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File-Based Theme Switching and Templating in MODX Evo
When one project needs multiple visual themes, file-based templating can be cleaner than storing every variation directly in chunks and templates.
This donor proposed a useful middle ground between database templates and a full external rendering system: keep Evolution CMS in control, but let the visual layer come from theme files on disk.
The Core Idea
A custom binding such as @USETHEME can instruct the parser to load markup from the currently active theme folder. That means templates and chunks become routers for the active theme rather than long blocks of hard-coded HTML.
@USETHEME nametheme.tplWhy Teams Used This Pattern
- One project could serve a main layout, a promo layout, and a compatibility layout for older browsers.
- Changing the active theme folder changed the presentation layer without forcing editors to duplicate content.
- Version control for templates became easier because files lived in the filesystem.
Tradeoffs
- You must keep the binding implementation stable and well documented.
- Editors lose some of the convenience of keeping every template fragment in the manager.
- Theme files need the same deployment discipline as application code.
The broader lesson still holds for Evo 3 era work: if design variants change more often than content structure, the presentation layer should live where developers can version and deploy it cleanly.
Using IF to Output Placeholders in Evolution CMS
Understand how IF interacts with placeholders from snippets such as Ditto and form workflows in Evolution CMS.
smg: A Tiny Folder-Based Gallery Snippet for Evolution CMS
Build a simple gallery or slider from images stored in one folder without adding a TV field for every image.