Description:

As Drupal grows to be one of the most popular and powerful open-source Content Management Systems on the web, the task of Theme Development remains a minefield of programmer-centric PHP code, function overrides and infinite options for complimentary modules and base themes. This workshop is geared towards web designers who are looking to begin building their own custom themes.

Sheena Donnelly, Designer and Themer at TopNotch Themes, presents the inner-workings of the Drupal Theme layer from a designer-friendly perspective, explaining the underlying framework of the CMS and its interaction with the Theme and supplying attendees with the skills to begin building themes immediately. In addition, you'll learn about contributed modules, base themes that make theming easier and how to make the Drupal project work for you by utilizing community resources for continued education and support.

Topics covered:

• Basic Drupal concepts
• Hooks and How Drupal Works
• Components of a theme
• Creation and Installation
• Blocks & Regions - Building a page layout
• Page, Node and other templates
• Advanced Theming & when to call in a programmer
• Popular base themes
• Creating a sub-theme
• Essential modules
• Tips, tricks and great resources

Prerequisite Skills

Attendees will benefit most from this workshop if they are comfortable with HTML/CSS and div-based website design. Additional helpful skills include a working familiarity with PHP and other PHP-based content management or templating systems.