Yes, the header and footer will (probably) be part of the theme files, so editing them will require file system access. Ideally he would produce an installable package which would put the theme files in the right place in the file system, rather than editing files one-by-one on a production site (installed through the site via Extensions), but ultimately there will need to be file changes on disk to change the theme.

What do you mean by "file system access"? (Once again, forgive me, I only know wordpress).

I have the admin login to the website which gives me access to edit pages and I see an admin tab with File Management, Page Management, Site Settings, etc.

Is that all the access I need?

File Management under the Admin tab only gives you a subset of the access that would be needed, cPanel access is going to be the least friction. Know that the theme files he's editing allow any arbitrary embedded code (like php files in Wordpress), so, regardless of the method of providing access, you are giving the "keys to the castle"; if you don't trust this developer with file system access, then you'll need to review his changes yourself before deploying them yourself.

Hope it helps!

Posted By JasonMoss on 25 Jun 2019 02:01 PM
What do you mean by "file system access"? (Once again, forgive me, I only know wordpress).

It means you need to be able to get to the files via FTP, or some other route (e.g. Windows Explorer if you're running DNN locally).

 

Well here's the kicker... the client won't give me cpanel / admin access because of "security reasons". So is there an alternative way of implementing these changes?

If you only have Admin access to the DNN site and not Host access (you see the Admin tab in the control bar but not a Host tab), you don't have a lot of options.  Your best bet is to produce an installable package with the theme and deliver that for your client to install.  nvQuickTheme has a starting point for a packageable theme.

Thanks Brian. I hear what you're saying but unfortunately a lot of this is foreign to me and not something I necessarily want to tackle myself. My Upwork guy is OK but there's a language barrier and communicating what I need exactly can be a struggle.

Is there anyone in here that would be willing to implement the files the Upwork guy gave me at a reasonable rate?

Check your private messages here by clicking your name in the upper right (to the right of "Logout")

Just for your information, I would personally never suggest that you work with anyone (contractor or otherwise) that is requiring direct file system access to install or upgrade ANY extension. Using FTP to manage extensions in DNN opens you up to all sorts of potential issues down the road - not the least of which includes: unknown versions of code, source code mismatches, unnecessary recompiles, and upgrade horrors. (There is seldom an exception to this.)

Using an installable package (and requisite process) is considered to be a best practice. Anyone that's not following that procedure is assuredly not following other known best practices.