[TYPO3-english] THEMES - the tool for Designers, Template Builders and Content Creators

Andreas Becker ab.becker at web.de
Thu Jun 13 12:32:44 CEST 2013


Hi

Most of you know meanwhile about Ron Hall's great way to build TYPO3
Websites with Framework for TemplaVoila. Version 2 is in the Pipe.

The ideas of TVFW and more are going now to be available in fluid!

Since months intensive work was going on to bring the ideas of TVFW and
Fluid as well as some other very useful features of TYPO3 to one simple to
use solution. Focus: Usability and Flexibility. Kay Strohbach did a great
job and soon a vagrant environment will be released for everyone to test it
entirely.

I opened up this thread to get some feedback about Themes, but also about
some ideas for improvements. Focus should be always on the usability for
USERS and CONTENT Creators as those are mainly the customers using TYPO3.
The idea behind Themes is pretty easy to understand if you have a look to
other CMS and why they are so popular,


   1. They have lots of Templates available in the Internet. actually many
   Companies are living from creating Templates for WordPress, Joomla or
   Drupal. Check TemplateMonster, Themeforest etc and you will soon realize
   that TYPO3 Templates aren't present at all. One reason why customers often
   not even have heard about TYPO3.
   2. They have a nice starting package which is every easy to install and
   great as a staring point! A CMSs should be for Content Creators as even a
   fully functional and great looking website will be difficult to monetize if
   there is no content in it.
   3. They have nice features like getting a mobile Version (Drupal is
   working even on getting the Backend to be usable on mobiles which is an
   important factor for Content Creators - i.e. http://getbarley.com is
   another nice example),
   4. They integrate and Connect to Social Media Parts and Videos, Image
   from other sites easily. Social Networking is important our days.

TYPO3 was lacking most of those features as they wet not easy to integrate,
TYPO3 wasn't easy to start with and TYPO3 had no LOOK!

http://t3n.de/news/state-open-source-cms-441808/

"Hinterherhinken tun die Open-Source-CMS leider in den Bereichen Experience
> Management und Personalisierung sowie bei der Fähigkeit, Features in
> Produkte zu verpacken. Wenn man sich ein Adobe CQ5 anschaut, was ein tolles
> kommerzielles Tool ist, kann es nicht viel mehr als beispielsweise ein
> TYPO3 mit Modulen und Konfigurationen, aber es ist einfach als Produkt viel
> besser verpackt, integrierter und von Anfang an für Marketer ausgelegt."
> Kian Gould in T3N


 "Open source CMS are lagging , unfortunately, in the areas of experience
> management and personalization, as well as the ability to package features
> in products. If an Adobe CQ5 you look at what a great commercial tool, it
> can not do much more than for example a TYPO3 with modules and
> configurations, but it's just much better packaged as a product, more
> integrated and designed from the start designed for marketers. " Kian Gould
> in T3N


TVFW started to build up a Skin Repository in TER with standardized
exchangable skins. In front of customers it is possible to flip nice
designs and the content flips into the right position. As TemplaVoila is
unfortunately an dead end in its current state, the question for
alternatives came up. Claus Due build Fedext and Joe Gridelements. The one
is storing the Backend data in the Backend which makes it a bit more
difficult to exchange it, while Fedext Fluid Content and Fluid Pages is
very very flexible. Since years Kay was like me a TemplaVoila Framework
User dealing day by day with non developers and he started to develop
Themes to get a solution running with the best of all breads.

Meanwhile Themes is as flexible as the Framework for TemplaVoila and even
your Framework Skins Version 1 can be reused using the Themes Adapter for
TemplaVoila Framework.

It has all those extended features of Claus Dues Fluid Content and Fluid
Pages as it is build on it and it can work with grid elements soon. And as
a plus you can reuse your content more easily similar as you might know it
from jfmulticontent but with much better additional features to thanks to
fluid.

Also WordPress Templates can be integrated using the Themes Adapter for
WordPress.

Soon A Library with Typoscript Snippets will be available with best
practice Snippets so that your site can be build like your building Houses
with LEGO. Language Switchers, Menues, breadcrumbs, Dates, etc nicely
prepared to be filled with the Constant Editor.

In short it is a great tool for productivity which will help agencies,
developers, designers and content creators.

Here are some links an I hope you will test  and comment and write about
it. To improve it further. It needs your feedback!  Check out the videos:

Themes: http://youtu.be/CUCoSkXxoQ4 and http://youtu.be/D2N95gwoQ_A
Themes Builder: http://youtu.be/7RYI1Ti3Wx8
DybCss: http://youtu.be/WLe0zogG7s4 and http://youtu.be/_nccmp7hNCc
Site Manager: http://youtu.be/iQDqBP88IKM

You will find everything on Github: https://github.com/typo3-themes

More Information you will find also on http://www.typo3-themes.org

The idea is to build up a Themes directory which later can be i.e.
integrated as part of the TYPO3.org website. Here TYPO3 Themes which follow
the standardized way of Themes can be posted, marketed and soon also sold.

What Themes will need now most is Developers and Themes Builders who like
to start into TYPO3 Theming Business.
IMHO - This could be even help to create new jobs!

Designers will be able to create nice LOOKS while TypoScript and Fluid
Geeks could enhance Templates with new functionality. Collaboartion could
be dine i.e. using https://layervault.com

IMHO All in all will help to bring TYPO3 to those who like to have great
designs, great functionality, flexibility and of course security for their
websites.

Stay tuned for the Themes Vagrant which Kay will release soon so everybody
will be able to test it entirely.

There will be some more hangouts at Google+ in future. I realized that not
everybody has a Google+ account but those hangouts are simply great for
demonstrations and collaborations incl. screensharing and remote desktop
and more. It is worth in joining IMHO.

You will find the TYPO3 EXT:Themes - Google+ Community Site here:
https://plus.google.com/u/1/communities/100060687535829230492?cfem=1

Hope to see you there soon.

Please test Themes and let us know your thoughts about it. Thanks

Andi


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