Is there an easy way to place the side bar to the left?

Using /pub/System/PatternSkin/column_left.css gives poor results.

Can FoswikiSiteSkin be customized without modifying of the CSS-code? Or would it be better to use a more sophisticated skin like NatSkin?

It should be supported. Did you use the theme browser on System.PatternSkin? If so, can you describe your bad experience?

-- ArthurClemens - 15 May 2009

Using the link "preview with this topic" (SkinBrowser?skin=foswikisite) in the skin browser results in a blank page.
The link has to be expanded to SkinBrowser?skin=foswikisite,pattern. See http://foswiki.org/Tasks/Item1513
If the FoswikiSiteSKin CSS are not active in the system web, the preview gives poor results (e.g. no navigation bar).
If the FoswikiSiteSKin CSS are active, the preview of PatternSkin on its part gives poor results.
The attached screenshot illustrates the problem with SET PATTERNSKIN_COLUMNS.

There are other problems with FoswikiSiteSkin apart from PATTERNSKIN_COLUMNS.

In the TreePlugin page some content can't be seen or scrolled to. See also http://www.foswiki.org/Extensions/TreePlugin
In the SearchEngineKinoSearchAddOn results page the side bar is moved to the right so that the user has to scroll the window horizontally to see it

-- 25 May 2009 - RonBeezer

The original question has been answered.

For the other questions: FoswikiSiteSkin is developed for this site, foswiki.org. If you want to have it support more features (for instance to let it work with more plugins), please make a contribution, in code or otherwise.

-- ArthurClemens - 26 Jul 2009

To be fair, it was more sidestepped or guessed than answered. It would appear Ron that the answer is no. The documentation only covers PatternSkin, and leads one to surmise that it would work with foswikisiteskin. However my experience is much the same as yours. Adding foswikisiteskin appears to functionally break the layout control of PatternSkin. Natskin would be your solution here. It does seem a little surprising to have the main public face of Foswiki in that state.

-- CraigBowers - 02 Dec 2009