Question

What are all those templates used for? Will I need each and every one, if I want to work with Movable Type? What template should I try to understand first?

Answer

Actually, you do not have to look at the templates at all. If you are satisfied with one of the default templates, or you find a template for download somewhere, you will not have to dig into this subject.

But even if you want to change your weblog's style, you will not have to look into each and every template. Fortunately, most templates are not needed in the beginning. The most important templates are as follows:

• The Main Index Template is responsible for creating the start page of your weblog. It is the page that the user discovers first, if he points his browser to your weblog's address. Usually, this template creates a list of most recently published entries. By modifying the template you might make the list show a fixed number of days or a fixed number of entries.
• A weblog that has been created by Movable Type separates style from contents. You have many HTML pages, containing just structural information and data. Each of these HTML pages references a central CSS file. It is this CSS file that defines the style of all pages. The Stylesheet Template contains the tags for the CSS file. So if you want to use this or that font, make the sidebar smaller or larger, the stylesheet is the correct file for being changed.
• At one time or the other, each of your entries will be part of main index. But if the entry no longer satisfies the condition for being included into the main index, it will disappear from the that index. So it is a good idea, if entries are also placed into other HTML files. The Individual Entry Archive Template will create one HTML page for each entry. Often this page is the target of the permalink. It is the page, whose address is permanently valid.
• In addition to the individual entry archive, entries can also be merged into other archives. You can define which archives are created. These archives are always created with respect to some criteria. You might have a Date Based Archive, where entries are inserted with respect to the date of publication. There may be an archive (a HTML page) for each month, each week, and each day ... You might also create an Category Based Archive, which collects entries regarding to the main category. So for each category an HTML page is created, containing all entries of this category.
• Additionally you will find several news feed templates. There is a template for RSS v1, RSS v2 and Atom. These support different types of news feeds. If you do not know news feeds, please read FAQ: What is Syndicate Site used for?.

mgs

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Ok, this is an English website...

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