MOSS3 / Creating Themes / Skins / Templates

SharePoint team and Project server team at Maven Infosoft has great experience of creating web application based on MOSS 2007 and Project server 2007. That includes customization and development of webpart, site definitions, theme development, extension development, module creation. The team has developed CRM application, Job portal, Project management, to CMS applications based on MOSS 2007 and project server 2007.

Team would like to share same experience. This can help who wanted to begin with the sharePoint development and Project Server development.

There are list of articles start with SP and from number 1 to …. Always start with the article SP1 and read next article to start working on MOSS easily and quickly.

Creating Themes / Skins / Templates

  • On the SharePoint server go to the Themes folder e.g. c:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft Sharedweb server extensions12TEMPLATEThemes
  • Make a copy one of the existing theme folders and its contents rename it e.g. MyTheme.
  • Rename the .INF file within the MyTheme folder to MyTheme.INF
  • Edit MyTheme.INF.
    • At the the info section, Change the title, to MyTheme. Change codepage, e.g 22200, replacing the code page will fixing error “A theme with the name ‘MyTheme 1011′ and version already exists on the server.”
    • In the titles section, rename the names to your new name. this section is to present the name in the different language.
  • Provide an image to give a preview of your theme. This image should be placed in C:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft Sharedweb server extensions12TEMPLATEIMAGES. E.g. tmbMyTheme.gif
  • Modify the c:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft Sharedweb server extensions12TEMPLATELayouts1033SPTHEMES.xml to include a reference to the new MyTheme theme

<Templates>
<TemplateID>MyTheme</TemplateID>
<DisplayName> MyTheme </DisplayName>
<Description> MyTheme has a white background with blue control areas and orange highlights.</Description>
<Thumbnail>images/tmbMyTheme.gif</Thumbnail>
<Preview>images/ tmbMyTheme.gif</Preview>
</Templates>

  • Modify the CSS within MyTheme folder to personalize your theme.
  • Run iisreset from the command prompt
  • Apply the new theme to a ‘test site’