Module 3: Designs, overrides and debugging
Module 2 taught the language; this module puts templates where a site uses them. Learners give their extension a design folder, replace a template for one class and for one object, learn to find the file behind any piece of a page, and learn the caches that decide whether a change is visible.
At a glance
| Course | Developers |
| Duration | 4 hours 15 minutes (with two 10-minute breaks) |
| Lessons | 5 |
| Level | Intermediate |
Lessons
| Lesson | Duration | What learners do |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson 3.1: The design chain | 45 minutes | Read the chain with exp:ini where, add the extension's design folder |
| Lesson 3.2: Override rules in override.ini | 60 minutes | Write an override for a class in the extension, clear the caches |
| Lesson 3.3: Overrides in the Template Editor | 40 minutes | Create, reorder and remove an override for one object in Design > Template Editor |
| Lesson 3.4: Finding the template behind a page | 45 minutes | Path comments, used templates, exp:ini where, eztemplatecheck.php |
| Lesson 3.5: Caches for template developers | 45 minutes | Compiled templates, view cache, {cache-block}, clearing by tag and id |
Preparing this module
- Each learner's installation has
extension/mysite_hellofrom module 1 and at least two published articles and a folder on the public siteaccess. - Write the public siteaccess name and its site design on the board (
exp:ini where site.ini/DesignSettings/SiteDesign <sa>). - Lesson 3.3 needs an administrator account on each learner's installation and the admin4 design for the administration; on a shared installation, give each learner a different article to match.
- Rehearse lesson 3.5 once: whether a template change shows before the content clear depends on the view cache state of the page.
Timing plan
| Part | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Lesson 3.1 | 45 |
| Lesson 3.2 | 60 |
| Break | 10 |
| Lesson 3.3 | 40 |
| Lesson 3.4 | 45 |
| Break | 10 |
| Lesson 3.5 | 45 |
| Total | 255 |
Related pages
- Developers: course overview
- Trainers: start here
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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