Your own theme workshop - for beginners

[aaron]

ogirtd, that's the window when you go to to tools->themes... nothing more.

[ehume]

What about this one?

That's a skeleton. It's a beginning only.

[ogirtd]

What about this one?

That's a skeleton. It's a beginning only.

Beginning? Ben wrote that post two years ago I guess it's off?

[E36]

Ehume you have been busy, that is a lot of info to take in all in one go, sounds good wil have a proper read when I have time, and not at work!

[ehume]

You basically have to build it as you read it.

Once you get the hang of what's going on, you can just do it. Learning where the underwater rocks are is the key to walking on water . . .

[The Ex Omega]

Reading this tutorial and others has helped me to learn the way things in the theme packages are and how it works. So now, I am begining a new project for a theme. But creating the icons so far has been challenging. I haven't found the right balance yet.

[s_26_c]

Hi everybody!!
I have been using Microfirefox as my theme. Its small size suits me just fine. the only thing I miss is a basic background skin color!! e.g. I'd luv it if the basic color was something like metallic,etc. Is there any way I can edit the theme to have it display my favourite color?? plz rply, anybody!!!!!

[s_26_c]

Hi!!!!!!!
since posting my previous messege, I v been able 2 change the color of my Microfirefox theme. but only of the toolbar!! I'v done that by editing the toolbar.css file(in 'global' folder). But I now wanna change the colors of other parts as well, e.g. the statusbar. can anyone help me by telling me which file to edit in order to acheive desired result???

[lordadonis]

There was something in the fourth post which tripped me up.

Inside the mytheme-0.0-fx directory you should have: install.rdf, chrome.manifest, up to two png files, and a chrome directory which contains another jarfile.

After wondering why Fx was just a few words floating in the center of my desktop, I investigated. Apparently, I forgot to rename that "other jarfile." So Fx was looking for something that wasn't there.

Just posting in case anyone else has the intelligence to <i>look</i> at something but <i>not</i> rename it.

[Frank Lion]

Any chance of someone making a programme to do this? Something which means you can just pick and choose the pic you want for each icon and then, bam, you have a theme?

Please?

Done.

Few months away, but now done!

[Schrade]

Here is an example update.rdf for themes. I'm using a copy of my update.rdf for my QuBranch and QuStable themes.

Please take note the "urn:mozilla:theme:{22d645d6-7d37-4668-95cf-6f6914b0100c}" part. Do NOT use that GUID as that is the one I use for my themes. You must insert your own themes' GUID there.

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
         xmlns:em="http://www.mozilla.org/2004/em-rdf#">

  <rdf:Description rdf:about="urn:mozilla:theme:{22d645d6-7d37-4668-95cf-6f6914b0100c}"> <!-- QuBranch Theme -->
    <em:updates>
      <rdf:Seq>
        <rdf:li>
          <rdf:Description>

            <em:version>1.0.20060505</em:version>
            <em:targetApplication>
              <rdf:Description>
                <em:id>{ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}</em:id> <!-- Target Updates for Firefox Branch -->
                <em:minVersion>2.0a1</em:minVersion>
                <em:maxVersion>2.0.0.*</em:maxVersion>
                <em:updateLink>http://www.schrade.com/firefox/themes/QuBranch-1.0.20060505.jar</em:updateLink>
              </rdf:Description>
            </em:targetApplication>

          </rdf:Description>
        </rdf:li>
      </rdf:Seq>
    </em:updates>
  </rdf:Description>


  <rdf:Description rdf:about="urn:mozilla:theme:{8BF601C6-B120-4e91-807D-9C1ED265FD62}"> <!-- QuStable Theme -->
    <em:updates>
      <rdf:Seq>
        <rdf:li>
          <rdf:Description>

            <em:version>1.0.1</em:version>
            <em:targetApplication>
              <rdf:Description>
                <em:id>{ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}</em:id> <!-- Target Updates for Firefox Stable -->
                <em:minVersion>1.5</em:minVersion>
                <em:maxVersion>1.5.0.*</em:maxVersion>
                <em:updateLink>http://www.schrade.com/firefox/themes/QuStable-1.0.1.jar</em:updateLink>
              </rdf:Description>
            </em:targetApplication>

          </rdf:Description>
        </rdf:li>
      </rdf:Seq>
    </em:updates>
  </rdf:Description>

</rdf:RDF>


Note: I did a lot of searching for an example update.rdf for my themes and I just could not find one anywhere. The only examples were for extensions and most everyone was using addons.mozilla.org for their updates so never had to make an update.rdf. My thanks go to the maker of the <a href="http://homepage2.nifty.com/scorpio/elderris/firefox/opera7.html">Opera 7 Standard</a> theme as that is where I found the magic key to unlock my update.rdf mystery.

[aaron]

I have a full-featured sample update.rdf file in the themes chapter of Hacking Firefox.

[charlotte24]

I may sound really stupid, but Im new to firefox, aswell as all this theme-making stuff, so here goes.
Ive been trying to create my own theme, or atleast fiddle about with it a little, but at some point in your very handy guide, it tells me to look inside the 'install.rdf' file.
I can't open it. If I double click it, windows tells me its an extention that is not supported or whatever.

I tried google, but al it gives me are offers for rss readers. Is that the same thing? Or can I use it for two things?

Sorry, Im a real rookie, but Im trying.

Thanks for answering my question.

[Schrade]

charlotte24, just associate the .rdf extension with your text editor. It's just a plain text file. To do this you just double click it, you get that requester saying it isn't supported and then you can choose to open it with a program.. then you can steer that requester to the program and choose to always use that program to open files of that type.

You can use Notepad or one of the myriad free (and better) text editors out there. I personally use <a href="http://liquidninja.com/metapad/">MetaPad</a> and there's also <a href="http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm">Notepad++</a> (has a lot more features and is a bit cluttered because of it)

[charlotte24]

Thanx a bunch, I always use Notepad for these things, so I'll stick with that!