Creating a Custom Theme for Polaris PowerPAC Children's Edition

When you enable Children’s Edition themes in Polaris Administration for an organization, children can choose a theme from the options you specify. Polaris provides three standard Children’s Edition themes: Treasure, Antique, and Ocean. You can offer some or all of these as well as your custom themes. Themes are developed at the system level, but you can assign them at the system, library, or branch level, so that each branch can control which (if any) theme options are available. The default theme—the theme that is displayed when users first connect to Polaris PowerPAC Children’s Edition—can also be set at the system, library, or branch level.

For Polaris PowerPAC Children’s Edition, the theme style sheet (.css) file and related image files are stored in each language-specific theme folder:
Polaris\[version]\PowerPAC\Children\themes\language code\theme name.
For example, files for the default Treasure theme (English) are located in the folder
Polaris\version\PowerPAC\children\themes\1033\treasure.
If you are creating a custom theme, set up a unique folder for your files on the Web server, in the Polaris\version\PowerPAC\children\themes\language number folder.

Note:
Each language is represented by a number. English is represented by 1033, so theme folders for the English version are stored in Polaris\version\PowerPAC\children\themes\1033.

Theme folders also contain the image files specified for format icons and categories, since these images can change when a different theme is chosen. As in Polaris PowerPAC, format icons identify the medium of a title listed in search results, such as a book or a musical sound recording. “Categories” are specific to the Children’s Edition and contain predefined targets, such as searches or Web site URLs. See Managing Search Categories.

You create a custom theme for Children’s Edition by copying an existing theme, then editing the style sheet and images as appropriate. You can make the custom theme available for use directly in Polaris System Administration. To create a custom theme for the Children's Edition:

  1. In the] Polaris\[version]\PowerPAC\children\themes\[language folder] directory, copy a theme folder and rename it for your custom theme. Keep your new custom theme folder in the Polaris\[version]\PowerPAC\children\themes\[language folder] directory. File names and paths are case-sensitive.
  2. Working in your custom theme folder, edit the .css style sheet and images as you wish. You must retain all classes in the .css file.
  3. Make your custom theme available for organizations to use by following these steps:
    1. In the Polaris Administration Explorer, open the Profiles folder at the system level, and select the Children's PAC tab in the details view.
    2. Double-click Theme construction. The Theme Construction dialog box lists the default themes and any custom themes that have already been defined. You cannot edit the default themes.
    3. Select the theme you copied as a basis for your custom theme in step 1, and click Copy. The copy is added to the list as Copy of theme.
    4. Select the copy and click Edit. The Edit Theme dialog box opens.
    5. Type a name for the theme in the Display Name box. The display name identifies the theme in Polaris Administration profiles and on the Polaris PowerPAC Children’s Edition interface.

    4. Note:
    The Cursor Type field is not functional.

    1. In the appropriate File Name boxes, if you changed any filenames in the custom theme folder, type the new filenames for the page graphic elements and for the stylesheet. The system constructs the appropriate URL. Type only the new filename (case-sensitive).
    1. Type the name of the theme folder you created in step 1 in the Default Image Path box. Type only the folder name (case-sensitive). The system constructs the appropriate URL for the theme files to Polaris\[version]\PowerPAC\children\themes\language folder\your folder on the server, based on the theme folder you specify.
    2. Click OK on the dialog box. The dialog box closes, and your settings are saved.
  4. Assign the custom theme to an organization by following these steps:
    1. In the Polaris Administration Explorer, open the Profiles folder for the organization, and select the Children’s PAC tab in the details view.
    2. Double-click Theme Assignment.
    3. Select the custom theme in the Unassigned Themes list, and click Assign. The theme is added to the Assigned themes list.
    4. To designate an assigned theme as the default theme, select the theme in the Assigned Themes list, and click Assign Default Theme.
    5. Click OK on the dialog box. The dialog box closes, and your settings are automatically saved.

    5. Note:
    To display the theme options in the Children’s Edition, set the Children’s PAC profiles Select theme: Enable and Dashboards: Enable to Yes for the organization.

  5. Use the Reload feature in Polaris Language Editor (WebAdmin) or perform an IIS reset to see your changes.

Note:
Polaris Hosted customers should contact Polaris Customer Support to perform an IIS reset.

Important:
Back up your new theme folder to protect it from being overwritten when Polaris PowerPAC software is reinstalled or upgraded. Move the custom theme directory back to Polaris\[version]\PowerPAC\children\themes\language folder after the installation is complete.