Zen Grid Framework
The Zen Grid Framework is the evolution of the Zen Grid Template that we implemented way back in November 2009. Since then the template has undergone some enormous change and is now a standalone template framework that has been designed to be used in conjunction with Zen Grid Framework compatible templates. The new framework offers an extraordinary number of features with a simple to use interface.
Feature rich and easy to use
The Zen Grid Framework is a feature rich template scaffold for the easy deployment and development of joomla templates for you and your clients. It features a very smooth and easy to use template admin which makes controlling the template a breeze for you and your clients.
Be sure to check out the
Zen Grid knowledgebase for more indepth instructions on how to use the framework and your Zen Grid compatible template.
The Basics
The framework itself is an installable package that sits in the template folder that allows compatible templates to tap into. The framework provides the markup, core css and core javascript that are common to all of our templates, while any compatible template simply hooks in and pulls out what it needs.
The compatible template can override css, html markup and add extra js which makes it an incredibly flexible system with a low overhead. The beauty of this is that the core is easily maintained and easily upgradeable from version to version. In most cases the style of the template is truly separated from the layout which gives designers the opportunity to create the Joomla template of their dreams without needing to reinvent the wheel from a coding perspective.
Appearance
The framework makes it very easy to make layout and colour changes to your site with zero templating or coding knowledge. There are options within the template parameters itself to add your own css, while coding your own theme is as simple as creating a new colour hilite for the default theme and making changes to the css.
The logo is also easily controllable also and can be referenced from the template folder or any other folder in the main Joomla images folder which makes it easy for new users to upload their own logo via the Joomla media manager - which of course does away with the need for ftp knowledge.
Layout
The layout itself is based on the 960 Grid system but we have adapted it to apply to any template width you require. The template calculates the column width based on your settings and gives you the option of assigning specific widths for specific module positions or to create evenly spaced layouts which are dependant upon the number of modules you have published in any given row.
Script compression and performance tweaks
We have also included the ability to compress the css and javascript used in the core template as well as remove mootools from the Joomla front end as well as some other smaller/useful optimisation techniques. The template also includes built in ie6pngfix and the ability to add raw javascript directly into the template so you no longer need a third party plugin or module to simply add code to your template.
Last Updated on May072010
