IMPLEMENTING WEBSITE THEMES IN A WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

1 . In a website development tool, a method of providing a theme to a website under construction comprising:

applying an initial theme to the website under construction, the theme defining aesthetic characteristics on each page of the website under construction, the theme based aesthetic characteristics having a consistency throughout the pages of the website under construction;

receiving an indication of a new theme selection for the website under construction; and

applying the aesthetic characteristics corresponding to the new theme to each webpage in the website under construction.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the theme defines aesthetic characteristics including color, layout, and arrangement of containers for displaying content, the aesthetic characteristics independent of available control functions and rendered media content.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the aesthetic features are applied without disrupting the functions provided by rendered control items on the pages of the website under construction.

4 . The method of claim 2 further comprising applying the new theme retroactively to previous modifications to the pages of the website under construction.

5 . The method of claim 2 wherein the website under construction includes layout regions corresponding to specific display areas rendering content of a particular type, the applied aesthetic characteristics common to each of the layout regions.

6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising associating each of the layout regions with a content item, the content item defining the source of the rendered content and user controls applicable to the rendered content.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the initial theme comprises theme specific elements, the theme specific elements having predetermined spatial relationships automatically adjusted in response to the indication of the new theme, such that an arrangement of elements automatically changes to maintain the confinement to the new theme with layout regions.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

providing a semantic linking between one or more website construction content items within a layout region, such that a change to a characteristic of a particular website construction content item carries over to other semantically linked website construction content items within the same layout region.

9 . A method of providing an aesthetic theme to a website under construction, the theme having characteristics consistent with the selected theme in response to change of theme from a first theme to a second theme, for use in connection with construction of the website, comprising:

providing a plurality of preconfigured user-selectable website aesthetic themes, each theme comprising:

(a) a predetermined layout comprising at least one predefined layout region having predefined boundaries for constraining and containing one or more website construction content items and

(b) one or more predetermined theme-specific characteristics comprising (i) one or more predefined text fonts, (ii) at least one color scheme comprising a plurality of pre-associated complementary colors, and/or (iii) at least one texture for application to selected website components;

in response to user selection of first theme, displaying a developmental website comprising a predetermined arrangement of website components possessing theme specific characteristics associated with the first theme, the predetermined arrangement comprising at least one layout region;

in response to a user command corresponding to selection and insertion of a website content item in the at least one layout region, inserting website functionality corresponding to the selected website content item into the layout region, the inserted website construction content item comprising at least one theme-specific characteristic; and

in response to user selection of a second theme to replace the first theme, displaying a modified developmental website comprising a changed predetermined arrangement of website components possessing theme-specific characteristics associated with the second theme, wherein any website components and any website construction content items having any theme-specific characteristics automatically change from the characteristics of the first theme to the characteristics of the second theme.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the website construction content items further include an ornamental embellishment item.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving user selection of a second theme; and

identifying generation of orphaned content corresponding to content that was formerly contained within a first layout region of the selected theme.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the orphaned content is saved in a memory in association with the developmental website and is restored to display in response to a subsequent user command corresponding to a third theme and/or third layout within a selected theme having a layout region capable of containing the orphaned content.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein a theme comprises a plurality of selectable layouts, each layout having a different predetermined arrangement of layout regions.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a user command for selection of a different one of the selectable layouts within a selected theme results in change of the display of the website.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a particular selected layout includes at least one theme-specific ornamental embellishment, and wherein the change of layout to a second layout results in elimination and/or movement of the ornamental embellishment.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the website components comprise layout regions, embellishments, title region, navigation region, a footer region, and a header region.

17 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the website construction content items are selected from the group comprising text items, a title item, image item, video item, audio item, application modules, content carousel, slide show.

18 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the predefined layout regions are selected from the group comprising header, footer, body, carousel, sidebar, column, columns within a body.

19 . The method of claim 9 wherein a theme comprises theme specific elements having predetermined spatial relationships that are automatically adjusted in response to a theme change (e.g. change theme and arrangement of elements automatically changes to maintain the confinement to the selected theme with its predetermined layout regions.

20 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of providing a semantic linking between one or more website construction content items within a layout region, such that a change to a characteristic of a particular website construction content item carries over to other semantically linked website construction content items within the same layout region.

21 . A computer program product including instructions encoded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of providing a theme to a website under construction comprising:

applying an initial theme to the website under construction, the theme defining aesthetic characteristics on each page of the website under construction, the theme based aesthetic characteristics having a consistency throughout the pages of the website under construction;

receiving an indication of a new theme selection for the website under construction; and

applying the aesthetic characteristics corresponding to the new theme to each webpage in the website under construction.