What you need to know
As this book is geared towards beginners who have little knowledge of scripting and hardcoding of markup languages, we will explain the steps visually. To be able to maximize the benefit of the book, you absolutely need to have the following:
PrestaShop installed and configured correctly: You will need PrestaShop installed on either your localhost or your webserver. This book is based on version 1.3. You should be able to download the latest version at http://www.PrestaShop.com/en/downloads. Being familiar with the backend is not a prerequisite, as we will be covering that later.
Note
If you are new to PrestaShop, get the information on how to install it from http://www.PrestaShop.com/wiki/Installing_And_Updating_PrestaShop_Software/
You will need a Notepad or another editor for HTML. You may also choose any editor you wish. A more expensive option would be to purchase Dreamweaver.
Note
Other free editors can be obtained at a number of sites such as:
You should also have access to the FTP of the installation and backend access to the administration panel. If you used a third party to host your PrestaShop, you will have to ask them to have it installed. Most webhosting companies already have PrestaShop as one of the e-commerce options and it can be installed through a number of auto installers such as Softaculous Premium, or Installatron. You only need to upload the PrestaShop program to a new directory in the public HTML or a sub-directory. It can be installed easily by accessing this new directory (for example,
www.yourdomain.comorwww.yourdomain.com/prestas) through your browser and then following a few simple steps to complete the installation.An understanding of W3C's requirement for a table-less layout: PrestaShop uses a convention that meets the W3C's requirements for a table-less layout. Therefore, it is important to have an understanding on how this works in order to develop the new themes.
Note
W3C's website: www.w3.org/
XHTML and CSS: Most development of new themes can be done without knowledge of XHTML or CSS, as there are plenty of What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editors that allow the flexibility of designing without the coding knowledge. However, understanding them is useful in developing better themes that can be more efficient and load better. Through this understanding, you may also make the themes Search Engine Optimization (SEO) friendly. After all, there is no point having pretty looking web pages that cannot be found by your prospective visitors.
Note
Learn about CSS at: http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp
XHTML at: http://www.w3schools.com/xhtml/default.asp
and Smarty at: http://www.smarty.net/docs.php
Web developer tools such as Firebug or the Web Developer extension for Firefox. Download Web Developer extension at: http://www.chrispederick.com/work/web-developer/. You can also use Firebug, which is one of the most popular web development tools, and is available at http://www.getfirebug.com.
A knowledge of image editing as you will be required to create themes based on what wants to be projected through the concept of the themes, for example, suitable color schemes for icons used if you plan to develop your own unique themes. You will also need this knowledge to edit images you have captured, for example, the showcased products.
Note
To expedite, you may want to subscribe to Stockphoto and icons available on the net as resources, for example, www.istockphoto.com, www.deviantart.com, http://www.sxc.hu/ are popular royalty free image distributors that you can use for a low fee.
