E-book details

Joomla! 1.5: Beginner's Guide. Build and maintain impressive user-friendly web sites the fast and easy way with Joomla! 1.5

Joomla! 1.5: Beginner's Guide. Build and maintain impressive user-friendly web sites the fast and easy way with Joomla! 1.5

Eric Tiggeler

Ebook
Joomla! is one of the most popular open-source Content Management Systems, actively developed and supported by a world-wide user community. Although it's a fun and feature-rich tool, it can be challenging to get beyond the basics and build a site that meets your needs perfectly. Using this book you can create dynamic, interactive web sites that perfectly fit your needs.This practical guide gives you a head start in using Joomla! 1.5, helping you to create professional and good-looking web sites, whether you want to create a full-featured company or club web site or build a personal blog site.The Joomla! 1.5 Beginner's Guide helps beginners to get started quickly and to get beyond the basics to take full advantage of Joomla!'s powerful features. Real-life examples and tutorials will spark your imagination and show you what kind of professional, contemporary, feature-rich web sites any developer can achieve with Joomla!. It gives you a head start and explains what's good and useful about Joomla! features and what's not. The focus is on clear instructions and easy-to-understand tutorials, with minimum of jargon. This book provides clear definitions, thoroughly covering the concepts behind the software and creating a coherent picture of how the software works. This book is not about what Joomla! can do—it's about what you can do using Joomla!.
  • Joomla! 1.5
    • Table of Contents
    • Joomla! 1.5
    • Credits
    • About the Author
    • About the Reviewers
    • Preface
      • What this book covers
      • What you need for this book
      • Who this book is for
      • Conventions
      • Time for actionheading
        • What just happened?
        • Pop quiz - heading
        • Have a go heroheading
      • Reader feedback
      • Customer support
        • Errata
        • Piracy
        • Questions
    • 1. Introduction: A New and Easy Way to Build Websites
      • Join the CMS revolution
        • Why would you choose Joomla!?
        • What kind of sites can you build with Joomla!?
      • Learning to use Joomla!
        • What youll learn using this book
        • About the example site
      • Summary
    • 2. Installation: Getting Joomla! Up and Running
      • What do you need to start?
        • 1. Hosting space
        • 2. FTP software
        • 3. A great browser (think Firefox)
      • Installing Joomla! in four steps
      • Time for actionstep 1: Download the Joomla! files
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actionstep 2: Place the files on the web server
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actionstep 3: Create a database
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actionstep 4: Run the Joomla! installation wizard
        • What just happened?
      • Got stuck? Get help!
        • Pop quiz - test your knowledge of installing Joomla!
      • Summary
    • 3. First Steps: Getting to Know Joomla!
      • Making the switch: Building websites the Joomla! way
        • Sorry, web pages have ceased to exist
        • Why is this a good thing?
        • A website built of blocks
      • Introducing frontend and backend: The Joomla! interface
        • Your workspace: The backend
        • And what's that frontend thing, then?
      • The frontend: The website as the user sees it
      • Time for actiontour the example site
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroget familiar with the example site contents
      • Taking control: Administering your site in the backend
      • Time for actionlog in to the backend
        • What just happened?
        • Taking a closer look at the Control Panel
          • 1. Menu bar
          • 2. Shortcut buttons
          • 3. Preview and Info Bar
          • 4. Information panels
        • Understanding backend tools and controls
      • Getting your feet wet: Start administering your site
        • Three types of backend actions
        • Content actions example: Let's create some content!
      • Time for actionpublish your first article
        • What just happened?
        • Extension actions example: Managing modules
      • Time for actionrearranging page layout
        • What just happened?
        • Site actions example: Configuring basic site settings
      • Time for actionset Joomla! preferences
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroexplore the configuration options
        • Pop quiz - test your knowledge of the Joomla! way of web building
      • Summary
    • 4. Web Building Basics: Creating a Site in an Hour
      • What you will be making
        • SRUP's the word
      • Cleaning up: Removing the sample data
        • Step 1: Hide the unnecessary stuff
      • Time for actionhiding modules
        • What just happened?
        • Step 2: Remove sample content
      • Time for actiondeleting articles, categories, and sections
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroclean up those menus
      • Building your site is a three step process
      • Step 1: Customize the layout
        • Customize the color scheme
      • Time for actionchoosing a color variation
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actionpreparing a new header file
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actiondisplay the new header image file
        • What just happened?
          • CSS ... stylesheets? Come again?
        • One last thing: Clean up a little whatchamacallit
      • Time for actionremove the whatsis
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroexplore layout settings
      • Step 2: Add content
        • Create a foundation first: Make sections and categories
      • Time for actioncreate a section and some categories
        • What just happened?
        • Add articles to the categories
      • Time for actioncreate an article
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroadd your own images to articles
        • Making content visible: Create a menu link
      • Time for actionadd a menu link
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herocreate more articles
          • Now that's the all-important power of menus
        • Add some individual content pages: Uncategorized articles
      • Time for actionadd uncategorized articles
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroclean up the Main Menu
        • Put some content on the home pageat last!
          • Add items to the home page
      • Time for actionadding items to the home page
        • What just happened?
          • The Front Page is not the home page (or is it?)
      • Step 3: Add extras through components and extensions
        • Components and extensions, what's the difference?
        • Add a contact form
      • Time for actioncreate a contact
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actioncreate a Contact Form menu link
        • What just happened?
        • Add a Poll
      • Time for actioncreate a Poll
      • Time for actiondisplay the Poll
        • What just happened?
      • Wrapping up: Change site settings
      • Time for actionchange site configuration
        • What just happened?
        • Pop quiz - test your basic Joomla! knowledge
      • Summary
    • 5. Small Sites, Big Sites: Organizing your Content Effectively
      • Building on the example site
      • Grouping content: A crash course in site organization
        • Designing a site map
      • Time for actioncreate a future proof site map
        • What just happened?
        • Transferring your site map to Joomla!
        • How do you turn a site map into a website?
      • Creating content containers: Sections and categories
      • Time for actioncreate a new section and a category
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroadd some articles
      • Displaying sections and categories on your website
      • Time for actioncreate a link to point to a section
        • How are sections and categories displayed?
        • Have a go herocreate some new sections and categories
          • Add sections and categories
          • Add links
          • Remove an unneeded article
      • Refining your site structure
      • Time for actionmove content from one category to another
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heromoving entire categories
        • Renaming sections or categories
      • Time for actionrename a section
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroname and rename!
        • Changing section and category settings
      • Building a site without sections or categories
        • What sites can you build with uncategorized content only?
        • How do you go about building a small site?
        • Have a go heroorganize a site!
        • Pop quiz - test your site organization knowledge
      • Summary
    • 6. Creating Killer Content: Adding and Editing Articles
      • Articles, content pages, what's the difference?
      • Creating and editing articles: Beyond the basics
      • Making it look good: Formatting article text
      • Time for actionadd styling to article text
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herochange the formatting
      • Adding images to articles
      • Time for actionupload images
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actioninserting and aligning images
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroadjust the image settings
      • Changing the way the article displays
        • One lump or two? Split the article in an intro text and main text
      • Time for actioncreating an intro text
        • What just happened?
        • Creating multi-page articles
      • Time for actionusing page breaks to split up an article
        • What just happened?
          • Use it wisely
      • Tweaking the details: Changing article settings
        • Parameters (Article)
        • Parameters (Advanced)
        • Metadata Information
      • Archiving articles
      • Time for actioncreating a news archive
        • What just happened?
        • Pop quiz - test your site article expertise
      • Summary
    • 7. Welcoming Your Visitors: Creating Attractive Home Pages and Overview Pages
      • Why do you need overview pages, anyway?
      • Creating the perfect home: Mastering home page layout
        • Changing the way your home page is arranged
      • Time for actionrearrange the layout of articles on the home page
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herotweak the home page settings to your liking
        • Adding items to the Front Page
        • Controlling the order of Front Page items manually
        • Setting criteria to automatically order Front Page items
      • Time for actionshow the most recent items first
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herotry out the Front Page settings
          • Parameters (Basic)
          • Parameters (Advanced)
          • Parameters (Component)
          • Parameters (System)
        • The alternative way: Creating a single article home page
      • Time for actioncreating a different home page
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroundo!
      • Creating section and category overview pages
        • Blog Layout or List Layout?
      • The first type of overview page: Creating Blog Layouts
      • Time for actioncreate a facebook using the Blog Layout
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroadd a category description
        • Showing full articles on a category overview page
        • Have a go heroexperiment with Blog Layout settings
      • The second type of overview page: Lists
        • Creating Section Lists
      • Time for actionchange a Blog Layout to a List Layout
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroundo!
        • Customizing lists: Exploring Section List Layout parameters
          • Parameters (Basic)
          • Parameters (Advanced)
          • Parameters (Component)
          • Parameters (System)
        • Using Category Lists
          • Parameters (Basic)
          • Parameters (Advanced)
        • Pop quiz - test your knowledge of home pages and overview pages
      • Summary
    • 8. Helping Your Visitors Find What They Want: Managing Menus
      • How many menus can you have?
      • Creating user-friendly navigation: Cleaning up the Main Menu
        • Option 1: Change the order of menu items
      • Time for actionchange menu item order
        • What just happened?
        • Option 2: Add a separate new menu
      • Time for actionstep 1: Create a new, empty menu
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actionstep 2: Move hyperlinks to the new menu
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actionstep 3: Tell Joomla! where to display the menu
        • What just happened?
        • Tweaking the menu styling
      • Time for actiontweak the menu position and orientation
        • What just happened?
        • Option 3: Creating submenu items
      • Time for actioncreate a secondary menu item
        • What just happened?
        • Creating split submenus
        • Have a go heroarrange menus any way you like
      • Exploring menu module settings
        • Details
        • Menu Assignment
        • Module Parameters
        • Advanced Parameters
        • Other Parameters
        • Have a go herotry out available menu settings
      • Creating menu links
        • Have a go herotry out some Menu Item Types
        • Why do you have to create menu links manually, anyway?
      • Creating plain text links
      • Time for actioncreating text links
        • What just happened?
        • Pop quiz - test your menu knowledge
      • Summary
    • 9. Opening Up the Site: Enabling Users to Contribute and Interact
      • Creating user accounts for team members
        • What different types of user accounts can you create?
          • 1. Registered users
          • 2. Frontend content contributors
          • 3. Backend content contributors and administrators
      • Time for actiongiving a user frontend authoring permissions
        • What just happened?
        • Enabling team members to log in to the frontend
      • Time for actioncreate a Login Form
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actionlogging in as a frontend content contributor
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herocreate a frontend User Menu
      • Reviewing and publishing team content submissions
      • Time for actionreviewing submitted content
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroexplore different User Group permissions
        • Find out what editors and publishers can do
        • Find out what backend users can do
      • Allowing visitors to register
        • How do you enable users to create an account?
          • Displaying a link to a Login Form
      • Time for actionregister yourself and log in
        • What just happened?
        • Hiding content for non-registered users
      • Time for actionhiding content for non-registered users
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herochange access level settings
        • Getting your visitors to 'register to read more'
      • Time for actionpartially hiding content from non-registered users
        • What just happened?
      • Enabling users to rate articles or write comments
        • Pop quiz - test your knowledge of Joomla! user management
      • Summary
    • 10. Getting the Most out of Your Site: Extending Joomla!
      • Extensions in all shapes and sizes
        • Where do you get them from?
      • Enhancing your site using core extensions
      • Time for actionadding a Newsflash to the home page
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herochange the Newsflash settings
        • Creating a custom HTML block
      • Time for actionadd a short content block
        • What just happened?
        • What other extensions are part of the Joomla! core?
      • Enhancing your site using third-party extensions
        • Trying out an alternative News flash
      • Time for actiondownloading and installing an extension
      • Time for actionputting the extension to work
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroexperiment with News Show settings
        • Showing images in a gallery
      • Time for actioncreate an image gallery
        • What just happened?
          • Do you want more from your photo gallery?
        • Using extensions to enhance your work space
      • Time for actionreplace Joomla!'s default text editor
        • What just happened?
        • So much more to explore
        • Pop quiz - test your knowledge of Joomla! extensions
      • Summary
    • 11. Creating an Attractive Design: Working with Templates
      • This is what templates do
        • This is why templates are so much fun
        • Where can you find templates?
      • Changing the default template
      • Time for actionactivating a different template
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroadjust the template settings
      • Downloading and installing a new template
      • Time for actionstep 1: Downloading and activating a new template
        • What just happened?
      • Time for actionstep 2: Getting the Main Menu module to display
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herofill those module positions!
        • Find out which positions are available
        • Assign content to empty positions
      • Customizing a template: Tweaking CSS styles
        • Understanding the very basics of CSS
        • Tweaking template CSS, part one: Changing site colors
      • Time for actionadjusting the template colors
        • What just happened?
        • Tweaking template CSS, part two: Adding a graphic logo file
          • Creating an image file
      • Time for actionreplace the header text with an image
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herotweak the layout to your taste
        • Diving deeper into Joomla! CSS tweaking
      • Time for actionediting CSS on the fly using Firebug
        • What just happened?
          • Expanding your CSS toolkit
          • Expanding your CSS knowledge
      • Editing the template HTML
      • Time for actionremoving the fixed footer text
        • What just happened?
      • Backing up and restoring a customized template
      • Creating your own template
        • Template building resources
        • Pop quiz - test your knowledge of Joomla! templates
      • Summary
    • 12. Attracting Search Engine Traffic: Tips and Techniques
      • Why do you need to accommodate for search engines?
      • Optimize your articles
        • 1. The article title: Make it meaningful
        • 2. The article structure: Use clear formatting
        • 3. The article body text: Use relevant keywords
        • 4. The images: Explain what they're about
        • Update articles regularly
      • Add meaningful metadata
      • Time for actionpersonalize the site metadata
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herofind metadata to fit your site
        • Entering metadata for individual articles
      • Time for actionadd metadata information for an article
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroexplore the art and science of metadata
        • Don't forget to choose the perfect site name
      • Use search engine friendly URLS
      • Time for actionenable search engine friendly URLs
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heromake your URLs even prettier
      • Add extra links to your content
      • Time for actionturn article titles into hyperlinks
        • What just happened?
        • Creating an automatically generated list of hyperlinks
      • Time for actionadd a list of links to popular articles
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroadd link lists
        • Using a site map
      • Time for actionadding a site map component
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go herotweak that site map
      • Make it easier to discover new content: Using RSS
      • Time for actionenable RSS feeds
        • What just happened?
        • Have a go heroprovide a newsletter service
      • Getting to know more about your site traffic
      • More SEO resources
        • Pop quiz - test your knowledge of Joomla! search engine optimization
      • Summary
    • A. Keeping the Site Secure
      • Tip 1: Upgrade regularly
      • Tip 2: Change the default Administrator Username
      • Tip 3: Choose a strong password
      • Tip 4: Protect files and directories
        • Choosing file permissions
      • Tip 5: Use extensions to secure your site
      • Tip 6: Have a backup ready
        • Creating a Backup with JoomlaPack
        • Restoring a backup
      • Tip 7: Stay informed!
    • B. Pop quiz - Answers
      • Chapter 2
        • Installation: Getting Joomla! Up and Running
      • Chapter 3
        • First Steps: Getting to Know Joomla!
      • Chapter 4
        • Web Building Basics: Creating a Site in an Hour
      • Chapter 5
        • Small Sites, Big Sites: Organizing your Content Effectively
      • Chapter 6
        • Creating Killer Content: Adding and Editing Articles
      • Chapter 7
        • Welcoming Your Visitors: Creating Attractive Home Pages and Overview Pages
      • Chapter 8
        • Helping Your Visitors Find What They Want: Managing Menus
      • Chapter 9
        • Opening Up the Site: Enabling Users to Contribute and Interact
      • Chapter 10
        • Getting the Most out of Your Site: Extending Joomla!
      • Chapter 11
        • Creating an Attractive Design: Working with Templates
      • Chapter 12
        • Attracting Search Engine Traffic: Tips and Techniques
    • Index
  • Title: Joomla! 1.5: Beginner's Guide. Build and maintain impressive user-friendly web sites the fast and easy way with Joomla! 1.5
  • Author: Eric Tiggeler
  • Original title: Joomla! 1.5: Beginner's Guide. Build and maintain impressive user-friendly web sites the fast and easy way with Joomla! 1.5
  • ISBN: 9781847199911, 9781847199911
  • Date of issue: 2010-03-05
  • Format: Ebook
  • Item ID: e_3cj2
  • Publisher: Packt Publishing