Release: ApertusAdminTheme

[marcus]

Update: Apertus is abandoned in favor of a fork of the far more advanced Admin Theme Reno, "SuperReno". Download the current version on GitHub: https://github.com/marcus-herrmann/AdminThemeSuperReno

An AdminTheme meant for developers

Still en route to an enhanced version of the Knowledge Base Site Profile I'm now releasing an AdminTheme suited for said profile, sharing its design. This is, as usual, an early, not yet heavily tested release. It is intended to be activated for superusers only, since other themes such as Modesta or the default one are much more apt to customers and editors.

 

Requirements

• Current ProcessWire 2.4.X Developement version
• A modern browser (but I think that's the last thing a developer is missing)

Download | Project on GitHub

Features

Some of us work on a large number of ProcessWire installations at once. The following options aim to customize your backends to that extent that you can tell them apart within miliseconds and without looking at the URL.

 

 

 

 

Therefore, within the theme's configuration (meaning: the module's settings), you can change the following:

 

Environment indicator

When using a development, staging and production version of a project, use this little switch in the theme's setting to indicate which installation you're currently on.

 

Set main color

In order to not confuse installations using Apertus, "color brand" them. Use hex, rgb(a), hsl(a), or named CSS values to your liking, but remember to apply a relatively dark color to prevail contrast.

 

Set project name

Lastly, name project backends.

 

 

Shortcuts

• Search the forums from within every page of your ProcessWire backend
• Have all the important API documentation links at hand
• Check for new modules from every page using the tools upper right (refresh icon)

 

Installation

• Copy all files from the ZIP archive to your /site/modules/ApertusAdminTheme/ directory.
• Click "Check for new modules" in ProcessWire Admin Modules screen. Click install for the module labeled: "Apertus Admin Theme".

Background

The design of this Admin Theme is based on my Knowledge Base Site Profile. Also, it is created to accompany a newer version of said Site Profile.

 

This is the first version of Apertus, not yet heavily tested and therefore bleeding edge. Please use with caution.

 

I named it "Apertus" (latin for open, uncovered) because of the default state of the main navigation (Page, Modules, Access,...).

This is a pre-release (0.0.1) needing current dev version of PW to prepare for ProcessWire 2.5. Please help me improving the theme by reporting bugs on GitHub. Thanks!
 

Roadmap

Things I intend to implement/change in future versions:

• Making useful links configurable
• Proper responsive behaviour
• Refactoring JS
• Remove Compass dependency when compiling theme's CSS

/edit: Added screenshots clarifying where to find theme's settings

Edited September 20, 2014 by marcus

[mr-fan]

nice one.

created a very small pull request for the headlines in the sidebar to be translatable....

and it would be nice if the forum search get up in a new tab target=_blank so you don't leaf the adminbackend.

i like the idea to have a dev/superadmin theme on the start!

(the given font didn't look good in FF+Win7 i changed to normal sans_serif)

Kind regards mr-fan

[marcus]

Thanks for contributing! I totally forgot about these labels.

Will add target=_blank on forum search as soon as I find the time to work on Apertus this week

[marcus]

and it would be nice if the forum search get up in a new tab target=_blank so you don't leaf the adminbackend.

Added target=_blank on the form some moments ago.

Apertus will be visible in the Modules Directory shortly

[mr-fan]

once again - the choosen font looks not cleartype in Win7 + FF31.0

i've set it to sans-serif only and it works for me...

thanks for updating!

[marcus]

once again - the choosen font looks not cleartype in Win7 + FF31.0

i've set it to sans-serif only and it works for me...

thanks for updating!

Can you send me a screenshot of this? I chose Adobe's Source Sans Pro as main font and I expected it to be well crafted enough to render on Windows adequatly. But I'll check the @font-face implementation of the theme CSS. 

Edit: Tried in your setup in a virtual machine, that's the result:

Edited August 13, 2014 by marcus

[mr-fan]

This weekend is full with time killers but until i've the chance i 'all make a screenshot...

[marcus]

In a funny coincidence, Apertus was released the same week as Admin Theme Reno - and the latter is far more advanced and had a longer phase of development. And instead of using Apertus, like I planned, I find myself using Reno in my current projects I'm at crossroads here - both admin themes bring finally the sidebar back to PW 2.4+, which was kind of my main intent So instead of putting the focus on Apertus I could try to help implement its "exclusive features" forum search and useful links to Reno (if the creators are interested to have this functionality in there - otherwise, I'll fork ).

[mr-fan]

+1 ^^

(sorry for the missing screen - i think it was only a problem in my office workstation - at home the font is fine...i haven't forget it....)

[renobird]

Hi.

AdminThemeReno will be an alternate admin theme available as part of the ProcessWire 2.5 core. (Keep an eye out, Ryan mentioned in another thread we has hoping to soft launch it today).

The theme itself will likely stay very minimal (similar to the default theme). You can always fork it and modify it to suit your needs and/or add features.

[renobird]

BTW, I really like some of the more advanced features in your theme, I hope you continue development. Either as-is or based on a version of Reno.

[horst]

BTW, I really like some of the more advanced features in your theme, I hope you continue development. Either as-is or based on a version of Reno.

Please, based on a version of Reno, - and could it be that way that the advanced features are only but automatically displayed for superusers? So editors or others can use the theme, but without the advanced features.

[marcus]

Please, based on a version of Reno, - and could it be that way that the advanced features are only but automatically displayed for superusers? So editors or others can use the Reno theme, but without the advanced features.

This sounds like a good idea! Already got an idea for the humble name of said fork, "Superreno" 

[marcus]

Just a heads-up: I put (almost) all of Apertus' features into an aforementioned fork of Reno, "SuperReno".

https://github.com/marcus-herrmann/AdminThemeSuperReno

When you're logged in as super user (and have configured the environment in the theme's settings), you will see the following. On the other hand, SuperReno looks just like Reno when logged in as non-super user.

[Nico Knoll]

Why don't you just make a regular module?

[marcus]

Why don't you just make a regular module?

That was my first idea, but eventually I wasn't sure how to hook into several places of AT Renos default.php to add my markup.

[Nico Knoll]

You're right. There are no hooks. Only way would be some regex stuff.

[adrian]

Why don't you just make a regular module?

This sounds like a great idea - I am very intrigued by the enhancements you have added and would enjoy having them, but I honestly don't think I would ever install it because I like having access to the latest improvements to the core modules, rather than waiting for these to propagate to third party modules. 

I would love to see a way to extend themes, rather than needing full replacements. Maybe we need to propose something along those lines to Ryan?

From what I understand Reno is an extension of the default theme, because you can't use Reno without default also installed, but maybe the process can be refined to make it easy to extend with some minimal code.