Is Sts Needed To Create Most Nice Sites?

[Guest]

Hi there,

i'm pretty newbie to php. i didn't expect oscommerce to be too difficult for my level... admin part was ok, but not the design area.

 

i've read about sts and it seems that alot of people are using it. may i ask if it's necessary to create sites that look like these:

http://www.shopfrock.com/shop/

http://www.giftsnprezzys.com/

http://shops.oscommerce.com/directory/goto,12557

 

these sites were taken off the live shops section of oscommerce.

 

i've tried changing and shifting the codes in index.php and this is what i get in return : www.seantatz.com/cart

layout is one thing, i find it super troublesome to customize the left and right panel as i have to edit box class, individual info boxes and stylesheet. furthermore, i'm not sure how to use images instead of text as links.

 

oh yeah one more thing, i've downloaded sts, and i've read from the readme file that register globals must be set to 0. are there any versions of sts that is workable with the variable set to 1?

 

can someone please knock some sense into me before i murder my computer or drink rat poison? been stuck at this for a week, not knowing where to start or how to make a simple clean page (expected it to be easy). thanks for rescuing me! :blink:

[bkellum]

Veronica,

You must have downloaded an older version of STS. The current version is listed at:

http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1524.

You will find that the most up-to-date version of STS (including all bug fixes) is 4.5.2.

 

STSv4.5.2 is not effected by Register Globals settings.

 

The answer to your other questions depends upon your PHP skill level. If you want a custom look to osC, and you do not know much PHP, then STS is for you. However, it should be pointed out that you will still need to have an extensive skill level in HTML, CSS and other web technologies in order to get those types of designs. STS will not do the design work for you.

 

Also: The official STS threads are located in the STS Forum and STSv4 Forum links in my signature below.

 

Hope this has helped,

[♥bruyndoncx]

I am not an STS user but have been helping out store owners that are lacking php skills in order to implement additional functions and make them available in their STS template.

 

My recommendation is simple, if you don't know php, use STS as you can mostly stick to HTML/CSS and try things out rather easily. But before you start, read a bit more about how it works and see if you understand. If you have already a customized shop, you might need to implement a few additional things to show your customizations in the template.

 

STS will save you time to get the overall look right, but some of the nitty gritty details, you'll need to dive in the underlying osC code and classes to get things just the way you want.

 

Good luck on your journey !

[♥toyicebear]

try reading Basic for OSC design , you can find the link below in my signature.

[Guest]

hi all thanks for the replies..

 

downloaded v4.5.2 and had started fiddling. seems much much easy, thanks for the contribution!! :)

 

ok more one question before i make changes, am i supposed to edit files outside sts_tempates folder (ie, the original oscommerce folder)? if i want to change the way, say, content info box, looks like, should i create a new file inside sts_templates folder that controls how it shoud look like using php? or do i have to go kill myself with the core files in my catalog folder?

[bkellum]

hi all thanks for the replies..

 

downloaded v4.5.2 and had started fiddling. seems much much easy, thanks for the contribution!! :)

 

ok more one question before i make changes, am i supposed to edit files outside sts_tempates folder (ie, the original oscommerce folder)? if i want to change the way, say, content info box, looks like, should i create a new file inside sts_templates folder that controls how it shoud look like using php? or do i have to go kill myself with the core files in my catalog folder?

Hello Veronica,

First of all, I would suggest asking any future questions regarding STS and how to use it in the STSv4 Forum (link in my signature below).

Second, you can use the infobox template feature within STS to customize your infoboxes.

Third, I also recommend reading Nick's thread (see above: Basics for osC Design) for simple stylesheet edits, etc. This is a good read whether you use STS or not.

 

Have fun,

[Guest]

hey bkellum

thanks for the startoff tips. :)

i'll post relevant questions in the stsv4.5.2 thread then...

 

really love oscommerce forum, lots of aid given. not like other commerce software i used, though tend to be easier to configure but not much help received from community.

[leegrears]

Hi, I actually own and created http://www.giftsnprezzys.com , I program php and sql for a living. The site is oscommerce controlled but doesnt use any template system. Its basically oscommerce core changed to suit . It took a bit of work but i managed in the end. I then went on to create other stores such as http://www.anglingandoutdoor.co.uk. I now use oscommerce as my first choice for an ecommerce store.

 

If you need any help, or a copy of giftsnprezzys.com (for a small charge) just let me know

[♥FWR Media]

Is STS needed to create most nice sites

 

No STS is not needed at all.

 

I don't use it myself but I understand that it makes things a little easier for those who can't code.