function _getViewFileName( $name = null ) { $action = $this->action; …

This is just a quick fix. One may modify the method to process param $name when determining the template filename.

Would be alot easier if there was some installation instructions, other than in the middle of the changelog. Like place it at the top of the readmefile or something.

I spent alot of time figuring out where to place themable.php

What are you talking about? The instructions are right in the middle of the blog entry. Right about here:

To use this class, place the file named themeable.php inside app/views.

I can’t see how you could have missed that, unless you’re one of those people who throw out the instruction manual and just try to “wing it”.

I spent alot of time figuring out where to place themable.php

I was wondering if this is correct, as the docs said they should all be under ‘app/themes/MyTheme’

If you deviate from documented behavior then that would be “incorrect”. The main reason for frameworks like CakePHP or Ruby on Rails is not only to provide you with a set of classes and functions to use in your app. It also provides you with a set of “rules” that you must adhere to if you expect your app to work. Apart from breakage, there is nothing stopping you from “doing it your way”. But I really suggest that you stick with documented behavior and conventions and resort to deviating from them as a last resort (e.g. to work around limitations of your server/hosting setup).

It doesn’t seem to work. I had a look at the themeable file and at _getViewFileName on line 327, I noticed that there is a foreach which goes through all the $paths->viewPaths as $path. The $path unfortunately is ‘home/app/views/’ which means I would have to put all my view files under: ‘app/views/themes/MyTheme/’

I’m not really sure why you’re getting the wrong path. It must have something to do with your configuration. I haven’t really touched CakePHP in a very long time (see here). But if I recall correctly, $paths->viewPaths is generated by the framework from your configuration settings.

I love what you have done.

I have a question, when I try to overload the view files it doesn’t seem to work.

Eg, I have: app/views/users/add.thtml

I put it under app/themes/MyTheme/views/users/add.thtml

It doesn’t seem to work. I had a look at the themeable file and at _getViewFileName on line 327, I noticed that there is a foreach which goes through all the $paths->viewPaths as $path. The $path unfortunately is ‘home/app/views/’ which means I would have to put all my view files under: ‘app/views/themes/MyTheme/’

If the foreach loop is deleted, it works as it should, I’m not sure how $paths->viewPaths plays in cake so I didn’t want to mess with it too much.

I was wondering if this is correct, as the docs said they should all be under ‘app/themes/MyTheme’

The layout file however works fabulously.

I am using cake 1.1.10

I had the same problem because my view files were still using the *.thtml format. Try changing them to *.ctp

I am not sure what you mean by “multiple controllers” and why you would want that but you can have a different theme for each action in your controller.

This is a great thing! I was just wondering though… In the past, for a simple CMS (and later blog,) project, I made a theme system that still allowed me to change what information was going to a view.

For example, this type of system in your article only looks like it can change the css/js/views. But is there a way in CakePHP to have multiple controllers (for example, one per one theme, etc.)?

I’m not sure if you check this anymore, but I wanted to ask because I’m in process of moving my old project to CakePHP and am very interested in knowing.

Andy

Did you specify the THEMES constant to point to the absolute path that contains your theme folders?

For example, your theme is in: /myhome/website/app/themes/MyTheme

THEMES should be set to /myhome/website/app/themes/.

Note that you have to include the trailing directory separator when you specify THEMES.

I suggest you try it with the defaults first, they are confirmed to work out of the box with a default CakePHP setup. Place your theme inside a themes folder in your CakePHP app folder.

Theme resources should be placed in a themes folder inside your webroot.

You should also note that on Unix systems, filenames are case sensitive. If you named your themes folder MyThemes your $themeName should also be set to 'MyThemes'