I have made a subscription to umbraco.tv. Where do I find the sample site the tutorial uses as an example? ("UMBRACO TXT A RESPONSIVE STARTER KIT FOR UMBRACO")
If I remember correctly you can choose to install the TXT theme during the installation process of Umbraco if you choose the "Customize" option. Not sure it's available as a self containing package/add-on though.
Originally I did install Umbraco a few month ago without installing the sample site. But I just realized that it is possible to install it by choosing "Developer" in the Sidebar and then "Packages|Install Starter Kits". There are two available Starter Kits: TXT and Overflow.
I have installed TXT (because I want to follow the umbraco.tv videos) but unfortunately the navigation menu and a the "Recent Post" section on the homepage are not shown correctly. I guess it is a problem with the css code. Solution?
My Umbraco7 installation is located like this: "C:\MyUmbracoSite\UmbracoCms.7.2.0"
A few general newbie questions:
1) I wonder where this starter kit is saved on my computer?
2) Is it possible to have more than one website application under development in my umbraco installation?
3) A link to some information about the fundtion of the different folders in the umbracoinstallation? ("C:\MyUmbracoSite\UmbracoCms.7.2.0")
Yes that's correct the starter kits can be installed from the backoffice as well. It's been a while since I have done that apart from the new "Fanoe starter kit", which is default when just hitting the "Install" button now (without customizing).
In Umbraco 7 packages/plugins are located in the /AppPlugins/ folder as a rule of thumb and that's also the best practice to place packages there. But I think that sometimes dev's place assets in other places as well. But /AppPlugins/ is the place to look.
You can also see a list of installed packages and their assets by having a look at the /App_Data/Packages/Installed/InstalledPackages.config file.
1: "I wonder where this starter kit is saved on my computer?"
So the starter kit should be placed in the /App_Plugins/ folder but since it's a theme some of the associated script and css files are perhaps located in the "scripts" and "css" folders. And the templates will be located in either the /Views folder or the "Masterpages" folder - But the masterpages folder will only be used if you actively switch the template engine from using MVC to Webforms. Since Umbraco supports both engines at the moment the "Masterpages" folder is a part of the installed folders.
2: "Is it possible to have more than one website application under development in my umbraco installation?"
I'm not quite sure what you mean with this question? Are you asking if it's possible to have more sites in the same Umbraco instance? If so then yes it's possible to setup more than one site in an Umbraco installation - But whether or not it makes sense depends on the project you're working on. If you're working for a client that needs a multilanguage site then it's possible to setup multiple sites in different languages based on the same templates etc. - It's also possible to build different sites within the same installation if the client for instance needs to have a main webpage and some branding sites for certain products etc. - But if you're considering to have multiple sites for different clients on the same Umbraco instance then that does not make any sense at all since there is no benefit in doing this for yourself nor the client. Each client should have their own Umbraco instance. In some cases it will also make sense to have more Umbraco instances setup for the same client depending on the type of project purpose etc.
I Hope this answers your question, otherwise feel free to ask about further details.
3: "A link to some information about the fundtion of the different folders in the umbracoinstallation?"
Actually I don't think there is an explicit guide educating people in what the different folders on the disk are meant to be there fore. But I'll try to make a writeup, which you hopefully find useful. But keep in mind that there will always be a learning curve and some things won't make sense until you have gotten your hands dirty so to speak :) - The rule of thumb is that don't ever delete any of the folders but feel free to add your own folders to the root of the project if you would like to have all your frontend assets in the root of the installation in a folder called "Frontend" for instance. You can do that without any problems.
Ok, so the folders...
App_Browsers - It's a .NET specific folder, which is not something I think is being actively used. It's just there in most .NET projects...and since Umbraco is based on the .NET platform...well it's there. I think the purpose of the folder is to do some browser sniffing so you can send different/optimized markup to different browsers - But that's really a bad idea and not a recommended practice. So don't worry too much about this folder. It's probably just a matter of time before it's not needed anymore (Well, that's what I'm guessing, I might be wrong. But it's not a folder you will deal with when build Umbraco projects).
AppCode - This is a .NET specific folder as well. If you're building something using C# and don't want to compile the code into a .dll file, which will be placed in the /bin folder then you can simply drop your uncompiled .cs file directly in this folder and all the magic needed for the code to be able to be executed will happen at runtime. - Umbraco genious Matt Brailsford has written a nice blogpost about why he sometimes prefer using the AppCode folder over the conventional approach of building the solution http://www.theoutfield.net/blog/2014/07/why-we-use-website-projects-for-umbraco-development
* App_Data * - I mentioned this folder above. It's also a .NET convention to have the App_Data folder as a part of the project. In this folder things related to the Umbraco app is located. You'll find the "Trace logs" in here under the /Logs folder. As mentioned earlier you can also see a list of installed packages and your own created packages as well. Apart from that there is a TEMP folder, which contains some temporary files. Once in a while you'll need to clear this folder if Umbraco starts acting up. Then there are some files located in here. The access.config file is used for restricting access for "Members". It's a file that is written to once you start setting up members etc. in the backoffice. So it's not a file that you'll want to edit manually at all. The umbraco.config file is the XML cache, which is saved in memory and you'll sometimes need to refresh it manually by using the "Republish entire site" function inside the Umbraco backoffice to make sure certain content updates are visible on your website. If you have not been doing any customization during the installation process to connect to a MSSQL database you will also see the Umbraco.sdf file, which is the embedded database Umbraco is using. (CE SQL).
* App_Plugins * - As I mentioned above you can usually find installed 3rd party package assets in this folder. Since the release of Umbraco 7 this has been a part of Umbraco and I think it's actually an Umbraco convention rather than a .NET convention. The main idea is to make sure that 3rd party package developers place their package assets etc. in here so things are not being messed up when people upgrade Umbraco etc. - No guarantee it can't happen though if breaking changes are made and the package is not being updated accordingly if it's affected by the breaking change in Umbraco for instance.
* aspnet_client * - Once again this is a .NET folder, which apparently should just be there. If you want to know more about what it is and why I suggest you read through this post http://stackoverflow.com/questions/210440/what-is-the-aspnet-client-folder-for-under-the-iis-structure or do some Googling :)
* bin * - This is also a .NET convention and where both the code that Umbraco is based on and code from 3rd party packages, custom add-ons etc. are located. If you're extending Umbraco or making add-ons etc. in C# this is where you need to place your .dll files once you have build and compile your project unless you choose to use the /AppCode/ folder.
** Config ** - In this folder you will find a lot of /config files. Some package creators might place config files for their packages in here as well but it should really only be used for Umbraco core related config files since 3rd party packages should place their assets in their own folder in the /AppPlugins/ folder. But as mentioned...Umbraco related configs exist in this folder. I Won't go into details about this folder since all the files have been documented here https://our.umbraco.org/documentation/using-umbraco/config-files/ - The one file you will probably find yourself tweaking the most is the umbracoSettings.config file.
* css * - This is where the CSS files used in themes are most likely saved and if you for some reason choose to create and manage your stylesheets using the Umbraco backoffice (In the Settings section) this is where those CSS files will be created and saved to as well. But usually I'll recommend that you manage stuff like JavaScript and CSS in a custom "/Frontend" folder instead using a proper editor like Sublime Text, Textmate, Visual Studio or whatever editor you prefer.
* Masterpages * - As mentioned previously this folder only exists because Umbraco has support for "Webforms". But it's not being used unless you activate Webforms in the umbracoSettings.config, which is only recommended to do if you're migrating or upgrading from a project, which is already based on Webforms.
* Media * - All kind of media that is being uploaded in the "Media" section of the Umbraco backoffice is being saved in folders in here. The folder names are created using the ID's as the name. So if you see a folder with the id "1034" then you can browse to the content on the disk by going to /media/1034 on the disk.
* Scripts * - This is for JavaScript as what the CSS folder is for CSS. If you choose to create and manage your JavaScript from within the Umbraco backoffice this is where the files are saved to. As with CSS you can create JavaScript files in the "Settings" section of the Umbraco backoffice. Some of the themes might also save their JavaScript files in this folder.
* Umbraco * - This is an Umbraco system folder containing all of the magic Umbraco code not related to the bakcoffice UI. Well some of it probably still is but I think it's going to be cleaned up. But anyway...not a folder that you will probably need to digg into anyway.
* Umbraco_Client * - This is where all the assets for the backoffice UI are placed and it's not a folder that you're going to do any work in either unless you want to tweak something. But it's not recommended unless you know what you're doing.
* UserControles * - The UserControls folder is only relevant if you're running the site in "Webforms" mode as with the "Masterpage" folder.
* Views * - The views folder is where the templates that you create in the "Settings" section are stored. Apart from storing the page templates this is also where "Partial views" and "Partial views macro" files are being stored as well. This is an area where you will do a lot of work. When you need to create either a template, partial view or partial view macro make sure that you create them using the backoffice first! Otherwise you can get into some trouble. If you create the files on disk the database reference is not created and it can be a bit confusing.
* XSLT * - It's possible to create macros based on XSLT and the XSLT files created in the "Developer" section are stored in this folder.
* Web.config * - Ok, there are no more folders left but in the root you'll see the web.config file, which is standard in any .NET related project and this is where you can do some application specific configuration.
* Default.aspx * - This needs to be in the root and will make sure that when a visitor requests your frontpage that is what they'll get :)
So I guess that's it...that was a brief overview of the different folders and what they're there fore. I hope it makes sense and that it's helpful to you.
Oops, seems like the formatting did not turn out quite as expected. The post was becoming so long that I decided to finish it in notepad to make sure I would not loose any work and thought I had the markdown syntax under control - I hope it's useful anyway. Too tired to change it now :)
Sample Website for umbraco.tv
Hi,
I have made a subscription to umbraco.tv. Where do I find the sample site the tutorial uses as an example? ("UMBRACO TXT A RESPONSIVE STARTER KIT FOR UMBRACO")
Best Regards Lars
Hi Lars
If I remember correctly you can choose to install the TXT theme during the installation process of Umbraco if you choose the "Customize" option. Not sure it's available as a self containing package/add-on though.
/Jan
Originally I did install Umbraco a few month ago without installing the sample site. But I just realized that it is possible to install it by choosing "Developer" in the Sidebar and then "Packages|Install Starter Kits". There are two available Starter Kits: TXT and Overflow. I have installed TXT (because I want to follow the umbraco.tv videos) but unfortunately the navigation menu and a the "Recent Post" section on the homepage are not shown correctly. I guess it is a problem with the css code. Solution?
My Umbraco7 installation is located like this: "C:\MyUmbracoSite\UmbracoCms.7.2.0"
A few general newbie questions:
1) I wonder where this starter kit is saved on my computer? 2) Is it possible to have more than one website application under development in my umbraco installation? 3) A link to some information about the fundtion of the different folders in the umbracoinstallation? ("C:\MyUmbracoSite\UmbracoCms.7.2.0")
Best Regards Lars
Hi Lars
Yes that's correct the starter kits can be installed from the backoffice as well. It's been a while since I have done that apart from the new "Fanoe starter kit", which is default when just hitting the "Install" button now (without customizing).
In Umbraco 7 packages/plugins are located in the /AppPlugins/ folder as a rule of thumb and that's also the best practice to place packages there. But I think that sometimes dev's place assets in other places as well. But /AppPlugins/ is the place to look.
You can also see a list of installed packages and their assets by having a look at the /App_Data/Packages/Installed/InstalledPackages.config file.
1: "I wonder where this starter kit is saved on my computer?"
So the starter kit should be placed in the /App_Plugins/ folder but since it's a theme some of the associated script and css files are perhaps located in the "scripts" and "css" folders. And the templates will be located in either the /Views folder or the "Masterpages" folder - But the masterpages folder will only be used if you actively switch the template engine from using MVC to Webforms. Since Umbraco supports both engines at the moment the "Masterpages" folder is a part of the installed folders.
2: "Is it possible to have more than one website application under development in my umbraco installation?"
I'm not quite sure what you mean with this question? Are you asking if it's possible to have more sites in the same Umbraco instance? If so then yes it's possible to setup more than one site in an Umbraco installation - But whether or not it makes sense depends on the project you're working on. If you're working for a client that needs a multilanguage site then it's possible to setup multiple sites in different languages based on the same templates etc. - It's also possible to build different sites within the same installation if the client for instance needs to have a main webpage and some branding sites for certain products etc. - But if you're considering to have multiple sites for different clients on the same Umbraco instance then that does not make any sense at all since there is no benefit in doing this for yourself nor the client. Each client should have their own Umbraco instance. In some cases it will also make sense to have more Umbraco instances setup for the same client depending on the type of project purpose etc.
I Hope this answers your question, otherwise feel free to ask about further details.
3: "A link to some information about the fundtion of the different folders in the umbracoinstallation?"
Actually I don't think there is an explicit guide educating people in what the different folders on the disk are meant to be there fore. But I'll try to make a writeup, which you hopefully find useful. But keep in mind that there will always be a learning curve and some things won't make sense until you have gotten your hands dirty so to speak :) - The rule of thumb is that don't ever delete any of the folders but feel free to add your own folders to the root of the project if you would like to have all your frontend assets in the root of the installation in a folder called "Frontend" for instance. You can do that without any problems.
Ok, so the folders... App_Browsers - It's a .NET specific folder, which is not something I think is being actively used. It's just there in most .NET projects...and since Umbraco is based on the .NET platform...well it's there. I think the purpose of the folder is to do some browser sniffing so you can send different/optimized markup to different browsers - But that's really a bad idea and not a recommended practice. So don't worry too much about this folder. It's probably just a matter of time before it's not needed anymore (Well, that's what I'm guessing, I might be wrong. But it's not a folder you will deal with when build Umbraco projects).
AppCode - This is a .NET specific folder as well. If you're building something using C# and don't want to compile the code into a .dll file, which will be placed in the /bin folder then you can simply drop your uncompiled .cs file directly in this folder and all the magic needed for the code to be able to be executed will happen at runtime. - Umbraco genious Matt Brailsford has written a nice blogpost about why he sometimes prefer using the AppCode folder over the conventional approach of building the solution http://www.theoutfield.net/blog/2014/07/why-we-use-website-projects-for-umbraco-development
* App_Data * - I mentioned this folder above. It's also a .NET convention to have the App_Data folder as a part of the project. In this folder things related to the Umbraco app is located. You'll find the "Trace logs" in here under the /Logs folder. As mentioned earlier you can also see a list of installed packages and your own created packages as well. Apart from that there is a TEMP folder, which contains some temporary files. Once in a while you'll need to clear this folder if Umbraco starts acting up. Then there are some files located in here. The access.config file is used for restricting access for "Members". It's a file that is written to once you start setting up members etc. in the backoffice. So it's not a file that you'll want to edit manually at all. The umbraco.config file is the XML cache, which is saved in memory and you'll sometimes need to refresh it manually by using the "Republish entire site" function inside the Umbraco backoffice to make sure certain content updates are visible on your website. If you have not been doing any customization during the installation process to connect to a MSSQL database you will also see the Umbraco.sdf file, which is the embedded database Umbraco is using. (CE SQL).
* App_Plugins * - As I mentioned above you can usually find installed 3rd party package assets in this folder. Since the release of Umbraco 7 this has been a part of Umbraco and I think it's actually an Umbraco convention rather than a .NET convention. The main idea is to make sure that 3rd party package developers place their package assets etc. in here so things are not being messed up when people upgrade Umbraco etc. - No guarantee it can't happen though if breaking changes are made and the package is not being updated accordingly if it's affected by the breaking change in Umbraco for instance.
* aspnet_client * - Once again this is a .NET folder, which apparently should just be there. If you want to know more about what it is and why I suggest you read through this post http://stackoverflow.com/questions/210440/what-is-the-aspnet-client-folder-for-under-the-iis-structure or do some Googling :) * bin * - This is also a .NET convention and where both the code that Umbraco is based on and code from 3rd party packages, custom add-ons etc. are located. If you're extending Umbraco or making add-ons etc. in C# this is where you need to place your .dll files once you have build and compile your project unless you choose to use the /AppCode/ folder. ** Config ** - In this folder you will find a lot of /config files. Some package creators might place config files for their packages in here as well but it should really only be used for Umbraco core related config files since 3rd party packages should place their assets in their own folder in the /AppPlugins/ folder. But as mentioned...Umbraco related configs exist in this folder. I Won't go into details about this folder since all the files have been documented here https://our.umbraco.org/documentation/using-umbraco/config-files/ - The one file you will probably find yourself tweaking the most is the umbracoSettings.config file. * css * - This is where the CSS files used in themes are most likely saved and if you for some reason choose to create and manage your stylesheets using the Umbraco backoffice (In the Settings section) this is where those CSS files will be created and saved to as well. But usually I'll recommend that you manage stuff like JavaScript and CSS in a custom "/Frontend" folder instead using a proper editor like Sublime Text, Textmate, Visual Studio or whatever editor you prefer.
* Masterpages * - As mentioned previously this folder only exists because Umbraco has support for "Webforms". But it's not being used unless you activate Webforms in the umbracoSettings.config, which is only recommended to do if you're migrating or upgrading from a project, which is already based on Webforms.
* Media * - All kind of media that is being uploaded in the "Media" section of the Umbraco backoffice is being saved in folders in here. The folder names are created using the ID's as the name. So if you see a folder with the id "1034" then you can browse to the content on the disk by going to /media/1034 on the disk.
* Scripts * - This is for JavaScript as what the CSS folder is for CSS. If you choose to create and manage your JavaScript from within the Umbraco backoffice this is where the files are saved to. As with CSS you can create JavaScript files in the "Settings" section of the Umbraco backoffice. Some of the themes might also save their JavaScript files in this folder.
* Umbraco * - This is an Umbraco system folder containing all of the magic Umbraco code not related to the bakcoffice UI. Well some of it probably still is but I think it's going to be cleaned up. But anyway...not a folder that you will probably need to digg into anyway.
* Umbraco_Client * - This is where all the assets for the backoffice UI are placed and it's not a folder that you're going to do any work in either unless you want to tweak something. But it's not recommended unless you know what you're doing.
* UserControles * - The UserControls folder is only relevant if you're running the site in "Webforms" mode as with the "Masterpage" folder.
* Views * - The views folder is where the templates that you create in the "Settings" section are stored. Apart from storing the page templates this is also where "Partial views" and "Partial views macro" files are being stored as well. This is an area where you will do a lot of work. When you need to create either a template, partial view or partial view macro make sure that you create them using the backoffice first! Otherwise you can get into some trouble. If you create the files on disk the database reference is not created and it can be a bit confusing.
* XSLT * - It's possible to create macros based on XSLT and the XSLT files created in the "Developer" section are stored in this folder.
* Web.config * - Ok, there are no more folders left but in the root you'll see the web.config file, which is standard in any .NET related project and this is where you can do some application specific configuration.
* Default.aspx * - This needs to be in the root and will make sure that when a visitor requests your frontpage that is what they'll get :)
So I guess that's it...that was a brief overview of the different folders and what they're there fore. I hope it makes sense and that it's helpful to you.
Feel free to ask any further questions.
/Jan
Oops, seems like the formatting did not turn out quite as expected. The post was becoming so long that I decided to finish it in notepad to make sure I would not loose any work and thought I had the markdown syntax under control - I hope it's useful anyway. Too tired to change it now :)
/Jan
Thank you Jan for a very extensive and fine answer. Much appreciated!! I better show a little more patience in this beginner stage :-)
/Lars
is working on a reply...