Forum OpenACS Q&A: How to build pages with tcl and html

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1: How to build pages with tcl and html
Posted by Hans Gaasenbeek on 06/26/01 03:16 PM
Hello everybody, Since a couple of weeks OpenAcs 3.2.5 is running (here in Holland) but I still have no way to embed the functionality in our pages. E.g. I want users to find a homepage with not just the login- functionality, but also pictures etc. (We are setting up the infrastructure for a network of secretaries, www.klessebes.nl.) I understand I should use .tcl and .adp files, but I can only find a couple of these in /templates. I cannot find a master.adp like in ACS 3.x. Should I write one myself? (Looks pretty difficult to me.)

Another question: if some modules are not working, sometimes it can be solved by adding the user groups, categories etc. they need (in /admin), as I have done and sometimes succesfully. Are there modules that need serious tcl tweaking before they can work? I know I should be more specific. I will be in my next posting.

Note that these questions are from a newbie and both address the question how to get OpenAcs to work as a whole. Thank you!
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2: Response to How to build pages with tcl and html (response to 1)
Posted by Robin Felix on 06/26/01 04:05 PM
Hans, I started out using an .adp file for my home page. I then embedded a couple of functions into it to display the user name and a list of user groups. Then I re-wrote it as a .tcl file. I've linked to both those files here so you can examine the differences -- it may be useful to you.

Note: I've replaced the angle brackets in the .adp file with curly brackets to keep it from being interpreted...

index.adp
index.tcl

The .tcl file produces, of course, the site home page.

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3: Response to How to build pages with tcl and html (response to 1)
Posted by Dave Bauer on 06/26/01 05:43 PM
I wrote a little on this subject.

http://www.thedesignexperience.org/openacs/nowwhat.html

It has helped some people. If you can think of anything else it needs let me know.

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4: Response to How to build pages with tcl and html (response to 1)
Posted by Hans Gaasenbeek on 06/26/01 11:40 PM
Hello Robin and Dave, thank you for your answers! It will take some time before I can do it, but I am a fast learner. Still, it surprises me there is no easier way (I'm sorry to say) to combine functionality (tcl) and appearance (html)...
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5: Response to How to build pages with tcl and html (response to 1)
Posted by Dave Bauer on 06/27/01 12:21 AM
Check these threads:
https://openacs.org/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00019V&topic_id=11&topic=OpenACS

and

https://openacs.org/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000103&topic_id=OpenACS&topic=

For information about a OpenACS port of the ArsDigita templating system. Hang on for OpenACS 4 which will be much easier to template an entire site.