A website is not all about the coding or the punchlines that attract shoppers. But it is much more than that. A successful eCommerce platform is a perfect combination of great coding, engaging content, smooth performance, and above all, the engaging theme and appearance. The Magento theme development process helps build fascinating web designs that make online shopping platforms appealing. We’ve compiled steps to accomplish the theme development task for online retailers who want to create themes for their Magento based stores.
Before we proceed to the actual theme development process, it is important to know which files are used in Magento theme.
- Templating Files
- Skin Files
Steps for Magento theme development:
Create Folders
The first step of the development process is to create the folders for the new theme, then the system creates a new folder “My_Theme.” You can create another folder with the name of this new theme i.e. my_theme.
Assign Blocks
The next step professionals use during the Magento theme development process is assigning blocks. There are two types of blocks involved in theme development – Structural and Content. The layout is an XML file and you need to move these blocks if you want to change it, During this step, developers assign templates to the content blocks.
Create Template Files
In this step, the files present the template view. These files are basic framework in HTML and professionals edit them to give a new look to the page structure. Footer, header and reference blocks are easy to change in the template.
Create Sub-Folder
Once the template files creation is done, it is time to create sub-folders. These sub-folders will contain all the layout files such as JS (JavaScript), CSS and images.
Visit Magento Admin Panel
Well, it looks like that your Magento theme development process is complete. The next step is to apply it to the website. Visit store admin panel and follow the path: System >> Configuration >> Design. In the default field, enter my_theme and hit the “Save config” button. Disable the Magento cache to view all the changes.
Followings are some important factors that one should take care of when developing a theme:
- Don’t overlap CSS file names
- Don’t overlap layout file names in the main theme
- No overlapping of .phtml file templates
Make sure to copy .phtml file from base theme to new theme before you modify it and It helps reduce the errors involved at the time of Magento upgrade.
If you are looking for a professional Magento theme developer, then Contact Us, our certified developers are always available to help you.