Tiddler $:/boot/boot.css

1

Hi all,

I modify the tiddler $:/boot/boot.css for the style of “password input” and it’s OK.

But when i import my Tiddlywiki in an other, I don’t see the tiddler $:/boot/boot.css in the list ($:/Import) . I need to import in a second time.

Could you help me to understand this problème ?

Thanks.

2

Welcome back @TW_user, is it easy to share the change you wanted to make, a solution may be easier than an an explanation.

But what do you mean by?;

  • It may be better to make a bundle of tiddlers and transfering them to you new wiki.

A solution?
Possibly the best way to introduce CSS changes is to put the change in a tiddler tagged $:/tags/Stylesheet then the latest wins. See Control Panel > Info > Advanced > StyleSheets for the order that results. Bottom is the last, that wins. Because I expect it is subsequently overridden.

The explanation?
You will see that $:/boot/boot.css is not in the list of stylesheets and is not a shadow tiddler in the $:/core, although it is mentioned, this needs a little deeper investigation.

  • So to fully understand, you need to uncover the role of boot.css in the boot process or use a more “standard solution” as mentioned above.
  • $:/boot/boot.css says “Basic styles used before we boot up the parsing engine” so I would not rely on this post “boot up”
  • See the Dev Tiddlywiki for more info BootMechanisium

Let us know if the solution above works and you really want to dig deeper.

3

Hi @TW_Tones ,

Thanks for your explanation.

When I want uprgade my tiddlywiki, I download an empty edition, open and click on "IMPORT’. I choose my tiddlywiki.

In the list (on $:/Import), I don’t see the tiddler “$:/boot/boot.css”. I think is curious because I see $:/core, $:/temp etc…

You can try with my_empty.html.tid (2.9 MB) (delete “.tid”)

Maybee I use the bad way.

My objective : Change the style of the “password prompt” and upgrade my tiddlywiki easily.

Thanks again,

4

The “my_empty.html” password is test

5

You should not mess with boot.css … It is hardcoded in several save-template filters to be excluded from the save mechanism. So the tiddler isn’t part of the tiddler store.

It needs to be active already, when the TW core isn’t fully started yet, because it’s used to decrypt the encrypted tiddler store. …

It is also hardcoded in the templates the create the tiddlywiki.html file.

So the way to go is: … If you don’t like the CSS that is used, you should make a proposal at GitHub, that explains

  • Why you don’t like it
  • How it should look like
6

Mario. If it is as simple as a css apperence item it can instead have a changed version in a stylesheet surely?

7

The purpose of $:/boot/boot.css is to contain the style definitions that are needed during the boot process but before the wiki has been decrypted. That covers two things: the red error alert, and the password entry dialogue.

You should be able to edit $:/boot/boot.css and save changes in the usual way; the saving architecture explicitly supports user modified boot CSS. But it’s only necessary to do so if you want to customise the red error alert or the password entry dialogue and need those customisations to apply during the boot process.

8

But the OP is about the Import / update mechanism, where the tiddler is not shown.

9

IMO, I think it’s a small changement to apply on the “saving architecture”, because,

if you import my_empty.html and just after (before click IMPORT on the tiddler $:/import) you drag and drop the $:/boot/boot.css, all it’s ok.

I can’t explain, why i don’t like this, but i think it was a good future for flexibility and usuality of tiddlywiki.

10

Indeed. I was trying to convey that there are only very special circumstances where it is necessary to modify $:/boot/boot.css. In almost all cases it would actually be possible to achieve the same thing with a $:/tags/RawMarkup tiddler.

11

Nope. If you open boot.css you will see, that it doesn’t have a stylesheet tag. And it is a system tiddler instead of a shadow. …

It has to be active already, when there is no tiddler store yet. …

It is used for the password dialogue that is shown to enter the password, which when entered will decrypt all tiddlers to build the store. So it can’t be an ordinary tiddler. There is some special handling somewhere.

12

I think $:/boot/boot.css is “obselete”. Because in my tiddlywiki, I replace it by an empty $:/boot/boot.css (you can see it in my_empty.html).

To apply my style, I use an othher tiddler with the tag $:/tags/RawMarkupWikified/TopBody wich appear in the list on the tiddler $:/Import.

If you delete $:/boot/boot.css all will be ok:

  • Change the style of the “password prompt”

  • Upgrade my tiddlywiki easily

What do you think about my idea ?

13

It’s not that the styles in boot.css are “obsolete”, it is that they are only used when displaying the login dialogue or the red error dialogue. They are required in order for those elements to be displayed correctly.

14

OK I understand.

So What is the solution to solve my problem :roll_eyes: ?

I think It would be a good thing to unlock the tiddler $:/boot/boot.css in the list $:/import.

15

I think you need to forget the $:/boot/boot.css for now and explain what you are after here?

16

I think the OP is clear

TW_user wants to

  • change the $:/boot/boot.css and
  • then import it to a new / updated wiki

But as I wrote at: Tiddler $:/boot/boot.css - #5 by pmario … We do have a chicken – egg dilemma here.

So it’s not trivial to be solved, without some hacks, that may cause side effects. Since it is “style only” it shouldn’t “brick” the wiki but there still should be some caution.

17
  • Maybe to a tiddlywiki engineer’s view
  • Forgive me Mario this seems to me to be a how, not a what?
  • Sure that is what the OT is about, but is customising the $:/boot/boot.css and the problems it entails necessary?

So far the only thing we seem to know is;

Perhaps a more generic solution, or guide can be made for customising items early in the wiki load process.