Theming in Five Easy Steps

This is what I do when I make a new theme:

Analyze the design to find page elements and their related Drupal tpl.php files.
Set up the base theme: Choose a base theme. Create a new folder for the theme and create an info file. Implement version control.
Create page.tpl.php and design according to the design framework or Photoshop design files.
Launch the Minimum Viable Theme: Upload theme folder to the /sites/all/themes directory. Enable the theme, use personal themes if you want to test the theme before showing others.
Theme what's left by user experience, not by module or tpl.php.

Need more help? Check out the ebook Theming Drupal: A first timer's guide and the class Design to Theme in Five.

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Accolades

I just wanted to tell you that I have had a true "Ah-HA" moment, on page 33 of SBE Guide: Community Site. After reading and typing and writing notes and going back again and again, all of a sudden I am looking at the code and I SEE it.

I just couldn't put all the pieces together before. I could see what was what (html, php, conditional statements) but I couldn't get my head around how it related to the site name banner up above. Like, I could see all the moving parts, but not the whole.

Thank you thank you thank you.

Thought I'd share my happiness :)

- Rachel, student in the SBE program

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Theming in Five Easy Steps

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