The Template Files

In this section we will briefly describe some of the main template files and their functionality. The image shown in Figure 6-1 display the files from the template ‘arcadeclassic’. All templates have a similar file structure to this one, meaning that most templates have the same files as listed below.

Figure 6-1 Arcade Template File Directory.

There are many files inside of this template; however, we are only going to discuss the basic files that will be important to manipulate into your own. These files include:

images (folder) – This folder will contain all the images used in this specific template.

browse.html – This file contains the game display when users click on specific game categories. For instance, when a user clicks to view ‘Action’ games, this is the file that will typically be loaded with all the action games.

displaygame.html – This file will typically contain the data when a game is played inside of your arcade.

main.php – This file will contain the data displayed on the homepage. When you want to modify what is shown on the main page, this is the file that you will be editing.

overall.html – This file contains the data that is showed all over the site, hence the name. Overall.html is the overall file which will be portrayed around everything else. Just to simplify this a little let me explain it another way. When you are at the homepage, the overall data will be shown, such as the menu, header, footer, etc. This is, as it’s shown, the overall file.

style.css – This file should contain all the appearance information in your arcade such as color, layout, and structure. The style will be one of the main aesthetic parts of your arcade (Aesthetic, meaning pretty!). In other words, this is the file to make your arcade look nice.

template_functions.php – This file contains specific functions that your arcade template makes calls. These functions will load data from your database to your arcade, display mathematical settings, and many other server side functionality. If this sounds confusing, then don’t pay much attention to this file, because understanding this will very soon become clear.

The files that we have just listed above are some of the files that make your arcade ‘your arcade’. In the next section we will go over custom PHP Arcade Script templates. Let’s continue…