newbe help please

Hi everyone, I'm a newbe, so please be understanding if i ask what apears to be dumb questions. I'm a digital imigrant and I'm really interested in learning, but i know how annoying this can be.
I have basic html skills and can create static html sites, I have a friend available with amazing developement/coding skills to help me with that aspect when i get there, but need to get started with the basic html formatting. have installed visual studio10 and nopcommerce is a project within it. I cant see where all the html files are in the tree structure on the right so that i can start playing with them and change the dark orange theme to what i want it to look like. All i can see is the styles.css file in :- NopCommerceStore/App_Themes/darkOrange. I think i have clicked on all the folders in the tree that might contain the files i am after but just need pointing in the right direction.
Sorry for being so simple!

A question can’t be stupid. In the beginning we are all newbies.

The best way (I think) is to get a friend that has some skills in html and css to show you. There will be tons of questions so if you use the forum to learn i believe it will take you years to master it.

Of course you are always welcome to ask questions here but I believe it’s much easier for you to learn from a friend.

To “skin” nopCommerce is pretty easy, as soon as you learn the basics you will be able to create a new skin in no time at all.

I dont have a friend to hand at the moment, i just need to be pointed in the right direction of the html/css files so that i can have a go, thanks

nopCommerce\App_Themes\darkOrange
(This is where the CSS files are kept for the Dark Orange ~ theme)

Copy this folder and make new one call it what you like - go to Admin and change the theme (configuration/global settings and tab SEO/Display - then change the drop down

When you customise this CSS you will have refernece point of the darkOrange

As for HTML - only a few, your eCommerce is made up of ASPX, ASPX.cs files - which display the modules...

If you want to do a design concept look / tip go to the demo website at nopCommerce (or your own) and right click view source (paste into design software - good for learn layouts)

cheers
Simon

Thanx Simon, please be patient with me, im trying to follow you, but sorry, go to admin ? configuration?  i have looked all over VS10 but cant see how/where. i'm new and never used visual studio before and need more detail, sorry to be a pain. Also someone showed me how to get into the code and find the html to change to add products, categories etc. I understood it but it was weeks ago and I have forgotten it now. Ready to run with it now and will remember if shown again. I will not keep posting on here once pointed in the right direction. Hope you or someone can help? Regards hulio

Visual Studio 2010 Professional
Download the Source... Use this now as a REFERENCE

nopCommerce_1.80_Source (RAR file)

Extract the file to your Work Folder / in a project named Folder  (assigned to IIS)
(MyNewWebsite) = 3,843 files, 617 folders - note might be more or less (when patches and updates from your source)

- If you open in Computer Explorer you see
Dependencies
Libraries
NopCommerceStore - ( This is the file that gets uploaded to your Webserver - so you can change it with Notepad++ )
Payment
Shipping
Tax
NopCommerce (Solution File)

NopCommerce (Solution File) - Right click and open the solution in Visual Studio 2010 Pressional....

In the Solution Explorer (right of screen is the files... Right click on NopCommerceStore and **Set as Startup Project**)

Press f5 and builds the website - should go to your local default browser... ie: FireFox

And you will see the Installation Panel....

Once installed - remember to delete the Install Folder...

---------------------------------------------------

Visual Web Web Developer 2010 Express - same with 2008

Download the Source... Use this now as a REFERENCE

nopCommerce_1.80_Source (RAR file)

Extract the file to your Work Folder / in a project named Folder  (assigned to IIS)
(MyNewWebsite) = 3,843 files, 617 folders - note might be more or less (when patches and updates from your source)

- If you open in Computer Explorer you see
Dependencies
Libraries
NopCommerceStore - ( This is the file that gets uploaded to your Webserver - so you can change it with Notepad++ )
Payment
Shipping
Tax
NopCommerce.sln (Solution File)
NopCommerce.suo

NopCommerce.sln - Right click and open the solution in Visual Studio Express Version....
A load of errors will come up - CLick OK on them all - (They are for building modules and you will require Professional or Ultimate VS)

In the Solution Explorer - after the errors (right of screen is the files... Right click on NopCommerceStore and **Set as Startup Project**)

Press f5 and builds the website

- should go to your local default browser... ie: FireFox (you might have to Alt Tab) or press Stop Debugging (on the top bar) and press f5

And you will see the Installation Panel....

Once installed - remember to delete the Install Folder...

----
Good luck and look forward to your websites and any extra modules you might build - remember to share with the community...
regards
Simon

The admin part on Simon's answer is the administration part of the live site, like www.yuorstore.com/administration

Once you have a working version of nopCommerce:

For styling, I would follow the instructions from cityvouchers and create a new theme folder (see folder [App_Themes] or [NopCommerceStore\App_Themes] in visual studio).  In here I would copy the darkorange folder and rename it to MyTestTheme (or something more meaningfull).

Now run the website (F5) and login as admin and click the administration link at the top right of the page. In the admin section of the website go to  configuration -> global settings -> [SEO/Display] tab -> Store Theme: Change this to MyTestTheme.

From now on any changes you make to the style.css in MyTestTheme, will appear on your site.

What browser are you using? I use both firefox and IE8 for developing styles... press F12 for the developer tools in either browser, these are really helpful (you will have to download firebug for firefox).

Hope this helps

D.

Thanks, I am using google chrome as default browser, i hit F5 and it builds the site.
I cant see any other way to log in other than to register creating a profile with first name as admin if you like, then to log in with that username and password you create. then i hit a brick wall. There is no admin to click anywhere!
Regards
hulio

try:

Username: [email protected]
Password: admin

If you are struggling, I'd be tempted to purchase the user manual:

https://www.nopcommerce.com/p/142/nopcommerce-version-180-user-guide.aspx

If you intend to use this extensively, it will save you some time (this is only a user guide though, no development info is in here)

D.