Unable to get (site) template params from my module's backend

Someone at stackoverflow recommend I ask the question here, apologies if this is considered cross-posting...

OVERVIEW

I am developing a set of custom templates and a set of custom modules.

The templates will be different, but their parameters (defined in templateDetails.xml) will remain identical.

I want the default (site) template to send its parameter values to an intermediary file, variables.css.php

variables.css.php currently resides in ../media/cms/css (Not sure if it needs to be someplace else)

The purpose for this is so that even if I change between templates, the modules can still find the parameter values in the same location.

Again, the parameter values may change, but the parameters themselves (color1, color2, etc) will not.

I have included a diagram which will hopefully help illustrate:

I want the module's backend to get the parameter values, so an administrator can see what color they are picking when they are configuring the modules.

That is, a button’s background color in the module’s config page will match the color defined in templateDetails.xml.

I have built a working template.

I have built variables.css.php:

<?php define( '_JEXEC', 1 ); define( '_VALID_MOS', 1 ); define( 'JPATH_BASE', realpath(dirname(__FILE__).'/../../..' )); define( 'DS', DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR ); require_once ( JPATH_BASE .DS.'includes'.DS.'defines.php' ); require_once ( JPATH_BASE .DS.'includes'.DS.'framework.php' ); $app = JFactory::getApplication('site'); // $app->initialise(); $defaultTemplate = $app->getTemplate(true); $params = $defaultTemplate->params; header("Content-Type:text/css; charset=UTF-8"); header("Cache-Control:must-revalidate"); ?> .bg01 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color01'); ?>; } .bg02 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color02'); ?>; } .bg03 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color03'); ?>; } .bg04 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color04'); ?>; } .bg05 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color05'); ?>; } .bg06 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color06'); ?>; } .bg07 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color07'); ?>; } .bg08 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color08'); ?>; } .bg09 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color09'); ?>; } .bg10 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color10'); ?>; } .bg11 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color11'); ?>; } .bg12 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color12'); ?>; } .bg13 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color13'); ?>; } .bg14 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color14'); ?>; } .bg15 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color15'); ?>; } .bg16 {text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color:<?php echo $params->get('color16'); ?>; } 

And I have built a working module. The module loads variables.css.php using this trick

THE PROBLEM

The problem is when I go into the module’s backend, the config buttons look like this

When they should look like this

When I use Chrome to inspect the module’s config page I find the following:

.bg01 { text-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #000; color: #fff; background-color: ; } 

I know that the module is loading variables.css.php -- because it is showing the text-shadow and color values. However background-color is blank.

Which means the parameter values in variables.css.php are empty.

This is where I need help.

I assume the code (above the css) in variables.css.php is incorrect.

Any help is greatly appreciated!