The issue is Compass wants to use screen.css. Whilst WordPress forces the use of style.css.

To get around this stylesheet naming problem in WP. There are two methods.

Both have their pitfalls.

The first: use

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@import url("mycompassproject/stylesheets/screen.css");

Create a stylesheet called style.css saved to your theme folder. With the above code added. Effectively Importing your compass generated style sheet.

I don’t like this method that much as it is almost empty, additional stylesheet.

The second:

This method is even more hackier then the first. But some may prefer it

For starters, make sure you have your required theme activated in wordpress.

Now, create your compass project in your wordpress theme directory.

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compass create myshit

Open the header.php file of your theme and alter the style link to point to your compass project directory.

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<link rel="stylesheet" href="/mysite/wp-content/themes/mytheme/myshit/stylesheets/style.css">

Now, from within your theme directory in terminal, start your compass/Sass project with the usual:

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compass watch myshit

In the wordpress admin. In the themes panel, WordPress will still say the theme is broken due to a missing stylesheet. But it will still remain as the activated theme and work as intended.

Quick tip

Don’t forget this stuff at the top of your scss stylesheet too.

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/*
Theme Name: mytheme
Theme URI: http://www.pixelstorm.com.au/
Description: one badass theme.
Author: one badass mutha
Author URI: http://www.pixelstorm.com.au/
Version: 1.0
*/

visit site

1. Connect to server

• Get terminal into ftp mode by typing “ftp” without the quotes
• Connect to your server by typing “ftp yourserver.com” without the quotes and without a dot between ftp and yourserver.com
• Terminal then displays a welcome message and asks for your name. Type your ftp username.
• It will then ask for your password. Type or paste-in your ftp passwword. The password will be invisible. Press Enter.

2. Select destination folder on server

• Type “pwd” to print the folder name you are in on the server. terminal will probably respond with “Remote Directory: /” Which means you are in the root directory of the server.
• Type “ls”. It will list the files and folders of the directory you are currently in on the server.
• Navigate to the folder you wish to upload to by typing “cd public_html/mysite/mysitefolder”. Changing “public_html/mysite/mysitefolder” to your destination folder path on the server.

3. Select folder from the local computer

4. Upload using the put command

• put page.php
• Proving “page.php” was in the directory on the local side. “Page.php” will now be on the server in the directory you specified.

The elements involved:

• PHPMailer – the php script which handles the email submission
• Gmail – send mail through your own gmail account
• SMTP (simple mail transfer protocal) – the method the php script uses to send mail
• Ajax – submit the form without refreshing the page. For added coolness.
• Html – obviously

The html

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<form id="memberform" class="group" action="" method="POST">

	<h3>Contact</h3>

	<div class="item group">
		<label for = "senderName">Name<span> * </span> </label>
		<input id = "senderName" type="text" class="required error" name="senderName" tabindex="1" />
	</div>
	<div class="item group">
		<label for = "senderNumber">Phone<span> * </span> </label>
		<input id = "senderNumber" type="number" name="senderNumber" class="required error" tabindex="2" />
	</div>
	<div class="item group">
		<label for = "senderEmail">Email<span> * </span></label>
		<input id = "senderEmail" type="email" class="required error" name="senderEmail" tabindex="3" />
	</div>
	<div class="item group">
		<label for = "senderSuburb">Suburb<span> * </span></label>
		<input id = "senderSuburb" type="text" class="required error" name="senderSuburb" tabindex="3" />
	</div>
	<div class="item group" id="comment">
		<label for = "senderComments">
		<span class="special">Additional Information</span>
		</label>
		<!--<input id = "senderComments" type="textarea" name="senderComments" class="required error" tabindex="4" />-->
		<textarea id="senderComments" tabindex="4" name="senderComments"></textarea>
	</div>
	<div id = "sub">
	<input type="image" src="images/icons_14.png" id="submit" value="submit"/>

	</div>
	<div id = "loader"></div>
</form>

The PHPMailer script (handler.php)

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<?php
require("PHPMailer/class.phpmailer.php");
include("class.smtp.php"); // optional, gets called from within class.phpmailer.php if not already loaded

//collect the posted variables into local variables before calling $mail = new mailer

$senderName = $_POST['senderName'];
$senderNumber = $_POST['senderNumber'];
$senderEmail = $_POST['senderEmail'];
$senderSuburb = $_POST['senderSuburb'];
$senderComments = $_POST['senderComments']; 

$mail             = new PHPMailer();

//$body             = file_get_contents('contents.html');
//$body             = eregi_replace("[]",'',$body);

$mail->IsSMTP(); // telling the class to use SMTP
$mail->Host       = "youremail@gmail.com"; // SMTP server
//$mail->SMTPDebug  = 2;                     // enables SMTP debug information (for testing)
                                           // 1 = errors and messages
                                           // 2 = messages only
$mail->SMTPAuth   = true;                  // enable SMTP authentication
$mail->SMTPSecure = "ssl";                 // sets the prefix to the servier
$mail->Host       = "smtp.gmail.com";      // sets GMAIL as the SMTP server
$mail->Port       = 465;                   // set the SMTP port for the GMAIL server
$mail->Username   = "youremail@gmail.com";  // GMAIL username
$mail->Password   = "yourpassword";            // GMAIL password

$mail->SetFrom('youremail@gmail.com', 'senderName');

$mail->AddReplyTo("youremail@gmail.com","senderName");

$mail->Subject    = "Email subject";

//$mail->AltBody    = "To view the message, please use an HTML compatible email viewer!"; // optional, comment out and test

$mail->MsgHTML($body);

$address = "youremail@gmail.com";
$mail->AddAddress($address, "John Doe");

//$mail->AddAttachment("images/phpmailer.gif");      // attachment
//$mail->AddAttachment("images/phpmailer_mini.gif"); // attachment

//now make those variables the body of the emails

$mail->Body="
Name: $senderName
Phone: $senderNumber
Email: $senderEmail
Suburb: $senderSuburb
Additional Information: $senderComments";

if(!$mail->Send()) {
  echo "Mailer Error: " . $mail->ErrorInfo;
} else {
  echo "<h2>Thank you. We will contact you shortly.</h2>";
}
?>

The Ajax

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$(function() {

  $("#memberform").validate({

      submitHandler: function(form) {

      $('#loader', form).html('<img src="images/loader.gif" /> Please Wait...');
          $.ajax({
            type: "POST",
            url: "handler.php",
            data: $(form).serialize(),
            timeout: 20000,
            success: function(msg) { $(form).fadeOut((500, function(){ $(form).html("<h2>Thank you. We will contact you shortly.</h2>").fadeIn(); }));},
            error: $('.thanks').show()
          });
          return false;
      }
  });
});

Let me take you through the work flow.

I installed wordpress on the girls laptop so they could have a play on the local machine. This allowed them to keep the current MSQM site up for the public whilst they developed the new site in wordpress locally.

After all the modifications and content added had been added to the Architectos theme, it was time to push the site live. This is where I came back into the picture. Wp Melbourne to the rescue!

But we had some trouble. Doh! We found the blue host (hosting company) control panel to be way too confusing and unawesome to use. The Solution: Wp Melbourne Hosting! So now the new MSQM site lives happily on the WordPress Melbourne server, and its running like a dream.

visit site

I recently changed the directory that one of my WordPress sites was in.
For SEO Reasons i thought “websites-melbourne” is a much more semantic directory name then “pixelstormv5″.

I followed the method listed on the wordpress codex Moving WordPress and everything went smoothly. Except my images were not visible. All my images where hardcoded in using custom fields with relative urls. eg:

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/pixelstormv5/images/website-05.jpg.

So the problem was the image path needed to be changed on each individual post. Changing 187 image paths manually is time intensive. I try to avoid manual alterations like this and went searching for a more dynamic way.

Here is that dynamic way.

Access your database via php myAdmin. Click the SQL button. Now do a SQL find and replace using the below code.

Find and replace meta data in the mysql database.

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update TABLE_NAME set FIELD_NAME = replace(FIELD_NAME, ‘find this string’, ‘replace found string with this string’);

As i mentioned before. I use custom fields for all my image paths.

So all my image paths are in the table “wp_postmeta” table of the database. Therefore, my script looked like this.

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update wp_postmeta SET meta_value = replace(meta_value,"pixelstormv5","websites-melbourne");

Click go and let the script run. If it worked. the Script just saved you hours of frustrating manual adjustments. And was far more accurate then a human could be. Computers don’t get distracted and start day dreaming of more enjoyable tasks.

• The domain name has been purchased and the domain name server is pointing to the correct location (your hosting space).
• The hosting space has been setup and has the ability to create at least one Mysql database.

The Parental Animations website below is a real world example of what can be accomplished in just one hour of website training with WordPress.
It’s a pretty good starting point for a website on a budget.

visit site

Visit Site

Handy little features such as swappable background: textures / colors give the owner a chance to input a little of their own creativity into the theme.

Along with picture overlay graphics which add a bit more depth to the design.

It comes with all your standard page templates with a few extras thrown in too. The final list is plentiful and looks like this.

• WpEcommerce There where a few bugs when i was testing this. And answers in the forum where hard to come by. This was the premium version of the plugin too.
• Shopp Nice plugin but, doesn’t support multisite as yet.
• YAK Probably not suited to my audience, the use of shortcodes could make it a hard to explain to users how to upload products.
• Cart66 (phpurchase) Tax options not available for Australia

I used WPMU’s Marketpress for the final solution. It was really the only option i had for an E-commerce multisite with wordpress.

The draw-backs to WPMU where plentiful.

• WPMU products themes/plugins are loaded with unused buddypress code. I don’t use buddypress. I don’t even know what it is exactly.
• The marketpress software i’snt brilliant but it works.
• The only source of documentation is the forum
• I found The support team frustrating. They would prefer to dodge questions rather then provide straight answers on the software capabilities. They are in america somewhere and there is a massive time difference to Melbourne. This made the process so slow.
• So many times i asked the support team detailed questions, with screenshots etc, only to wait 15 hours for a basic routine response like “Is the plugin switched on?”
• Fortunately for WPMU, when your monthly membership expires you aren’t allowed to post forum messages. I think this is quite an unethical business practice. I feel as if I’m paying to notify them of bugs in their software
• WPMU are expensive.

This was a difficult project in general as there is plenty of functionality to consider with multisites. You have multiple accounts, multiple sites, different user roles and capabilities Gasp I got in done, and i have got to say I quite enjoyed creating this monster. New people sign up everyday. New products being uploaded consistently and for me, it’s a peek inside a world of craft I never new existed.

Visit Site

]]> http://www.wordpressmelbourne.com/wordpress-designer-folio-melbourne/e-commerce-multisite-on-wordpress/feed/ 0 http://www.wordpressmelbourne.com/wordpress-designer-folio-melbourne/wordpress-lessons-melbourne/ http://www.wordpressmelbourne.com/wordpress-designer-folio-melbourne/wordpress-lessons-melbourne/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:06:02 +0000 admin http://www.wordpressmelbourne.com/?p=492 WordPress themes can often be quite simple and easy to workout. That’s fine simple is good. But what about some of those jaw-dropping, must-have Wp themes. Are they simple? Easy to work out?

Well, some of them can test you. They will test your time, your patience and your knowledge of WordPress. Remember many themes come with access to a forum. But often support these kaotic forums are scary and its hard to get the support you require.

The High Art Theme is one of those drop dead gorgeous WP themes that comes with a couple advanced techniques ingrained into its core. It expects everyone to have a certain level of knowledge in order to use the theme as advertised.

I’m here for those who don’t want to spent the time working things out. I can show you how. Provide wordpress and theme specific training. Its quick, it’s painless, its friendly and effective.

Below is the HighArt theme which i got know quit intimately whilst working through a few customizations for “Girl Printer” Carolyn Fraser.

Visit Site

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