[Core] How to check Whether "Rebuild Core Theme" function is running well or not?

The "Rebuild Core Theme" is an important functionality of phpFox, absolutely if not run this after installing apps, upgrading apps, site will be broken with styles (CSS), then observered that layout becomes ugly extrememly.

A Shortcoming exposes that although we have run "Rebuild Core Theme" or "Rebuild Bootstrap Core" in back-end but site is still broken, we'd like to write article below to clarify reason why it's. Do you understand? Most of them is relative to permissions. In Apache/Nginx server there are 2 user types

1. A user to upload sources of phpFox or any Apps into your server as clients are always asked by developers to debug, it's ftp account

2. Account of Apache/Nginx to process by default

Files/Directories are occupied by a certain user and remaining user is unable to override as write permission so failed of changing, that is root cause of Rebuld Core Theme is not working.

First of all, you need to check theme running on site is which theme, please go to Admin Panel (AdminCP) >> Appearance >> Themes >> 1st item

In the above example: It's Material, its source at PF.Site/flavors/material, based on name of theme, you can know which directory, most of developers will be set with similar one.

On 2nd, whether site is running with Bundle JavaScript & CSS or not? Please check at Admin Panel (AdminCP) >> Settings >> Performance

The next step, we will mention workflow of Rebuld Core Theme on two sections

a. No Bundle Javascript & CSS

b. Bundle Javascript & CSS

Based on previous result, you can choose either #a or #b to proceed.

a) No Bundle Javascript & CSS

- Browse all main.less files from active apps/modules to create "root.less" placed at PF.Site/flavors/material/flavor/root.less (change "material" text to your using theme)

- System will use LESS library to parse less to css, the CSS file generated out from root.less is bootstrap.css on the same level (PF.Site/flavors/material/flavor/bootstrap.css)

Bootstrap.css is very important, it contains all styles of all modules to load on front end.

b) Bundle Javascript & CSS

- All steps from #a along with an additional step as from bootstrap.css, system will optimize CSS to another file as autoload-461.css (461 is version of phpFox, it perhaps is other with your platform version)

Ex:

Your version is v4.6.1b5, it's autoload-461.css

Your version is v4.6.0b2, it's autoload-460.css

(Ignore beta version)

How to have autoload-461.css, you just need to clear cache at Admin Panel (AdminCP) >> Maintenance >> Cache Manager) to be generated it.

"autoload.css" file is available at PF.Base/file/static/autoload-461.css

Finally, debug why "Rebuild Core Theme" is not working, please check created date of files according to following order

root.less >> bootstrap.css >> autoload-461.css

If after you perform "Rebuld Core Theme" and clear cache, those files are not updated with current time, "Rebuild Core Theme" is failed, please check permission for directory consisting of them.

Thanks for reading, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any contribution for this article.

Our Email: support@younetco.com