With the copying of any files, if your site is secured properly by placing an index.html file at any openings, then it isn't possible to copy like your saying....

They all should contain this:

In my own case if i notice module dev missing them, i do try and add one index.html to every open folder.

@wizanda. Not true, that does not prevent access. You can still navigate to yourtheme/theme.html and press the stop button on your browser before the redirect takes place.

@skenow - My big gripe about the direction that the template engine is taking is that it is being over complicated.

Speaking of which, Morphogenesis is the most ridiculous thing ever... Sorry to everyone that has spent so much time working on it... but honestly. Whenever someone release something based off of Morpho, it just makes me laugh.. Morpho is not the "solution" to anything, and if it was... who exactly has the right to claim it as such? You can create table-less themes without going to such extremes.

XO-Chicken XO-Feed XO-Why?

Why does XOOPS feel the need to take 4 steps too many? php is just such a more versatile solution, and in any other cms actual thought has been put into protecting the work of authors.

Wherein XOOPS... a go back home script is the ultimate solution? Thats absurd... htaccess obviously plays a role in the true solution, but why has it not been implemented? This all boils down to who gets to make the big decisions.

I am not trying to insult all the people that have spent years developing this software. However, I am pointing out that sometimes different isn't best, and in trying to be different we have limited ourselves; and given every commercial designer a reason to stay away from this cms.

Lets also discuss branding. ANY other php based cms gives the authors the ability to brand their work. I believe that Code-Plus had integrated this into their system.

I know that in the end there is no 100% safe way to protect this stuff, but at the same time... should we not even try???

______OFF TOPIC, BUT NEEDED________

@****
Recently I showed a preview of my work in the admin panel of my own site, and apparently that pissed someone off. I wasn't trying to replace the XOOPS admin panel. I do this a service with my work, it is an option that I give to my customers, if they want their admin panel to look like the rest of their site, I give that to them. It is not my fault that Someone has ignored submissions by other authors. Your anger needs to be directed at the right people. Ultimately you need to stop thinking your the best at everything, get off your soapbox and stop preaching about how cool you are. I don't think your work is that impressive, I do not believe you have any taste whatsoever, I think everything you do looks exactly the same. Deal with it.

I was going to complement you on your admin design, just meant registering and didn't get around to it...will looking into securing the theme designs also

does X2 still support X1 themes?

i used to use some theme.php themes a year or two ago.

Quote:

A rather wide-ranging post... Not really so much about templates_c after all, it seems.

I wonder what that means?

For myself, I like the morpho themes and use them. My site visitors find them more attractive, easily used, and accessible. They do require some extra attention and skills. But, in my opinion, they're worth it. If you don't like them, that's fine. If you don't like templates_c. That's fine too. You gave your reasoning.

Quote:

But, you still managed to. I read this thread because I thought I might learn something. There's this strange sense, though, that it's more about complaining. So, I guess I'll move on to a thread where people have something to ask/say/really contribute.

I feel it was pretty much on point with exception to the last bit.

The whole point of this thread is that XOOPS takes steps that are not called for, and we wanna know why. If by doing so you limit the abilities of the designer.

I think in my years of support, and contributions I have earned the right to complain about something that affects the work that I do.

I do not like that a certain clique of people is trying to force "standards" down the rest of our throats. I also dislike that the majority of this community eats it up like a group of lemmings.

Just because something is more complicated does not make it better, and I can code themes in my sleep (and ever since my daughter was born, I have been doing just that) So nothing related to theme(ing) for XOOPS is too advanced for me. It may sound snobbish... so be it. I feel Morpho is overblown, the concept is fantastic. Table-less.. wow!

No I didn't intentionally try and offend anyone with that, My personal opinion is that Morpho is a complete waste of time. I am in no way saying that people shouldn't use it. You have every right to think that morpho is better, thats your choice.

Quote:

So, I guess I'll move on to a thread where people have something to ask/say/really contribute.

Alright, so I guess I will see you over on the Joomla! forums.

First, I'm not a designer.
Concerning templates_c, as XOOPS is using Smarty, there's the need of a place where to put the compiled templates.
For the "benefice" of the whole system ... I've been working on some systems without a template engine and it's a real pain.

Yes I know, some of you will tell me that Php is already a template system, yes it's true but to have to write is a pain (and I don't like short open tags (because I have used ASP))

Smarty is simple enough, can be used by most people (even those who don't know Php), as much functions and you can also use Php inside Smarty (without the need to see some Php code inside the design)

I (as a module developer) can do the Php code and someone without Php knowledge, can do the design.

And finally, also to come back to the subject, the templates are compiled to some pure Php scripts ....

So what can be better ?

Hiya,

I would like to add my 2 pence to this subject.

The template_c directory is required by the smarty engine to compile the templates to a php format and configurable by smarty config. So infact, you can change this directory to elsewhere with some changes to XOOPS and Smarty. (I remember someone merging this directory and the cache one a while ago).

To protect your work, I would suggest you use .htaccess to prevent any unwanted access to this area, there are plenty websites that will offer examples on how to do this.

But I agree, protecting your work is something that should be taken into consideration and addressed asap.

Should we change the format from an htm to php for the theme? I my honest opinion no and if we start doing this we will start mixing logic and presentation again. Try working with Joomla for a little while and see exactly what I mean.

@Will: How can you be a web designer and not concerned about standards? I find that a little strange, considering that html, xhtml and xml are all governed by this. You only have to work with Firebox and IE to understand why standards in some cases are important. If all browsers adhered to standards then it wouldn't matter which browser I worked in, the end result should look the same in all browsers then? Surely, yes?

This is why standards should be set, it makes it easier for everyone to work with. If I apply this to XOOPS you just need to look at all the different modules that use their own frameworks and code for doing the same thing. There is no real standard within XOOPS for a developer to work from.

But who is setting the standards? Well that is a different kettle of fish.

Actually I have to disagree that PHP is a template system, maybe originally it was but not now. PHP with version and 5 and 6 is now moving more and more away from that and more a programming language.

ATB

Catz

@hervet
I appreciate the reply, but um, the answer to why I can't use a theme.php is because it's too hard for some people? And you're serious? Come on...
Quote:
Me not having to theme exactly like everyone else does: INSERT YOUR THEME CODE HERE....would be alot better.

I've worked on some systems using php as well and I didn't find it to be a pain at all...I mean I'm not asking you to throw out the XOOPS template system for a php system instead, but is it really so much to ask that I be able to code a theme in php without breaking some aspect of xoops? I understand the function of templates_c...it holds the conversion of smarty -> php for each page and of course would decrease page load time as each page would already be complied in templates_c and would not have to be recompiled from the theme.html every time a page is viewed.

So...how about a NORMAL caching system instead of being dependent on smarty's templates_c to hold each compiled page. That way a designer could use html and smarty or php without it taking 5 seconds to load each page. I understand that I'm fairly new around here and my opinion is probably not regarded too highly, but I definitely do not understand why XOOPS is so driven to limit designers to doing things the XOOPS way and only the XOOPS way and if I don't like it that's my problem.

Like i said before, I've worked on the theme.php's for other CMSs, one who's name i wont mention has to be the worst CMS you could ever use, HOWEVER it has the best themes that I have ever seen, it has a TON of experienced designers producing themes for it....Why? Because even though the CMS is one big security hole, its theming engine is FLEXIBLE. You can code your theme any way you please you can add as many bells and whistles to it as your little heart desires...you just put your block code in the block function, header code in the header function, etc etc just like xoops...only difference is, you can add variables outside of those functions to customize your theme EXACTLY how you want it...because it uses a theme.php. But with XOOPS on the other hand, you end up having to comprise...I can only INSERT THEME CODE HERE, and add a few little customizations provided they comply with the XOOPS template system.

Sure, you could further complicate the template system to allow for a little bit more customization in themes and keep telling people to theme like this with smarty or your theme simply won't be cached (compiled)....OR you could write a cache system that doesn't ONLY compile smarty, but will also cache php themes to allow designers to use smarty OR php without completely nullifying a core function of xoops...Like Will said....different isn't always better...

@catz - you are half right. Of course I am worried about standards in the sense that everything should be iidentical, and easily accessible.

I <3 W3C

However, I am not interested in the force fed garbage that passes for standards in this community.

I am behind Sublime on this. I have worked with JOOMLA! and pretty much every other CMS that can be slapped onto a nix box. Love em. Love XOOPS too, but over time I have ran into more and more "uhp, thats right... cant do that with XOOPS". than I care to mention.

The ultimate point is that designers do not have the option to mix the data & presentation layers if that is what they want to do.

We are forced and strong armed to utilize the Presentation layer, Its like mommy telling us to stay out of the cookie jar.

I just don't think that XOOPS is as flexible as it gives itself credit for. Atleast in this aspect.