[Zope3-dev] Re: How does the rotterdam skin work?

[Jim Fulton]

Jean-Marc Orliaguet wrote:
> Tonico Strasser wrote:
> 
> 
>>Michael Jansen schrieb:
>>
>>
>>>Hi
>>>
>>>Is there anywhere an explanation how the rotterdam skin works. Some
>>>insight's to how an when which parts are selected?
>>>
>>>How to use and expand it?
>>>
>>>I think i'm making progress in understanding how the parts click
>>>together, but some additional insights would be nice.
>>>
>>>The tutorials i found about skins just told me to create a
>>>template.pt and a dialog_macros.pt and so on. But not why. And when
>>>either one is used.
>>>I think i understand some parts of that now and if there is no such
>>>thing like a explanation of this logics i would try to blame myself
>>>by writing down my findings so far.
>>>
>>>Btw. I think doc/skins/README.txt is a little bit out of date. 
>>
>>
>>I think the Rotterdam skin is doomed. I'd rather create my own skin
>>than try to expand it.
>>
>>Tonico
>>
> 
> 
> Hi!
> the problem is not in the skin itself, but in the model  used to create
> "skins". Filesystem-based skins that depend on ZPT macros are doomed by
> definition, unless they are designed to cover most of the site layouts
> you'll find on the internet (for instance the Plone skin is quite
> generic). But maintaining such a generic skin (HTML + CSS) is a lot of work.

While I wouldn't put it *quite* so harshly, I agree.

> Also there is a problem with the target audience: ZPT programmers are
> not always good graphic designers and UI/ graphic designers are not
> always good at ZPT / python.

ZPT isn't supposed to be grouped with Python. ZPT was definately designed
for Web Designers -- people who use tools like Dreamwever.  Except for the macro
issue, ZPT has been pretty (as opposed to completely) sucessful in our
experience.  One thing I'd definately do differently if I could go back
in time to when we invented ZPT is I would absolutely not include python
expressions.  In generally, I would have made them computationally less
powerful.  Our intent was definately that people would not do complex
computations in ZPT but people have definately abused the power we've
provided.

I think the biggest problem with the ZPT macro approach to look and feel
concerns are not separated.  CPSSkins deals with this in it's own way.
I'd like to see an approach for people not using CPSSkins. :)  I think that
this will involve some sort of post-publishing phase in the publication
process.

Jim


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