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Load the entire Zip file containing the template onto the server.

6. Click the Install button to begin the process.

You receive a notification when the installation is complete.

7. Navigate to the Settings section.

Installing a template does not apply the template automatically.

8. In Settings, apply the new template.

Specify the template to display from the drop-down list of templates.

9. Preview your new look.

Use the Preview button (or reload the currently showing version of the CMS) to see the new look. Figure 3-17 shows my site with the Multiflex-3 template installed.

Figure 3-17: You can install any template onto your existing system.

The Multiflex-3 template is one of the most commonly used templates on the Internet. The original design (www.oswd.org/design/preview/id/3626) was built with plain XHTML/CSS implementation in mind but has been ported to nearly every CMS including Website Baker. The design is a solid and very flexible starting place. I’ve used it as the foundation of dozens of sites. Once you get to know it, you’ll recognize it all over the place.

Adding new functionality

In addition to custom templates, you can add modules to your system. A module is a new page type that adds additional functionality. Dozens of add-ons are available at the Website Baker AMASP (All Modules and Snippets Project) at www.websitebakers.com.

The add-on modules include many new types of functionality, including online shopping modules, image galleries, event calendars, and many more. In addition to full-fledged modules, the AMASP also includes PHP snippets you can copy into your code for advanced functionality and droplets, which are small, self-contained PHP modules to add features to your site. It’s probably best you start with full modules because they require the least effort to get working. As you become more proficient with Website Baker, you’ll want to investigate how to add more features.

Many of my clients like to have image galleries. I use them for a number of things, including a simple form of an online catalog and for viewing sample work for craft or artist sites. Here’s how to add a basic but full-featured image gallery:

1. Find a module you wish to test.

Go to the AMASP site and browse the various modules until you find one you like; there’s about a dozen. For this example, I’m looking at the (unimaginatively named) Image Gallery module. This one works very well, looks pretty good, and is very easy for my clients to use, so I almost always install it on commercial sites.

2. Download the module.

Modules are installed much like templates. Download the module, which is usually PHP and HTML code in a Zip file, and then save the Zip file somewhere on your local file system.

3. Log in as admin.

As usual, anything that involves changing the site requires administrator access.

4. Navigate to the Add-ons section.

You add modules in the same section you add templates; that is, the Modules page of the Add-ons section.

5. Browse to find the Zip file you downloaded.

Click the Browse button to look on your local system for the Zip file containing the module. Click the Install button when you locate the file. Website Baker uploads the module to the server and places the files in the correct location.

6. A new page type will appear.

When you go to the Pages section, you see a new type of page. In this case, you can now add image galleries.

Building Custom Themes

Website Baker is an outstanding way to build a complex and fully featured Web site easily and quickly. With over a hundred templates, you’re bound to find something you like. However, you almost never find something exactly the way you want it. This is especially important if you’re developing for somebody else. Usually, you find a template that is close, but you still need to modify the colors and images. For that reason, it’s important to understand the general structure of a Website Baker template and how to make your own.

Starting with