background image

[rgrstvr]

I am trying to create a background image which occupies the entire background of a page with one image.

But the program insists on pasting 4 images pasted together to cover the background.

How do I get just one complete image covering the entire background?

[Jim]

Html is designed to automatically tile images to fill the entire background. To get around this you can either create an image that is large enough to cover the entire back ground of the page (but that will make the page slow to load) or you can use a style to tell the browser to not repeat the image. Check in a CSS book for the code on how to do that. You could also google for somthing like ' html background no tiling' and that should give you some info on how to do it

[rgrstvr]

ok - i found out several ways to do it - but i have to either get into the Cascading Style Sheet for the website or get into the HTML code for the page.

how do i do that?

[Jim]

If you have a Pro or Manager level store you can edit the template under Merchandising > Custom Templates. You may need to use the Copy ShopSite template option to find the template that contains the code you need to modify. It will more than likely be in an Include file but you will need to start at the Page template level (or Product for a more information page) and see what is used in the head section of the page.

If your store is a Starter level you don't have access to modify the templates through the backoffice of the store. If your store is the only one using the cgis you might be able to modify the template in the sc/template directory but if you ever upgrade the store those templates will be overwritten. So if you do this you would want to make a copy of the template and give it your own name and then use that template name for your page/product template so you won't lose your modifications on an update.

[rgrstvr]

Now because of recent virus activity on my computer, the failure of Vista and Microsoft's problems in Europe I am considering changing over to a Unix based server.

I have put a lot of work into our new unpublished online store and I wonder how hard it might be to change over at this point.

Also I wonder how the Unix shopsite vs the Microsoft version compare in terms of the features available.

is this the proper forum to ask those questions, or should I move them to a different forum?

[loren_d_c]

If you move to a Linux or FreeBSD-based operating system then you will need to install (or have installed) the ShopSite program specifically built for that platform (the ShopSite cgi's are compiled executables, so they are platform specific). But if you install the same number version (e.g. v8.3.1 or v9.0.3, etc) of ShopSite as your existing Windows store, you can then copy the contents of the ShopSite Data Directory of your Windows store to the ShopSite Data Directory of the new Linux or FreeBSD store and have all the ShopSite data that you had before, because the data itself is cross-platform.

-Loren

[rgrstvr]

My old Ms Version is Pro 8.1.3.1

My new Unix Version is Pro 9.0.3.1

Does that mean that I cannot load my old Ms data directory onto my new Unix data directory and instead have to rebuild the site from scratch?

[loren_d_c]

You can copy in the old data, however you must then run the v9.0.3.1 upgrade on your new store after doing so in order for the old data to be upgraded to work with v9.0.3.1.

I would recommend not copying over the .auth file or any files with a .gdb extension.

-Loren

[rgrstvr]

How do I get into the ShopSite template directory? (I am trying to modify the lefty theme layout)

[Jim]

The Lefty theme is an older one and I don't believe that it was ever converted to the newer template language. You can verify if this is the case by going to Merchandising > Custom Templates > Pages and use the Copy ShopSite template button. If the template name Lefty does not appear in the list then it is not a template that you can make a copy of to edit.

Sorry I don't have the exact answer but I'm on vacation and don't have access to a test store right now. But I believe what I said is true. In that case you would have to manually create a template that emulates the Lefty theme or pick one of the other templates that has the links on the left.

[rgrstvr]

the only template that seems to be available for me to copy is the 'Rounded' one.

all i want to do is change the colors.

so - it seems i have to copy the existing templates with a new name, and then revise the new templates.

i do not then understand how i get the revised templates back into the system.

[rgrstvr]

as i see it, the only template that allows making major changes with HTML code is the 'rounded scheme.' and the files that make up that template do not set any colors at all. they must be set by some other file, perhaps a CSS file - which is not accessible.

the colors of a text insert to any page can be modified with HTML code, but the color of the surrounding background are defined by the overall template - 'rounded' or 'lefty', etc. And even if you choose different options for the color of the surrounding frame - maroon or black or blue, etc - there is still an inner frame separating the outer frame from the insert which remains white.

I cannot find a way to get a custom colored background with one color covering the entire sheet.