XF 1.2 Learning How the Color Palette Works

[Amaury]

So I've been learning how the color palette works by inspecting certain elements and matching their RGB or hex code with those in the color palette or by changing something in the color palette and seeing what it changes -- mostly the former. This is so I can change several things at once before going to the individual style properties.

However, I can't seem to figure out what the marked areas below change; I've tried both ways above.

 

[Amaury]

Okay. I've figured out @faintTextColor and @secondaryDark.

• @faintTextColor changes the date and time stamp text in the threadbit under the Title and Start Date column.
• @secondaryDark changes the hover text color on the pagination that pops up on threads with more than one page in the threadbit.

 

[Jeremy]

Search the templates for the name and you'll find classes that use them.

 

[Amaury]

Search the templates for the name and you'll find classes that use them.

Thanks, Jeremy. Got it sorted.

For anyone that's curious:

• @textCtrlText has to do with dropdown menus' input text like after you click Thread Display Options at the bottom of the threadbit.
• @tooltipBackground has to do with the forum description popup you get when hovering over a forum name.
• @primaryDark has to do with the main navigation bar (Forums, Members, etc.).

 

[Paul B]

An easy way to see which @colour affects which elements is to change each one to bright pink in turn and then check the front end.

 

[TPerry]

An easy way to see which @colour affects which elements is to change each one to bright pink in turn and then check the front end.

Easiest way would be to look in the documentation that is available in web format or pdf...
Oh, wait... there isn't one.

It is something that I wish there was.... more "hard" documentation on the template structure, etc. Would make it a little easier for neo's to figure out some stuff.

 

[Amaury]

Easiest way would be to look in the documentation that is available in web format or pdf...
Oh, wait... there isn't one.

It is something that I wish there was.... more "hard" documentation on the template structure, etc. Would make it a little easier for neo's to figure out some stuff.

I agree. It'd be nice if there were a video tutorial showing what each thing in the color palette, as well as each style property, does.

But hey, I got the hang of the style variables pretty quickly on vBulletin. I'll get the hang here the more styles I do. That's what I did on vBulletin -- made a bunch of random styles like seasonal styles, blackout, whiteout, etc.; eventually, we had, like, 25 styles.

Now we're down to seven, only including user-selectable ones.

 

[Paul B]

http://xenforo.com/community/threads/schmitzit-xf-style-properties-dictionary.11302/

 

[TPerry]

http://xenforo.com/community/threads/schmitzit-xf-style-properties-dictionary.11302/

Nice that someone has taken the time to do it - bad that it is in the archived area and requires registration on an outside site to access. I love xenForo but my biggest complaint is the lack of written support documentation (yes, I'm old fashion - I like to have a hard copy locally in case my internet goes down - which with my IPS lately it frequently does). Since I do a lot of my style modifications on my local server it's not dependent on my having internet access to do it.

 

[Paul B]

Ultimately it just comes down to time, or more precisely, a lack of it.

I only volunteer on this site and have to juggle my time on here with real life and full time caring for my daughter, so it's a choice between forum support and documentation and support wins.

In the past I had more time so was able to add to the manual but until my daughter starts school full time (another two years), there's going to be the same issue.

There are so many resources/guides I want to write but just don't have the time.

 

[TPerry]

Ultimately it just comes down to time, or more precisely, a lack of it.
I only volunteer on this site and have to juggle my time on here with real life and full time caring for my daughter, so it's a choice between forum support and documentation and support wins.
In the past I had more time so was able to add to the manual but until my daughter starts school full time (another two years), there's going to be the same issue.
There are so many resources/guides I want to write but just don't have the time.

Yes, I know the feeling well - have two kids (luckily already into adulthood now). When they were little I ran a 5 line OS/2 Maximus BBS and was a Fido hub and NC for the Dallas, TX area (so I know the feeling).
It's one thing that I would like to see the xenForo team do - even if it meant hiring an outside contractor to make the documentation. I've played with the software long enough now that I can do almost anything I need in styling - but the templating is something I'm still learning. I guess I'm lucky now that I'm retired I have more time to play around with it - and the fact that my sites are strictly for my hobby means that I don't have to worry about "income generating" from them.
Lack of documentation is the only real weakness I see in the software - but that is offset by the fact that the online support by the community. Rarely do I see a request for help go unanswered.

 

[Stuart Wright]

How do I use the standard colour in pages?
I tried

style="color: @primaryMedium;"

but it didn't work.

 

[Paul B]

I'm not sure what your code is like exactly but I would always recommend using CSS classes rather than inline styling.

Add your CSS classes to a custom template, call the template in the page(s) and then use the class name rather than the styling.