Links Color

Hi All,

I'm using Dolphin 6.1.6, to the right of the main logo there are 2 links, Join Now and Member Login.  These links are a light blue color and is very hard to read against my red background.  I've looked all over the css files in templates/tmpl_uni and can't find where to change the color of these links.  Could someone point me to the right file?

Thanks,

Jeff

Utilizing the "View Source" on your browser can be a valuable tool for finding out what's going on with your script.  The other component that you need is a good Web Editor.  I prefer Dreamweaver, but if you can't afford to pay for DW, I'm sure you can find a Good Open Source Web Editor that will do the trick.  A newer version of Frontpage may be able to do the trick.

Ok, considering the advice I just gave you, this is what you do.  On your browser, go to "View > View Source (or Page Source)".  After doing, you'll see the html coding under the hood of the script.  Now, go to menu again and use Edit > Find and then type in the Word that you would like to find.  For example, if you are looking for the words "Join Now", type those words in.  Now, mind you, there will probably be multiple occurrences of this phrase on the page, even though it may only appear once or twice on the front side.  Weed through the mess and find the one that you are looking for.  You can usually tell which one you're looking because you'll see words around it that may look familiar.  If you are looking for "Join Now" at the top, you'll probably see "Login" somewhere near it.

Once you locate it, you'll see the name of the CSS class that controls the attributes (color, etc).  It may also be in another wrapper that controls additional things about it such as the width, etc.  Make a note of the name of the class and/or ID.

Now, what you should do is open your Dolphin script in a Web Editor like Dreamweaver or Frontpage and Search the "templates" folder for the class and/or id name.  If the name of the class was "login_links", then that's what you search for.  (Please note that that isn't the actual name, that's just an example.)  Once you do a search, you'll probably get a few hits (probably 20 - 30).   What you're looking for are the CSS files (.css).  There will likely be one in the base/css folder and one in the templates/tmpl_uni CSS folder.  The tmpl_uni/css takes precedence over the base/css file.  If the CSS in the tmpl_uni file is missing attributes, the script will default to the attributes in the base.  Make your changes to the class and voila, you have modified your template.

I hope this make sense.  Good Luck.

- Chap (Chap1978)

 Do NOT use Dreamweaver!

 If you follow the steps above you will have the biggest mess ever with D6.1.6.  Do NOT follow those instructions to change the color of the code.  The only thing he got right is it is in a CSS file, that's it.

Here are the tools you need and they are FREE:

Notepad++

Firefox Browser

Firebug  (It's an add-on tool to Firefox and will work great for you)

To change what you want on your site just go to yoursite.com/ using the Firefox browser. 

Once the page loads, click the small bug you will see in the lower right hand corner of your Firefox browser.  A split screen will open at the bottom of the browser.  On the left is the HTML for the site (your site is not written in HTML, but your browser converts it to an HTML type) on the right side is the CSS of your site.

Note, the CSS items at the top are the most powerful and they rule, the lower ones are less powerful.

Now, go up to the "Join Now" and right click on it.  Next, select "Inspect" and it will set all the code in the split windows right at the "Join Now"

Look for:

color: #ffffff;  (Code may be different, but your looking for color) near the top of the right column of coding showing at the bottom of your page.

You can make sure you have the right spot to make the change by typing a new color in.  You can use the color code which is # and then 6 characters or you can just type the color name without the # symbol.  Make sure it ends with a semi-colon either way.

Once you find the color you want (changes made in Firebug happen on your site instantly) then just hove your mouse over the file name you'll see in blue in the right column and it will give you the full file path:

yoursite.com/templates/tmpl_uni/css/general.css line 246

Just go to that file and open it with Notepad++

Scroll down to the line number listed and make the change you need to make.  Save the file and your done.

Sorry if that seems choppy, it's late and I've been up for a long time with very little sleep last night and a troll that's been getting stepped on all night in here. 

If you have questions about the instructions then please ask.

The reason we do NOT use Dreamweaver in Dolphin has to do with the fact that Dolphin calls way to many files and different file types to build each page.  When DW gets used, it has a tendency to break Dolphin and cause far more issues than it resolves.  If you were on a more conventional type of script (something less complicated than D) then I'd recommend DW, but we have witnessed this way to often in D and it just causes huge errors that have to be fixed.  By utilizing Notepad++, Firefox & Firebug you will learn the proper way to do things, find everything your looking for super fast and have no issues with it all

In D7 DW may work, we don't know yet.  Haven't heard of anyone trying it yet.  And Chap, please don't take offense to this post, as DW is a great post and on any other script I'd say you gave awesome instructions, just we've learned the hard way on Dolphin and try to give the working solution to the newbies here that will fix their problem and teach them how Dolphin works. 

I have to agree with mydatery.

Firefox with the firebug plugin is the best way to go. The plugin will make editing your templates childs play.

I only use dreamweaver to edit the CSS files themselves. Thats only because i like DW css editing tools. But i don't use it on the php or html files.

On Linux, I use either gedit or nano, whichever is available. On Windows, I use Notepad. Call me old-fashioned.

Thank you all so much for the help.  You're all GREAT!!!!!

That's because you know how to use them Magna, most of the newbies can't even find their server without help, no offense to you newbies, and thus it's a bad idea to steer them that way.  Better to let them learn the real old fashioned way, which is with Notepad++ and work up from there.  It'll make more sense to them.

That was more of a reply to Deano's post on the tools we use. I do agree, Notepad++ is the "gold standard" and is the best choice for newbies and professionals alike. Still, there's nothing more fun than the command line.

Help!!!!  I just killed the NASA Servers trying to change colors via Command Line!!!  The CIA is after me!!!   HELP!!!  HELP!!! HELP!!!

 Your going to confuse the hell out of a newbie and blow up a few sites from them tryin' command line.

I can see it now!!!!  The above will be the new headlines in the Forum Spy.

 You and I both know some dumb ass will do it.

Oh, now you're tempting me.

(Use vi)

How in the Hell did you quote me with something different than what I wrote?  Are the servers haunted tonight?

I won't even use vi.  That is not something for newbies.