Customize Vtiger CRM Easily with Style.less Guide

Customize VTiger CRM the look and feel of through the style.less file involves modifying the Less (Leaner Style Sheets) files used by vTiger to control its CSS. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Steps to Customize style.less in vTiger CRM

1. Locate the style.less File:

• The main Less file in vTiger CRM is typically located at layouts/v7/resources/less/style.less.
• If you’re using a custom theme, navigate to your theme’s directory, which might be under layouts/v7/skins/<YourTheme>/less/style.less.

2. Backup the Original File:

• Before making any changes, it’s crucial to back up the original style.less file. This allows you to revert to the original style if anything goes wrong.
• Simply copy the file and save it as style.less.bak or another name.

3. Edit the style.less File:

• Open the style.less file using a code editor (like Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, or any other editor you prefer).
• Make your desired changes to the styles. You can add new styles, modify existing ones, or override default styles. Example: Changing Button Colors

   // Modify button background and text color
   .btn-primary {
       background-color: #007bff; // New primary color
       border-color: #007bff;
       color: #fff;
   }

   .btn-primary:hover {
       background-color: #0056b3; // New hover color
       border-color: #004085;
   }

4. Compile the style.less File:

• Less files need to be compiled into CSS for the browser to understand them.
• Use a Less compiler to compile style.less into a CSS file. Tools like lessc (Less command-line compiler) or online compilers can be used. Using lessc command-line tool:

   lessc path/to/less/style.less path/to/css/style.css

• Ensure you have Node.js and Less installed if you’re using the command-line tool. Online Compiler:
• You can use online tools like less2css.org to compile your Less file.

5. Replace the Compiled CSS in vTiger:

• After compiling, replace the existing CSS file that vTiger uses with your new compiled CSS.
• The compiled CSS file is typically located at layouts/v7/resources/css/style.css. Note: Keep a backup of the original CSS file (style.css.bak).

6. Clear vTiger Cache:

• After updating the CSS, clear the vTiger cache to ensure that your changes take effect.
• You can clear the cache by deleting the contents of the cache folder, typically found at vtigercrm/cache/.
• It’s also good to clear your browser cache.

7. Test the Changes:

• Refresh your vTiger CRM page to see the changes.
• Navigate through different sections to ensure that the customizations look good and nothing is broken.

8. Adjustments and Tweaks:

• If the styles don’t appear as expected, you might need to tweak the style.less file and recompile.
• Repeat the steps of editing, compiling, and replacing until you get the desired appearance.

Tips for Working with style.less

• Variables: vTiger often uses variables for colors, fonts, and other repetitive styles. Look for variables in the variables.less file or at the top of style.less. Changing these variables can globally affect styles. Example: Changing the primary color variable

  @primary-color: #007bff;

• Modular Approach: vTiger’s style.less file might import other Less files. If you have a lot of custom styles, consider creating a new Less file and importing it into style.less. Example: Importing custom styles

  @import "customStyles.less";

• Browser Developer Tools: Use browser developer tools (F12 or right-click and select “Inspect”) to identify the exact CSS selectors and properties to change. This can be especially helpful if you’re unsure which styles to modify.
• Maintainability: Document your changes and keep track of what you modified. This is helpful for future maintenance or if you need to revert changes.
• Test in Different Browsers: Ensure your changes are compatible across different browsers and screen sizes.

Final Considerations

• Updating vTiger: Be cautious that updates to vTiger CRM might overwrite your custom styles. Always back up your customizations and be prepared to reapply them after an update.
• Custom Theme: If you’re making extensive changes, consider creating a custom theme. This way, your modifications are isolated from the core files, and it’s easier to manage updates.

By following these steps and tips, you can effectively customize the styles in vTiger CRM through the style.less file, creating a more personalized and visually appealing interface.

Conclusion

Customizing the appearance and also feel of the best Vtiger hosting solutions through the style.Less file consists of customizing the Less (Leaner Style Sheets) files utilized by vTiger to easily access its CSS. So, there is an abovementioned step-by-step guide to simply customize vTiger CRM with the help of style. less.