Converting frontend themes using HTML5/CSS framework/s [was Re: Converting frontend themes to Twitter Bootstrap]

[Jacques Le Roux <ja...@les7arts.com>]

Hi,

Jonatan wants to give it a go and begin this weekend.

So I created the frontendNewTheme2013-05-10 branch for that, if  anybody complains it's always possible to drop it but I see no reasons.

For convenience here is the branch creation commit comment

Following the thread "Converting frontend themes to Twitter Bootstrap" here is a new branch for that.
Actually the thread subject was misleading since we agreed that Twitter Bootstrap is not the only solution.
The idea is though to introduce and use a HTML5/CSS framework, Bootstrap, H5Boilerplate and Zurb Foundation will be tried in the process...
So I changed the thread subject to Converting frontend themes using HTML5/CSS framework/s.

Jacques

From: "Atul Vani" <at...@hotwaxmedia.com>
> Comments inline.
> 
> On Tue, 07 May 2013 21:02:21 +0530, Adrian Crum  
> <ad...@sandglass-software.com> wrote:
> 
>> I understand what you are proposing. So, let me try this again...
>>
>> HTML cleanups are fine. Updating the markup to HTML 5 is fine. That sort  
>> of overhaul has been done before and it is always welcome.
>>
>> What we are discussing here is introducing an outside styling framework  
>> for the eCommerce application. I question the need for the framework  
>> because most businesses don't use the eCommerce application out of the  
>> box. In other words, we would be investing a lot of time and effort into  
>> something that a lot of businesses will just throw away.
>>
>> As Christian pointed out, it would be nice to have a better looking  
>> eCommerce demonstration, and I agree. But again, I think that can be  
>> done with consistent and concise markup - coupled with some good styling.
> 
> It can be. But the framework helps in defining "consistent and concise  
> markup". Why reinvent?
> 
>>
>> I'm not opposed to the external framework idea, I just question the need  
>> for it.
>>
>> -Adrian
>>
>> On 5/7/2013 4:21 PM, Jonatan Soto wrote:
>>> Hi Adrian,
>>>
>>> Thanks a lot for your input.
>>>
>>> I agree with you that OFBiz is not an eCommerce platform and also that  
>>> the
>>> current themes are there for demonstration but that doesn't change the  
>>> fact
>>> that it needs a complete rework. So what I'm referring to is more about  
>>> to
>>> adapt all of the ftls and screen definitions using one of the fancy  
>>> HTML5
>>> frameworks available rather a cleanup.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, May 7, 2013 at 4:29 PM, Adrian Crum <
>>> adrian.crum@sandglass-software.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I agree in principle with this reply. Very few shops use the OFBiz
>>>> eCommerce front-end - it wasn't intended to be used as-is, instead its
>>>> there for demonstration purposes.
>>>>
>>>> Each business will have a preference for styling their site, so  
>>>> choosing
>>>> one theme over all others seems presumptuous.
>>>>
>>>> As I mentioned in the Jira issue, HTML cleanups are always welcome.
>>>> Consistent and concise markup makes it easier to design themes - and  
>>>> from
>>>> my perspective that provides the most benefit to OFBiz developers.
>>>>
>>>> -Adrian
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 5/7/2013 2:49 PM, Richard Siddall wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Jonatan Soto wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Would be anyone interested in convert the existing frontend themes  
>>>>>> into
>>>>>> Bootstrap  
>>>>>> http://twitter.github.io/**bootstrap/<http://twitter.github.io/bootstrap/>
>>>>>> ?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The idea is to create a theme from scratch that will replace the  
>>>>>> current
>>>>>> default and multiplex themes.
>>>>>>
>>>>> [snip]
>>>>>
>>>>> While I think having more modern front-end themes would be great, let  
>>>>> me
>>>>> play devil's advocate...
>>>>>
>>>>> Why Bootstrap?
>>>>>
>>>>> Why not Zurb Foundation (http://foundation.zurb.com/), HTML5  
>>>>> Boilerplate
>>>>> (http://html5boilerplate.com/) or some other starting point?  Or as
>>>>> Scott Kellum argued on the Compass list (on January 8), use a  
>>>>> combination
>>>>> of components such as Susy, Sassy-buttons, Color-Schemer, and  
>>>>> Modular-Scale.
>>>>>
>>>>> Bootstrap is an easy way of getting a lot of functionality, but it's
>>>>> arguable overused.  It's fast becoming to HTML5 frameworks what Times  
>>>>> Roman
>>>>> is to web fonts.  If you want your web shop to look like everyone  
>>>>> else's
>>>>> web shop, it's a great choice.  If you want to differentiate yourself  
>>>>> in
>>>>> the market, use something else.
>>>>>
>>>>> Plus, many Bootstrap-based themes just throw the whole bloated  
>>>>> framework
>>>>> at the browser, regardless of which pieces they use, slowing page  
>>>>> loads and
>>>>> wasting mobile bandwidth allocations.  But Bootstrap is built on  
>>>>> LESS, so
>>>>> you can choose which chunks of CSS and JavaScript should be included  
>>>>> in
>>>>> your site's copy of Bootstrap, as well as using variables and mixins  
>>>>> to get
>>>>> more consistent CSS styling.
>>>>>
>>>>> LESS is based on JavaScript, which practically requires you to install
>>>>> Node.js to use it.  Zurb Foundation is based on SASS, which is  
>>>>> written in
>>>>> Ruby.  It looks like SASS will run on JRuby on the JVM.
>>>>>
>>>>> To summarize:
>>>>> - Bootstrap is just one of several great HTML5 frameworks
>>>>> - You can get the same effects using straight CSS3 and JavaScript, or
>>>>> smaller projects for areas like responsive design, button styling,  
>>>>> text
>>>>> spacing, etc.
>>>>> - Bootstrap is overused
>>>>> - Bootstrap is frequently ineptly used, penalizing the end user
>>>>> - A major reason to use Bootstrap is to use LESS and other languages  
>>>>> that
>>>>> abstract CSS and JavaScript
>>>>> - Bootstrap may not be the best framework for a Java-based project
>>>>>
>>>>> I hope this helps.
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>
>>>>>      Richard Siddall
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
> 
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