System Configuration/Modifying Templates

sumary: Zoe uses a number of template files that provide a skeleton structure for each page. By modifying the templates, you can alter to appearance of Zoe.

Outline

  1. extract templates from Zoe.jar (\alt\dev\zoe)
  2. edit template files
  3. copy modified templates to Zoe directory
  4. re-start Zoe (not neccesary if you disable template cacheing)

Extracting the Templates

You can extract the templates from Zoe.jar using WinZip or WinRar. You will find the template files in Zoe.jar\alt\dev\zoe. The templates are the files with the txt ending. There are something like 54 template files (as of Zoe 0.5). See Template File List for more details about what each template describes.

Template Content

Each file containts HTML code, and possibly template variables. The individual files are often only small parts of larger pages. You can edit the HTML to your hearts content.

Template Variables

Template variable are substituted with other code at run-time. The have the format (v:variableName). For example {v:pendingMessages} from AboutPage.txt.

I'm hoping to put together a TemplateVariableList? describing what each variable represents.

Where do they go?

Place your custom template files the same directory where Zoe.jar is found.

Template Cacheing

By default, Zoe will cache the templates. That is, they will be read only at startup. This means that to see any changes you have made requires that you restart Zoe.

Disable Caching

To disable template caching (a usefull thing to do while testing template), go to the Zoe System Configuration/Configuration Editor, and set the Component cache.template value to false

Alternative Strategy

The System Configuration/Configuration Editor also provides some minimal template configuration options.