[QUOTE]I’m looking for a shopping cart that offers strong design flexibility where I can integrate a custom design, including a custom home page (not static) that doesn’t depend on the “side boxes” syndrome.[/QUOTE]
CS-Cart uses what they refer to as “Blocks” to display a multitude of different types of information. The very nice thing about these “Blocks” is that you have full control over which pages you want them to be displayed on. For example, you could easily choose to not display any of these information blocks on your home page giving it an entirely different look & yet your home page would still be dynamic as you mentioned.
If you search the knowledgebase for “Blocks” you should find more specifics as to how they work.
Using blocks and wrappers it’s pretty easy. Start by choosing a new skin via the admin panel and start with index.tpl → main.tpl
What I did was make a second installation and have 2 windows open:
1 with design mode activated, and one of the skin you’re designing. Design mode is great for finding template locations, etc.
[quote name=‘Unregistered’]If I want to turn off Blocks on the Home page and add my own content (ie. glider panels, images, divs, etc.) that only appear on the Home page … where/how do I do that?
Thank you,
Ron[/quote]
Admin panel > Design > Blocks
[quote name=‘Unregistered’]How easy/difficult is it in CS-Cart to integrate a custom design?[/QUOTE]
Like any good web design, developing a custom site takes time no matter what tool you’re using. Instead of using blocks, I instead chose to develop a custom CS-Cart skin.
If you’d like to see a site that I developed last year, visit www.tickledgreenbaby.ca. It’s not an advanced/complicated design and took a good three weeks to fine tune various elements.
Happy coding!
You must first decide if cs-cart to be installed and used under the sub directory (i.e not under root) or as a subdomain.
[quote name=‘dustundag’]You must first decide if cs-cart to be installed and used under the sub directory (i.e not under root) or as a subdomain.[/QUOTE]
Where CS-Cart is installed has nothing to do with the design. A skin or design can be installed and used anywhere.
Brandon
Yes, if you are just looking for a pure sales
cart, just install cs-cart in the root and customize
the skins.
But unfortunately not all domains required to have
pure cart. So the question is, it that possible to build
more complex site with cs-cart skins only?
Is cs-cart home page build on a lot of customized skin?
They probably use number of programs, word press, cs cart,
etc.
I would like to know what is the general trend for the sites for
less cart function.
As an example, is cs-cart main page built from customized skins
and blocks based on cs-cart software? Probably not?
@dustundag - what are you asking?
Home page for cs-cart is a dynamic page generated from the cart’s templates. You can have the layout and content be anything you want - it’s just a question of how much design investment you want to make.
Maybe if you provided an example of what you would like, we might be able to give you pointers to get there.
We have two main domains. For the company main domain, we used to have joomla.
For the second domain page, we use cs-cart but currently in the catalog mode.
For our main domain, I am thinking having joomla or wordpress installed in the root and have the cs-cart install as sub-domain or in the directory as our main
business is based on fire protection system for engineered products, design, sales and installation (if required.) rather then cart products
However the problem is that, some of the works dublicate with each other, joomla -cs-cart forms, download product data sheets ?
Other possibility is having cs-cart installed in the root (we have also another licence) but then alot of contend management required and cs-cart may not be the best approach as word press and joomla has alot more to offer.
I am currently staying a way from customizing by third parties as cs-cart has alot of developments and works may go into the dust bin in a year or two ?
After the release of multi store, may be cs-cart would be a good choice even for the main home page and such a customizing would be worthed.
Thanks
Given that your main products are custom engineered solutions, it sounds like your really only want a cart for (uh…) a cart! I.e. that you want them to be able to order with options, etc. and possibly submit their own drawings… But basically all the informational aspects of your store would be outside the cart functionality.
In that case, I would keep things simple and put cs-cart in a subdirectory of your main store and would probably do my “investment” in the sales area which would be wordpress or Joomla.