FAQ Question

Create Journals
Update Journals

Find Users
Random

Search
Create New

Latest News
How to Use

Privacy
T.O.S.

Username:
Password:

In order to create a custom style, you will need to have an Early Adopter, Paid or Permanent account. Free users are limited to the use of overrides, which are explained in the other Customization faqs (http://www.blurty.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqcat=customizing) as well as some Tutorials in the Customization community (http://www.blurty.com/community/customization/).

To begin, you will need to first create a style to work from, which can be done at the "create a style" page (http://www.blurty.com/styles/create.bml). You can either create a blank style, or base your style off an existing system style template. Once you have done this, you can then edit your style (http://www.blurty.com/styles/edit.bml) to your liking.

Whether you create a blank style or base your new style on an existing template, the default name for a new style is username-viewname-new. For example, a new style for your lastn page might look like "username-lastn-new".

You will need to change the name of your new style if you would like to create additional styles for that view. Unless you change the name of the style from the default name, you will be unable to create new styles. The style creation page will not overwrite an existing style.

You can change the name of your style on the "edit style" page (http://www.blurty.com/styles/edit.bml), under "style description." Under "style options", you can choose whether or not the style is public, which affects whether or not another Blurty user can see the coding that makes up your style.

You will need to save your style for any changes to take effect.

Once you have created a custom style, you will need to explicitly choose to use that style for your journal from the dropdown box on the Modify Journal page: http://www.blurty.com/modify.bml

For more information on how the style creation system works and how to use it: http://www.blurty.com/developer/styles.bml

For more information on the view types you can create styles for: http://www.blurty.com/developer/views.bml

For more information on the variables used to create styles: http://www.blurty.com/developer/varlist.bml

Last Updated:
bertho, 2003-07-03

Unfortunately, we can't let you use JavaScript or Flash in your customized styles.

Short explanation: It's a security problem.

Long explanation: Since users can login to Blurty and have their login username/password saved, if we allowed either JavaScript or Flash, people could write scripts to intercept the username/password and save it, or email it to the malicious script author. We've looked into solutions to allow Javascript and Flash, but there seems to be no good way to prevent them from having access to login information (cookies).

If you know of a robust way for us to allow Javascript or Flash, please let us know! For now, though, all JavaScript and all Flash is removed from journal styles and overrides before it's sent to any browser.

Last Updated:
greentea, 2002-11-04

Overrides are sections of code that can be used to modify certain parts of your journal. They are inserted into the styles override box near the bottom of the Modify Journal page (http://www.blurty.com/modify.bml).

They are used to set exceptions to the system styles, and as such involve limitations and complications.

The only HTML elements that can be used in the *_HEAD overrides are those elements that are valid in the head of a HTML document. This is limited to <title>, <base>, <style>, <link>, and <meta>. All other elements are stripped. If your overrides are not changing the look of your journal, that is most likely the reason.

There are a number of ways to use the override system. The above links describe only some of these ways. Due to the potential diversity and complexity of all available overrides, it would be impossible to officially support them all.

Please note: You can only have one override for each variable. If you have more than one change that you want to make to a variable, you will need to merge your overrides for that variable into one override. More information on merging overrides can be found here: http://www.blurty.com/talkread.bml?journal=customization&itemid=1977

Last Updated:
bertho, 2003-07-20

First, you must upload your background image to a site that allows remote loading (http://www.blurty.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=120).

Next, go to your "modify journal" page (http://www.blurty.com/modify.bml)
and scroll down to the bottom. You'll need to use the override code found below in your "overrides" box.

Note that if you are using more than one GLOBAL_HEAD override (such as a font override and a background override together), that the overrides will need to be merged together.

GLOBAL_HEAD<=
<style type="text/css">

</style>
<=GLOBAL_HEAD

Within the code, "http://www.your-website.com/image.jpg" must be replaced by the actual URL of the image you want to use as your background.

Fixed backgrounds:

On some newer browsers, background images can be "fixed," so that the image will not move as you scroll down the page. To do this, just add "background-attachment:fixed" to the middle line of the above override code, like this:

GLOBAL_HEAD<=
<style type="text/css">

</style>
<=GLOBAL_HEAD

Last Updated:
bertho, 2003-05-10

You can use override codes to change their "comments" links. Override codes are to be pasted into the "Style Overrides" box at the bottom of the "modify journal" page: http://www.blurty.com/modify.bml

The override codes to be used are fairly dependent upon the layout style you're using. The codes in this FAQ are grouped according to the layout style they're best suited for. Note that each group of codes contains 3 smaller sets of codes: The first for your LASTN (most recent events) view, the second for your FRIENDS view, and the third for your DAY (via your calendar) view.

At most, you should only be using one set of codes for your LASTN view, one for your FRIENDS, and one for your DAY view.

The overrides as they appear below will change your comments links to something like:
(3 thoughts | share your thoughts)

Within the codes, look for the words "share your thoughts". You can change these words to whatever you want, and they will replace the standard "comment on this" link text in your journal.

Then, look for the part of the code that looks like this: thought%%mc-plural-s%%

The word "thought" would be the word that gets pluralized when you have more than one comment. Change that word to what you want. Before that word, you'll see %%messagecount%%, which simply displays the number you see whenever you have comments.

%%mc-plural-s%% is what automatically pluralizes the word for you, when needed.
But what if you want something that doesn't just end in "s"? Like "kisses" or "replies"?

If your word needs to end in "es", like "kisses", replace %%mc-plural-s%% with %%mc-plural-es%%, like so: kiss%%mc-plural-es%%

If your word ends with "y" and thus needs to be pluralized with "ies", as in "replies", use %%mc-plural-ies%% instead of %%mc-plural-s%%, like so: repl%%mc-plural-ies%%

(At this time, the style system only supports the above three basic pluralization techniques. Other overrides concerning non-standard plurals can be found at http://www.blurty.com/talkpost.bml?itemid=6578)

Here are the override codes. This first group of overrides are compatible with the "Default Blurty", "Punquin Elegant w/ Sidebar", "Notepad", "Refried Paper", "Clean and Simple", "Disjointed", and "Magazine" styles.

If you are using the "Generator" or "Tabular Indent" styles, take the appropriate codes from the two labeled sections that follow after.

LASTN_TALK_READLINK<=
<A HREF="%%urlread%%">%%messagecount%% thought%%mc-plural-s%%</A> |
<=LASTN_TALK_READLINK
LASTN_TALK_LINKS<=
<P ALIGN="right" CLASS="comments"><FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"
SIZE=1>(%%readlink%%<A HREF="%%urlpost%%">share your thoughts</A>)</FONT></P>
<=LASTN_TALK_LINKS

FRIENDS_TALK_READLINK<=
<A HREF="%%urlread%%">%%messagecount%% thought%%mc-plural-s%%</A> |
<=FRIENDS_TALK_READLINK
FRIENDS_TALK_LINKS<=
<P ALIGN="RIGHT" CLASS="comments"><FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"
SIZE=1>(%%readlink%%<A HREF="%%urlpost%%">share your thoughts</A>)</FONT></P>
<=FRIENDS_TALK_LINKS

DAY_TALK_READLINK<=
<A HREF="%%urlread%%">%%messagecount%% thought%%mc-plural-s%%</A> |
<=DAY_TALK_READLINK
DAY_TALK_LINKS<=
<P ALIGN="RIGHT" class="comments"><FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"
SIZE=1>(%%readlink%%<A HREF="%%urlpost%%">share your thoughts</A>)</FONT></P>
<=DAY_TALK_LINKS

________________

GENERATOR codes

LASTN_TALK_READLINK<=
<a href="%%urlread%%"><b>%%messagecount%% thought%%mc-plural-s%%</b></a>|
<=LASTN_TALK_READLINK
LASTN_TALK_LINKS<=
<tr>
<td align="right" colspan="2" width="100%" bgcolor="%%color:weak_back%%" class="comments">
%%readlink%%<a href="%%urlpost%%">share your thoughts</a>
</td>
</tr>
<=LASTN_TALK_LINKS

FRIENDS_TALK_READLINK<=
<a href="%%urlread%%"><b>%%messagecount%% thought%%mc-plural-s%%</b></a>|
<=FRIENDS_TALK_READLINK
FRIENDS_TALK_LINKS<=
<tr>
<td align="right" colspan="2" width="100%" bgcolor="%%color:weak_back%%" class="comments">
%%readlink%%<a href="%%urlpost%%">share your thoughts</a>
</td>
</tr>
<=FRIENDS_TALK_LINKS

DAY_TALK_READLINK<=
<a href="%%urlread%%"><b>%%messagecount%% thought%%mc-plural-s%%</b></a>|
<=DAY_TALK_READLINK
DAY_TALK_LINKS<=
<tr>
<td align="right" colspan="2" width="100%" bgcolor="%%color:weak_back%%" class="comments">
%%readlink%%<a href="%%urlpost%%">share your thoughts</a>
</td>
</tr>
<=DAY_TALK_LINKS

____________________

TABULAR INDENT codes

LASTN_TALK_READLINK<=
<A HREF="%%urlread%%">%%messagecount%% thought%%mc-plural-s%%</A> -
<=LASTN_TALK_READLINK
LASTN_TALK_LINKS<=
<TR>
<TD BGCOLOR="%%color:weak_back%%" class="comments">
<FONT COLOR="%%color:weak_text%%">
<NOBR>
Comments: %%readlink%%<A HREF="%%urlpost%%">share your thoughts</A>.
</NOBR>
</FONT>
</TD>
</TR>
<=LASTN_TALK_LINKS

FRIENDS_TALK_READLINK<=
<A HREF="%%urlread%%">%%messagecount%% thought%%mc-plural-s%%</A> -
<=FRIENDS_TALK_READLINK
FRIENDS_TALK_LINKS<=
<TR>
<TD BGCOLOR="%%color:weak_back%%" class="comments">
<FONT COLOR="%%color:weak_text%%">
<NOBR>
Comments: %%readlink%%<A HREF="%%urlpost%%">share your thoughts</A>.
</NOBR>
</FONT>
</TD>
</TR>
<=FRIENDS_TALK_LINKS

DAY_TALK_READLINK<=
<A HREF="%%urlread%%">%%messagecount%% thought%%mc-plural-s%%</A> -
<=DAY_TALK_READLINK
DAY_TALK_LINKS<=
<TR>
<TD BGCOLOR="%%color:weak_back%%" class="comments">
<FONT COLOR="%%color:weak_text%%">
<NOBR>
Comments: %%readlink%%<A HREF="%%urlpost%%">share your thoughts</A>.
</NOBR>
</FONT>
</TD>
</TR>
<=DAY_TALK_LINKS

Last Updated:
greentea, 2002-11-04

Since this requires creating a complete style, you must have an Early Adopter, Paid or Permanent account. If you have a free account, you will be unable to add music to the background of your journal.

To begin, the music you wish to embed must be in the form of an MP3, WAV or MIDI file. Since the file must be transferred over the internet, a lower size (thus lower quality) file is suggested.

After uploading the music file to a server that allows remote loading (http://www.blurty.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=120), you will need to create a custom style (http://www.blurty.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=103). In the LASTN_PAGE section , you will find a <body> tag (which may have other information before the closing >), and you will add the code for your sound file like so:

<body>
<bgsound src="http://www.webhostingsite.com/useraccount/soundfile.mid" loop=1></bgsound>
.
.
.
</body>

You would replace the URL in the quotations with the URL of your sound file. The loop factor decides how many times the sound will repeat. You can add a number to have it repeat a certain number of times, or add the word infinite (loop=infinite) to have the sound repeat indefinitely.

Last Updated:
bertho, 2003-10-28

Well, there are various levels of modification!

The easy way is to just change the colors or select from pre-defined system styles at:

http://www.blurty.com/modify.bml

You can also make other changes, which are detailed in the other Customization FAQs:

- How do I change the font in my journal?
http://www.blurty.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=36

- How do I add a Background Image?
http://www.blurty.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=49

- How do I change the number of journal entries per page?
http://www.blurty.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=37

- How can I change what my "comments" links say?
http://www.blurty.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=27

- What are overrides? How do they work?
http://www.blurty.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=38

You can also visit this community for customization tutorials and help:

Journal Customization
http://www.blurty.com/users/customization

Last Updated:
greentea, 2002-11-04

Go to your modify journal page at: http://www.blurty.com/modify.bml

Then enter your username and password and click "proceed". At the bottom there is a box where you can enter style overrides. In that box you can enter CSS style rules as part of the GLOBAL_HEAD element of your journal, which affects all of your journal pages (recent, friends, calendar, day).

(Remember that font names may be case-sensitive, and must be spelled correctly, with any spaces in the correct places, in order to work properly):

GLOBAL_HEAD<=
<style type="text/css">

</style>
<=GLOBAL_HEAD

If you would also like to change the size of your font, you can include this CSS rule:

GLOBAL_HEAD<=
<style type="text/css">

</style>
<=GLOBAL_HEAD

Combined they would be:

GLOBAL_HEAD<=
<style type="text/css">

</style>
<=GLOBAL_HEAD

Note: These overrides will not work properly if you are using the Refried Paper style. You can override every element in that style with the following:

GLOBAL_HEAD<=
<style type="text/css">

</style>
<=GLOBAL_HEAD

Last Updated:
bertho, 2003-03-22

To change the number of journal entries that show up on your "recent entries" and "friends" page, first go to "modify journal" at: http://www.blurty.com/modify.bml

Proceed as instructed, then enter something like the following in your style overrides section:

LASTN_OPT_ITEMS=>30
FRIENDS_OPT_ITEMS=>40

Last Updated:
greentea, 2002-11-04

Blurty does not offer a web counter service at this time, but it is possible to add a counter from a third party to your journal using an override as described here:

http://www.blurty.com/talkread.bml?journal=customization&itemid=2317

Paid Accounts and Early Adopter can also place their counter wherever they wish by creating a custom style and inserting the code in an appropriate spot.

Last Updated:
bertho, 2003-04-21

Back to the FAQ.
Back to the support area.