[RFC] Revamp of styles section of acp

[naderman]

Why do we differentiate between uninstalled and deactivated styles at all? Can't we just have active or inactive styles, what is the point of the install step?

Similarly I see no reason why one should not be able to preview an uninstalled style.

[MichaelC]

I believe deactivated styles can be set as a users style in the acp. When its activated it gives the user the option to use it in the ucp.

[oddfish]

I tend to agree about uninstalled and deactivated styles, for ACP purposes.

Deactivated styles can be previewed since as a parent, it must still be useable.

[naderman]

What I'm saying is that uninstalled styles should be previewable too.

[Oleg]

Similarly I see no reason why one should not be able to preview an uninstalled style.

I'm guessing this was not possible when styles were stored in db. It might be possible right now. If we generate files during style installation it may be impossible again.

[oddfish]

Similarly I see no reason why one should not be able to preview a deactivated style.

Not sure about this. To have to upload a style to view it? That should be sorted already by means of a preview from the source or via localhost.

[nickvergessen]

It will work fine. Deactivating style only hides it from user selection, it doesn't do anything else, so template inheritance works fine regardless of style status and users can select child styles if parent has been deactivated.

Is that documented on the page for style management?

[Arty]

Why do we differentiate between uninstalled and deactivated styles at all? Can't we just have active or inactive styles, what is the point of the install step?

Similarly I see no reason why one should not be able to preview an uninstalled style.

Inactive styles are present in database, uninstalled styles aren't in database. Difference is you can create/install child style of inactive style and admin can select it, but you can't do that with styles that aren't installed.

Maybe change terminology a bit? Change active/inactive to "Allow user selection" checkbox. Active = that checkbox checked, inactive = unchecked.

What I'm saying is that uninstalled styles should be previewable too.

That's a good idea.

I'm guessing this was not possible when styles were stored in db. It might be possible right now. If we generate files during style installation it may be impossible again.

It was possible in 3.0 with some code changes. I have it working on my 3.0 styles demo, allowing users to preview styles by style path instead of id.

It will work fine. Deactivating style only hides it from user selection, it doesn't do anything else, so template inheritance works fine regardless of style status and users can select child styles if parent has been deactivated.

Is that documented on the page for style management?

No, its not.

[naderman]

Why do we differentiate between uninstalled and deactivated styles at all? Can't we just have active or inactive styles, what is the point of the install step?

Similarly I see no reason why one should not be able to preview an uninstalled style.

Inactive styles are present in database, uninstalled styles aren't in database. Difference is you can create/install child style of inactive style and admin can select it, but you can't do that with styles that aren't installed.

Maybe change terminology a bit? Change active/inactive to "Allow user selection" checkbox. Active = that checkbox checked, inactive = unchecked.

That doesn't really answer my question. My question is, why can you only create/install child styles of inactive styles, what's preventing that from working with an uninstalled one?

[Arty]

Nothing really.

But, if parent style is not installed, admin might just delete its files, thinking that its ok to do, resulting in missing template files. In worst case he'll delete parent template that has login template files, which will make it impossible for him to log into his own forum. Then he'll run to style author complaining that style messed up his forum and he had to reinstall it all.

If style is installed, admin should know better than to delete files.