How to create theme from scratch?

[xertion]

I've been using Prestashop for a quite short period of time but during these months I've created a shop or two and customizing it's graphics by copying the default-theme and then modifying the .CSS and the template files.

This is not optimal since I'm starting with someone else code and someone else design. I assume that it would be a lot easier and give me a lot of more freedom if I created each theme from scratch with my own XHTML, my own CSS and my own choice of structure of the site.

I've been googling like crazy and I've been searching the forums, it would be weird if no one ever asked this question before since it's probably the first thing developers or designers ask when they start using Prestashop.

So; is there any documentation, guides or tutorials on how to work with Prestashop-themes from scratch? Instead of copying another theme and customizing it I want to create 100% of the code by myself.

[mscat]

Hi..

I am having the same problem.. Can please someone help us with this..
basic knowledge about building a theme from scratch would be of great help.

Thank you...

[xertion]

There must be some information regarding this out there in the community. Tell us, how do you guys build your websites? How do you work with Prestashop? When creating or designing a new shop, how do you do stuff? Tell us all about it, every piece of information is great and very appreciated.

[mark2]

Hi,

Copying the default theme is the best way as far as I know. It would require a lot of experience to start from scratch and it would be a major job to capture that experience in a document. So I doubt someone will create the document.

I did see a post on the internet regarding reworking the CSS structure (I don't have the link). They were recommending breaking the global.css into many files. I don't think that is a good idea for performance reasons.

Regards,
Mark

[5ummer5]

Hi!

Prestashop uses the smarty templating system. So to start from scratch you would have to first learn how this works. If you google "smarty template tutorial" there will be loads of results to teach you this system. Once you have learnt a bit about it you will be able to see how that applys to Prestashop.

I would also like to build a template from scratch but its just having the time to learn the smarty template system and then learning how to apply it to prestashop. Its just much quicker to edit the existing code.

I hope this helps you! Let us know how you get on!

[tanicos]

I've been using Prestashop for a quite short period of time but during these months I've created a shop or two and customizing it's graphics by copying the default-theme and then modifying the .CSS and the template files.

This is not optimal since I'm starting with someone else code and someone else design. I assume that it would be a lot easier and give me a lot of more freedom if I created each theme from scratch with my own XHTML, my own CSS and my own choice of structure of the site.

I've been googling like crazy and I've been searching the forums, it would be weird if no one ever asked this question before since it's probably the first thing developers or designers ask when they start using Prestashop.

So; is there any documentation, guides or tutorials on how to work with Prestashop-themes from scratch? Instead of copying another theme and customizing it I want to create 100% of the code by myself.

you can simply copy and edit the default template in Dreamweaver. It all depends on your programming skills.

[rocky]

Topic moved since it is regarding theme creation, not configuring Prestashop

[xertion]

I work as a webdeveloper so I would not have any problems with editing the code. That's what I've been doing (As I was saying) previously. Thing is that the agency I'm working for is expanding into webshop-development. Been trying out a few different platforms but we decided that Prestashop seems to be nice to get into.

So if I understand everyone correctly; You are all modifying the default-template into your own designs. None are actually coding everything from scratch; The way I'm doing it is already the "default" way.

If any moderator or developer read this thread. You should check out the way you template stuff in TYPO3. It's really smooth and easy to create your own custom stuff. You just create a XHTML structure of your choice and then map the different

's to publish different stuff. The name of the common TYPO3-template-module is Templavoila.

Thanks for your help!

[CalloSmart]

I've been using Prestashop for a quite short period of time but during these months I've created a shop or two and customizing it's graphics by copying the default-theme and then modifying the .CSS and the template files.

This is not optimal since I'm starting with someone else code and someone else design. I assume that it would be a lot easier and give me a lot of more freedom if I created each theme from scratch with my own XHTML, my own CSS and my own choice of structure of the site.

I've been googling like crazy and I've been searching the forums, it would be weird if no one ever asked this question before since it's probably the first thing developers or designers ask when they start using Prestashop.

So; is there any documentation, guides or tutorials on how to work with Prestashop-themes from scratch? Instead of copying another theme and customizing it I want to create 100% of the code by myself.

Hi

I have over 13 years of software development in Microsoft based software development technologies. But I am a newbie to PHP and especially to Prestashop framework. I am learning the framework and in the process, started to write a series of posts(Creating a Prestashop 1.4 theme from scratch) to outline the creation of a new Prestashop theme using Visual Studio and other tools. The posts primarily are targeted towards a PHP/Prestashop newbie.

Please visit Creating a Prestashop 1.4 theme from scratch and share my experiences through my learning phase. I hope active participation from other novice Prestashop programmers like me and advices from Prestashop experts to make the posts helpful for others who require it.

[SajjadAhmad]

Hello

I am new to PrestaShop, previously I worked with Joomla. Creating joomla theme is very easy. But Prestashop seems very difficult.

I am trying very hard from last couple of days to find a good tutorial, which explains in details that how can we build our own theme. I also not want to amend the default but my own one. I am not very good in CSS thing, so prefer to go with tables with inline CSS.

Since no one is out there to help all of us, I suggest to all of you to work on theme from scratch on self-help basis. What if we share what we all know about prestashop and help each other. May be, we can manage to create a theme jointly, which, everybody will be free to use in whatever way.

for this purpose, we can make a discussion group, say on yahoo or google and will work jointly on it. Overall, prestashop is open source plateform, why not can we make an open source theme for prestashop.

What I am supposing that we few guys can jointly make a discussion group, then we will distribute different tasks between us. Everybody will be free to take enough time to finish his task and we will develope a theme which we all can customise for our individual help. And if all agreed, we can provide the structure to others too, either free or charge, Whatever, we decide collectively.

Let's work on it. seems like a good would-be experience. What you guys say?????????

Thanks.

Saj

[nuclearholocausto]

To All,

I agree with 5ummer5, Prestashop uses Smarty PHP templating system, if you really want to learn to grasp everything about Prestashop, you would have to learn Smarty, CSS, PHP, JQuery, to name a few. Since majority of developers out there or should i say prospective clients has a mentality of "I want it NOW!" learning a new system is definitely not a feasible option for me. Hence modifying the default template is the way to go (in the case you have a prospective client lined-up). Version 1.4 is already on it's way and by the looks of it, it really looks promising! I'm really excited to see the final version! I'm sure this doesn't answer or help a lot of us beginning Prestashop users, but to those brave who would like to venture Smarty, my hat is off to you. Good luck to us all!

[mgr_metal]

I know how SMARTY works but there would be nice to have a guide that points major things to involve when creating new theme.

[Henrik Pantle]

yes indeed, is there a "map" what variables change what?

 

a screenshot with the variable names and in what files they are strored.

 

must exist for each module than, right?

[Andrej Stas]

I recommend using my project PrestaBuilder.com

It serves also as a great boilerplate for further modifications and it's ready for tablets and mobile phones.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Andrej Stas (see edit history)

[mani313]

its very difficult to make own theme to prestashop it includes tpl file creation with smarty framework and modules creations. so i recommend buy themes on themeforest.com

[aginanjarm]

 

 

Hi

 

I have over 13 years of software development in Microsoft based software development technologies. But I am a newbie to PHP and especially to Prestashop framework. I am learning the framework and in the process, started to write a series of posts(Creating a Prestashop 1.4 theme from scratch) to outline the creation of a new Prestashop theme using Visual Studio and other tools. The posts primarily are targeted towards a PHP/Prestashop newbie.

 

Please visit Creating a Prestashop 1.4 theme from scratch and share my experiences through my learning phase. I hope active participation from other novice Prestashop programmers like me and advices from Prestashop experts to make the posts helpful for others who require it.

 

Hi CalloSmart...

your link are usefull for me..

thnks for share,,