
Sketch the interface. What controls go on each page? What controls are the same on each page? What forms are there and on which pages? What happens when user clicks on item x? Item y?
This will help you solidify your plan of both the content and behaviour of your site.
If you just start blindly coding you will end up with burnt spaghetti.
The user interface is what the users of the website will see. Before coding you probably start with some very basic sketches of the site that are not code, to identify page navigation, general placement of content and interaction with the site.
But the earlier you can show and discuss a working UI, the easier it is for the users/client to get an idea of the final product. So quickly move to the HTML, CSS, JavaScript and things like images, to identify:
The data presented on the page (HTML)
The representation of the data (CSS)
The interaction with the data (JavaScript)
Doing so helps to gradually develop an actual working UI that you can discuss with the client. This keeps them involved from early in the project. It forces them to think about the site, and make decisions about content, look and interaction.
Getting such feedback early in the project reduces the risk of building a product that needs to be changed later on. And making changes early in the project is easier/cheaper, then later in the project.
While the UI is being developed you can already start looking into data structures, software components and integrations with other systems to drive the site. But that's not what users/clients are interested in, they want to see and use the product.
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I'm new to using open source libraries in production code so when it says replicate this license or whatever what is the proper way of doing it?
With desktop software is providing a readme somewhere good enough? What about for a website?
IANAL so none of this addresses legal requirements. The individual license will determine this and you should seek professional advice. My answer speaks only to the ethics of using open source software.
The main principle is that if you use an open source project you should credit that project in a way that could be seen but isn't invasive to your website or app. A "Powered by Python" logo on every Webpage is invasive. A paragraph with a link to the project URL on a help page is quite acceptable (imho).
Desktop applications: on the Help menu put an "About" link that describes the technologies used and gives appropriate credits. IMHO noone reads README files.
Web Sites: if they have a menu, you can do the same thing. Alternatively you can put it as a question in your FAQ. If there's no menu (or possibly in addition to that), you can put a link to that information in the footer (which is small and non-invasive). Eitehr as a separate link or on another relevant link.
Any of the credits should include a link to the project or company homepage.
FYI Some open source project are licensed under a "copyleft" license, which means that any derivative work must also be open source.
You should be careful with that, especially for GPL codes, if they does not explicitly state that you can use the lesser-GPL license and you accidently modified the GPL-ed code (fix a bug, some minor enhancements etc.) you might be up for trouble.
Here is a good read on copyleft: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/
Legal concerns aside, as with #cletus: putting proper credits in proper places is a good idea.
The best thing you can do is fully read the license that the library is released under and interpret what the requirements are from that. There's just no substitute. From there you can look at other projects that use the same libraries (check out sourceforge.net, where you can also filter projects by license) and see what they do.
This is what we did on a site we were working on:
http://www.cartell.ie/about-us/open-source-credits/