Choosing How Much Customization to Use

When you customize skins, the preferred method is to create a new skin inherited from an existing skin and then modify the new skin. Do not modify the skins that are installed with My webMethods Server. When you create a new skin and then export it for editing outside the server, you can then deploy it to every server where it is to be used.

You can use one or more of the following techniques to do customization from the simple to the complex:

The Skin Administration page enables you to create and delete custom skins, and modify the use of images, colors, and fonts. This is the only method of customization you can use without exporting a skin and editing files that make up the skin package. See Using the Skin Administration Page.

Even if you plan to make more extensive modifications, you can create a custom skin, make changes to fonts, colors, or images in the Skin Administration page, and then export the skin for further editing.

Use an extended.css file (Cascading Style Sheet Definitions) to modify skin properties you cannot manage with the Skin Administration page.

This customization is suitable if you want to make small modifications to existing properties in a skin package. To use an extended.css file, you need to define it in the skin.properties file of the skin.

Use a skin.properties.xml file The Skin Properties File) if you want to modify values of existing properties but are not adding new properties to the custom skin.

For example, you can change the value for a font or color already defined in a parent skin. In this case, the skin.properties.xml file overrides properties in the parent skin, but continues to use the CSS of the parent.

Use an extended.csi file (dynamic CSS file) (Cascading Style Sheet Definitions) to add new CSS classes to the custom skin. To use an extended.csi file, you need to define it in the skin.properties file of the skin.

Using an extended.csi file to create new classes is the simplest way to add new styles to a custom skin.

For definitions of CSS and dynamic CSS files, see Cascading Style Sheets

To create a new skin from an existing skin, see Creating and Modifying a New Skin.

To export a skin from to your computer for editing, see Exporting a Skin to Your Computer.