If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Mary Evans -
Number of replies: 16
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Technically speaking Base theme should look just as good in it's raw state as Bootstrapbase does.

Sadly that is not the case. So I was just thinking, if Base theme had been styled as a simple 'nice looking' theme then perhaps all the child themes it styles would have looked just as 'nice looking' in those areas that matter to Admins, with little or not alteration from Theme designers, thus cutting back on duplicated CSS.

So the challenge is:

How would you have styled Base theme if you had had the chance?

Cheers

Mary

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In reply to Mary Evans

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Gareth J Barnard -
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Very good question Mary, ok I would:

  • Refactor all CSS to reduce duplication and separate form & function, such that it is easy to override general styles in child themes whilst not having to worry about the nitty gritty and get too granular.  Transpose all changes to 'bootstrapbase'.
  • Set rules such that Integrators / Peer reviewers prevented future duplication, like 'iconsmall' and 'smallicon'.
  • Have a clean, crisp look.  I came across this site - http://tympanus.net/codrops/ - the other day and I think it looks quite good.
  • Perhaps adopt a mobile-first design strategy.
  • Change the logic of the layouts such that they are more 'template' orientated, less duplication.  A write once, read many strategy.
  • Perhaps the issue is not the icing on the cake but the structure of the cake in the first place, so examine all of the UX and apply modern practices.

That's it so far.

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In reply to Gareth J Barnard

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Mary Evans -
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I like the look of that example Codrops theme you posted.

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In reply to Mary Evans

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Kevin Wiliarty -

On a course page, with editing turned on, I'd love to see the editing icons/menus at the beginning of the line. I find them much easier to parse when they are aligned in columns. For example:

editing icons in columns at start of line

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In reply to Kevin Wiliarty

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Mary Evans -
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What a good idea Kevin. Perhaps you should suggest that at an improvement in Moodle Tracker!

Cheers

Cheers

Mary

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In reply to Mary Evans

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Richard Oelmann -
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Aren't they all in a drop down now anyway? ;)

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In reply to Richard Oelmann

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Gareth J Barnard -
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They are in M2.6 Richard, but there is a setting such that you can get the old way back.  A little like the Tardis control panel and going back to pre-decimalisation.

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In reply to Gareth J Barnard

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Ken Tuley -

and where is that setting to switch back?  My teachers are going crazy with the switch to list.

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In reply to Ken Tuley

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Mary Evans -
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There is a problem we are trying to fix with the ON/OFF switch, but get hampered with technicalities beyond our control. I have heard that they are going to drop it, as it has not really been such a success.

The setting is in Site Administration > Appearance > AJAX and Javascript settings

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In reply to Richard Oelmann

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Mary Evans -
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Hi Rich,

Good job this is not 'Just a minute' else I would say you are deviating from the subject! LOL

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In reply to Mary Evans

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Danny Wahl -

A lot of the answers seem to be more than just "restyle" so I'll follow that trend too:

  • breakout "core.css" into many smaller sheets (easier for child excludes)
  • remove ALL !important
  • remove ALL color declarations
  • remove ALL borders
  • mobile first, even if it's not using a grid (even though it could use the bootstrap css grid w/ no problem)
  • I really wish settings could be inherited MDL-27280
  • mobile-friendly custommenu and dock
  • kill all the .ie6 .ie7 and .ie8 selectors with fire.  or at least move them into an ie.css sheet so I can exclude them XD

I've always equated "bootstrap base" more with "clean".  IMO Base should provide basic positioning for core "widgets" and that's it, clean should style them to look "nice".  I hate creating a theme based on "base" and having to override colors, borders, add !important to override !important in base, etc...

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In reply to Danny Wahl

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Mary Evans -
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Child themes can inherit Parent settings.
The child theme carries its own settings.php as these need to be theme specific, but the lib.php stays with the parent.

Ask Paul Nichols he know all about this sort of thing.

smile

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In reply to Mary Evans

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Steve Ambro v3.8 -

If I understand the request, here are some of my thoughts:

1)  I would like to see a symbol near an assignment indicating if any submissions have not been graded yet.

2) Remove the "Add A Block" block from all screens except in the list of assignments and place it on the right side.  It would free up that left side for better use of what is presently  the center column.

3) Every instructor should have a private CSS option and not have to use the one that is common to all users in the child theme.

4) Place the weeks on a roll-a-dex pattern to have the latest week at the top with previous weeks being bumped to the bottom.  [ Considering the problem I had just dragging a week to a new location, maybe this is a hazardous suggestion:  (-:  ]

If these are unique to our use of the Magazine theme then they may not apply.

 

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In reply to Mary Evans

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Stuart Lamour -
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Separate the views :

1. Content - the stuff seen be students, for most tasks by tutors etc - themes use whatever css/html/js they need

2. Admin - settings and all the none-teaching side - uses moodle core, just not skinable

makes theming much simpler smile

 

 

 

 

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In reply to Mary Evans

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by Jon Jack -

Hi Mary,

  • A responsive layout,
  • Font icons I'd like to see image icons replaced with font icons, preferably all Image icons such as switch_minus in the block as this is a pain to override if you have a dark block header - for example and this would be simple if using font icons.
  • Minimal color styling just layout and positioning.

Thanks

Jon

Average of ratings: Useful (1)
In reply to Mary Evans

Re: If you could restyle Base theme how would you style it?

by David Scotson -
I think it should look (and act, and use the same underlying HTML) like Bootstrap v3.
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