WHAT ARE SKINS?
Skins are simply a collection of HTML template files that you can easily change or create on your own. All you need to know is how to do is create/change HTML files, GIF and JPG images, and HTML style sheets.

STORE ENGINE
Skins are very easy to modify or create once you get the hang of them. Just remember, the store engine expects the files name, markers, etc... to be on specific pages and the marker and page names must all be accounted for and be where they need to be (i.e. be on the page expected).

SKIN PAGE "MARKERS"
The marker location on the page is not important to us, nor is the actual look (design) of the page. We simply read in the skin page by expected name and prefix, parse and replace the expected markers with data from the store's database. As long as there is room for the results (like inside a table cell), the page name is correct, the markers can be found in the HTML by a search and replace, and the skin page has a style sheet section, all will work perfectly.

FORM TAGS
Be careful NOT to add any extra FORM sections to any of the skin pages. The store engine will get confused especially on the checkout pages since we look for Form action tags and replace them as needed with new form actions to properly post form data to real-time processing web sites.

STYLE SHEET SECTION
Each skin page must have a dummy style sheet section. We replace that section "on the fly" with the master style sheet section from the skin's "Q_skinXX_styles.htm" page. That way all you need to do it change this one page's style sheet section in order to affect all the pages in the skin!

IMAGE CONTROL PAGE
The "Q_skinXX_image_control.htm" page is not used by the store but is handy to make sure you have accounted for all the graphics that are required and all the graphics that are used "on the fly" (i.e. they don't exist on a skin page but are needed during checkout or during the operation of the store).

COPY A STANDARD SKIN
We have 45 skins included in the package so most likely there will be one that closely resembles what you want. Simply copy that one skin, rename everything to start with skin 99 prefix, and them modify it to create your own skin from there. When we add new skins, we do so starting with the last number we used (skin 46, 47, 48...) and therefore, you should start with #99 and work backward so we don't overwrite your work in the next version.

NAMING AND NUMBERING YOUR SKIN
When we release an update to Shopping-Q, a new complete copy of the skin set is included which means any changes to our skins will get replaced. Therefore, always copy and make changes to our skins by using a high end number like 99, 98, 97... As long as the naming convention is correct and the new skin is #99 or less and the pages are located in the Qstore/Qskins directory, the store will see it automatically.

Click here for Custom Skins Tutorial Page 2...

CUSTOM SKIN SUPPORT
While you are free to customize our skins as you see fit, our support staff does not offer any assistance for this activity. Therefore, you are on your own when it comes to making changes to our skins.

SEE WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE CREATED
Click here to see a few custom skins designed by our customers.