I just installed Backdrop. I note that the default theme is done in bootstrap 4. The associated layouts should work well for us.
However, I want to modify the theme, and I want a very different home page. The home page that I want would be unique to itself with a big hero image and a bunch of "badges" -- those badges need to be editable. I also want to add some material-design type concepts.
So, my questions:
1. Is the best way to do this type of theme modification, one that is similar to the existing default theme not identical, to copy the existing them, give it a new name, and modify that?
2. Am I correct in thinking that I need to create a new layout for that home page since it is unique?
Thank you in advance.
Comments
Yes, you could do that -- or you can make a sub-theme of Basis and modify that. See:
https://api.backdropcms.org/documentation/creating-sub-themes
For the layout that you'll use on the homepage, you can do what you referred to for the theme and duplicate an existing layout and rename it if you want to start from something that exists already.
If you need any custom css or want to add/change preprocess functions, the best way is to create a sub-theme of Basis.
However, you can change the homepage layout without touching the theme at all. Backdrop comes with a custom layout for the homepage and you can reorganize the front page without effecting any other pages through the UI.
If you would like to use a different layout template on the home page, go here:
If you are new to Backdrop and familiar with Drupal, be sure to spend a little time experimenting with and exploring the layout system in Backdrop. It's a big switch from how things worked in Drupal and something of a mind shift.
But, you can use the Layouts UI to make some pretty major changes to the front page without touching the theme.