Instructions For Installing Web Writer v3

These instructions can also be found online:
grs1demo.reidstott.com/how-to-install-this-template

These instructions assume you already have a working installation of Textpattern, and the FTP/SFTP access required to upload files. NOTE: Textpattern version 4.0.5 is required. While I’ve done my best to “preset” everything I can in these templates and forms, there are places you will have to make simple changes for your own customized site. So you should be comfortable making the basic code changes you will find in these directions.

  1. Installation
  2. Unpacking the Zip Archive
  3. Importing and Configuring the Templates
  4. Preference Settings
  5. Template Options
  6. What if I’m using Textpattern in a subdirectory?

Installation

If you have a basic “first time” installation of Textpattern working on your server [Installation instructions], you’re ready to start. If your installation already has existing content, you will want to backup your database before going any further (consult your web host for their preferred method).

Secured your data? OK, let’s start with the required plug-ins you need to install . Links are provided below to each plug-in page at Textpattern Resources, to insure you get the latest version [Adding Plugins to Your Textpattern Installation].

The following plug-ins are required:

  • bit_rss — For the RSS feeds you can use in the sidebar (also requires uploading simplepie.inc, which is included in the archive, and described below)
  • chh_if_data
  • hcg_templates — This is how you will import these templates (requires the creation of a _templates directory on the server, as described below)
  • zem_contact_reborn
  • zem_contact_lang
  • rss_pluginstaller — Not exactly “required,” but it makes it a breeze to install the many fine plugins from Rob Sable. Install the plugin, upload the /magpie/ directory as described below and activate it. Click on Admin, and a new Extensions tab appears. Click on PlugInstaller. Scoll to bottom, and click yes for both “Skip Install Preview” and “Active on Install,” then click save. Then install the following two plugins, which are required:

The following plugins are not required for these templates and forms, but they are highly recommended, and will make your publishing life easier.

  • upm_image and upm_img_popper — Makes it easy to insert uploaded images in an article form (and for Firefox users, the “Add-on” dragdropupload makes it easy to upload by dragging that image instead of having to “Browse” for it)
  • pap_contact_cleaner — Reduces spam by adding a hidden form field to the zem_contact form.
  • mrw_spamkeywords_urlcount — “It checks against a common set of (configurable) keywords, and also checks to see how many URLs are present in the comment.”
  • nko_spamurl_blocker — “It checks if a certain URL is present within the commenter’s “Web” input field and, if true, mark said comment as Spam.”
  • If you installed rss_pluginstaller, go to the Extensions tab, and install:
    • rss_admin_show_adv_opts — “This is used to automatically expand the advanced article options when you’re on the Content -> write tab”
    • rss_admin_db_manager — “The rss_admin_db_manager plugin gives you full control over your Textpattern database. It gives you the ability to backup your database, download your backups, restore your backups if necessary, view the current status of your database tables, repair them if necessary and run SQL statements against your data base.”

Unpacking the Zip Archive

First, download grs1_Web_Writer.zip

When you unpack this Zip archive, you will find more than just a directory of templates, forms, and styles. You will find a directory structure meant to mimic the home directory of your web site, as seen below:

  • /_templates/ (CHMOD to 777)
    • /grs1/
      • /forms/
      • /pages/
      • /style/
  • /gfx/ (contains all graphics used in the layout)
  • /textpattern/ (this directory is empty, except for…)
    • /lib/simplepie.inc (required for displaying RSS feeds with bit_rss)
    • /magpie/ (required for rss_pluginstaller)
  • instructions.html (this document)

Login to your server via FTP/SFTP, and upload the /_templates/ and /gfx/ directories into the same directory that /textpattern/ exists (usually your root or /public_html/ directory … if you have installed textpattern into a subdirectory, see notes below). The /_templates/ directory needs to have permissions (CHMOD) set to 777.

Open up the /lib/ folder within your /textpattern/ directory and upload “simplepie.inc” into it, to add it to the existing files in that folder.

Go back up one level so you are within your main /textpattern/ directory, and upload the /magpie/ directory. While you’re there, make sure that the /textpattern/tmp/ directory also has permissions set to 777.

Importing and Configuring the Templates

While I’ve done my best not to overwrite the existing default templates or forms, in a few cases that is not possible. [Textbook has the default pages,, default forms, and default styles online]. And in some cases you will be re-importing default forms on which these templates rely, overwriting whatever changes you have made to them before now. So the first thing you should do to get familiar with the the hcg_templates plugin and this process is to export whatever you’re using now (even if it is the defaults).

Once you’ve activated the hcg_templates plugin, you should be able to find an “Extensions” tab. Click it, and then the tab “Templates.” In the form box labeled “Name this export,” enter “default” or “current” or whatever name you like, then click “Go.” You should get a page detailing the successful export. Then you can find that export via FTP/SFTP in the /_templates/ folder you created above, in a subdirectory with the name you entered for “Name this export.” If it failed, did you set the permissions (CHMOD) of the /_templates/ folder to 777?

Once you’ve successfully exported, go back to the “Templates” tab and look in the dropdown menu next to “Which template set would you like to import?” Select “grs1” and click “Go.” You should get a page detailing the successful import.

Now go to Presentation > Sections. Create sections named “Archives” “Contact” and “Downloads” (Default, About, and Article should exist by default). If you prefer not to have a Downloads or Contact section, just don’t create them.

These sections have multiple dropdown menus and Yes/No choices. The table below tells you which settings to use for each section. Note, each section has its own “Save” button, so do them one at a time.

  default about archives article contact downloads
Section
name		 n/a about archives article contact downloads
Section
title		 n/a About Archives Article Contact Downloads
Uses
page		 grs1_default grs1_default grs1_archives grs1_articles grs1_contact grs1_downloads
Uses
style		 default default default default default default
Selected
by default?		 n/a no no yes no no
On front
page?		 n/a no no yes no no
Syndicate? n/a no no yes no no
Include in
site search?		 n/a yes yes yes yes yes

Got your sections set? Next…

Go to Content > Categories to create the ones you want, for both Articles and Links. In grs1_sideblock1, the form is preset to use the default “Textpattern” category for Links, as well as two newly created Link categories, “Blogs” and “Elsewhere.” If you want to use those, you will need to create them. You can also create any other Link categories you desire, but you will need to add them in the form grs1_sideblock1 (see below).

Preference Settings

Go to Admin > Preferences.

“Site Name” is what appears big & bold at the top of each page. “Site slogan” is the smaller dark text in the header than aligns to the right (you can blank this out if you prefer no slogan).

Set the “Date format” and “Archive date format” to your preferred display, and choose your “Permalink mode.”

You may want to change some of the preferences for comments (if you don’t see any comments preferences, set “Accept comments” to Yes), but leave “Automatically append comments to articles?” set to Yes, leave “Comments mode” set to nopopup, and leave “Present comments as a numbered list?” set to Yes.

Once you’ve made your changes, click “Save.” Then near the top of the page, click the yellow tab that says “Advanced.” You may want to review the settings there, but mostly the defaults should be fine. But if you plan on using the Links feature, you probably should set “Textile link descriptions by default?” to Yes. And, again, click “Save” when you are done.

Finally, go to the tab “Extensions” > “edit link”. It will likely say “Cookie rss_article_edit is not set.” Click the button for “Add Edit Link” and the text should change to “Cookie rss_article_edit is set” (if you use this plug-in at another Textpattern install, you might want to give this cookie a unique name). After doing this, when you reload your site, each article should have an {EDIT} link at the beginning of the “Posted by…” line. This link is only visible to someone who is logged in to Textpattern, and clicking it will take you to the “Write” page where you can edit that specific article.

Template Options

You’ll find that the pages grs1_default, grs1_articles, grs1_archives, grs1_contact, and grs1_downloads have comments that are not visible in the source of your site, only in Textpattern’s admin. Use these as guidelines for any changes you might want to make.

For example, you must to go to Presentation > Pages > grs1_contact and add your email address, so the form will send correctly. To do so, just follow the directions in the comments within the grs1_contact page template.

And if you go to Presentation > Styles, and “Edit raw CSS,” you will see informative comments there as well (if you “Edit in CSS editor,” you won’t see the comments).

The main customization you might want to make is to the sidebar of the site. The portions that are “hard coded” into the page templates are the search form, browse box, and About blurb [the About page in the demo explains how to create that text and image].

For the rest of the sidebar content, you’ll see the page templates call one of two forms, grs1_sideblock1 or grs1_sideblock2. Both forms are well commented to explain their usage, and how to alter them.

grs1_sideblock1 shows, in order, the 6 most Recent Comments, a flickr HTML badge showing six thumbnails, three categories of links entered on the Content > Links tab, and an RSS feed of links from del.icio.us. Each section has a <h3>Title</h3> followed by the chunk of code that generates the content. You can edit/remove/add these to your heart’s desire. In fact, you most surely will want to replace my flickr feed (though it is family safe … my 2 year old niece and kitten photos) and del.icio.us feed with your own. Again, read the comments in the form itself to find out how.

grs1_sideblock2 shows, in order, the 6 most Recent Comments, 6 Related Articles (if it’s an article page) and a flickr Flash badge. Each section has a <h3>Title</h3> followed by the chunk of code that generates the content. You can edit/remove/add these to your heart’s desire. In fact, you most surely will want to replace my flickr feed wiht your own (though it is family safe … my 2 year old niece and kitten photos). Again, read the comments in the form itself for directions.

What if I’m using Textpattern in a subdirectory?

You should upload all of the supplied files in the same place relative to your Textpattern install, meaning within your subdirectory instead of your web root or /public_html/. However, you will need to make some changes to the style sheet, grs1_primary.

Let’s assume you’ve placed your Textpattern installation in the subdirectory /blog/. In ten places, you will find a line in the style sheet like this:

background-image: url(/gfx/somefile.jpg);

You will need to insert your subdirectory name just before /gfx/, e.g.

background-image: url(/blog/gfx/somefile.jpg);

The pages and forms are set up to compensate for whatever your site URL might be, but the style sheet requires your manual intervention, as above.