Nov 21, 2009

Need Help With Joomla Template - title says it all!

free web hosting
Open Discussion & Free Web Hosting > Computers & Tech > Software > Content Management Systems (CMS) & Blogs > Mambo/Joomla CMS

Need Help With Joomla Template - title says it all!

Sten
Well I decided to learn how to use Joomla so I'm going to make my site with it.

I'm using Joomla 1.5 RC3 which I hope by the time my site is done, they will have released the full release.

Anyway, I'm working on the template first using http://www.compassdesigns.net/tutorials/jo...e-tutorial.html for a guide and help. If you go the the page called "Creating a Simple Blank Template" it has about the files needed. One of them is templateDetails.xml which you need to install the template and to make it function and includes all the files required to make up the template.

I've gotten up to the <positions> section, I've just finished the files. Now I have no idea what I'm actually meant to put in the positions and position things.

Here is what I have so far
CODE
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<install version="1.5" type="template">
<name>habbo_front</name>
<creationDate>December 2007</creationDate>
<author>Stephen Jackson</author>
<copyright>Habbo Front</copyright>
<authorEmail>sjjackson@bluebottle.com</authorEmail>
<authorUrl>www.habbofront.com</authorUrl>
<version>1.0</version>
<description>Habbo Front Template</description>
<files>
<filename>index.php</filename>
<filename>templateDetails.xml</filename>
<filename>css/template.css</filename>
<filename>template_thumbnail.png</filename>
<filename>images/background.gif</filename>
<filename>images/logo.gif</filename>
<filename>images/transparent_pixel.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_background.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_top.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_left.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_right.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_bottom.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_top_corner_left.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_top_corner_right.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_bottom_corner_left.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_bottom_corner_right.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_top_corner_left_t.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_top_corner_left_s.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_top_corner_right_t.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_top_corner_right_s.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_bottom_corner_left_s.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_bottom_corner_left_b.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_bottom_corner_right_s.gif</filename>
<filename>images/main_box/main_bottom_corner_right_b.gif</filename>
<filename>images/content_box/content_top.gif</filename>
<filename>images/content_box/content_left.gif</filename>
<filename>images/content_box/content_right.gif</filename>
<filename>images/content_box/content_bottom.gif</filename>
<filename>images/content_box/content_top_corner_left.gif</filename>
<filename>images/content_box/content_top_corner_right.gif</filename>
<filename>images/content_box/content_bottom_corner_left.gif</filename>
<filename>images/content_box/content_bottom_corner_right.gif</filename>
</files>


What goes in the <positions> part? do I just copy the things in the tutorial or do I need to have my own? Does the CSS have anything to do with it? Because I haven't got round to the CSS yet, this is the first bit I've done.

Also, after the positions thing, there's also the params bit. I think that's just for like colour changes of the template and advanced template functions, which I don't think I'll even be using. So if anything needs to go in there, can someone tell me what?

So basically I need to know what goes in the positions and if I just put anything like header, navigation, content, extras (those are like the 4 different sections of the site).

Thanks in advance.


 

 

 


Comment/Reply (w/o sign-up)

wutske
I think that the positions are for putting modules in. Joomla comes by default with a lot of position(names) like user1, user2, ... you can use those in your template, but if for example you want some more meaningful names like 'searchbox' and 'newsticker' then you could add them to the list (I run an older version of joomla, but there you could find the list in Site>Template Manager>Module Positions)

Comment/Reply (w/o sign-up)

Mark420
Yes Wutske its still the same now on the latest release of Joomla.
For instance this is the code for loading the main content module.
<?php mosMainBody(); ?>

So you make your template and insert that code in the div (dont use tables ffs;) ) that should contain the main content for the site.
OK next you need a menu at the top over the content?
Here is where it can be complex or easy depending on your template layout.
<?php mosLoadModules ( 'user1' ); ?> ok then so that loads module user1 in that position..So inside Joomla goto the module manager then select main menu..then change its position to user1 and its sorted..Also like Wutske said you can change all the names of each module position inside Joomla also, something I never bother to do- I got used to just using the obvious positions like "top" "left" "right" etc as well as user1 user2 etc.
OK here is a more complex way of loading user1
<?php mosLoadModules('user1', -2); ?>
This is the same module with a "-2" switch on it, this switch determines how the module will be outputted, if you look at your tutorial, there is a page explaining what all the switches do, I am only ever interested in the modules being outputted wrapped in its own DIV and thats the -2 switch.
Without any switch the module gets outputted in a table - something i NEVER want!!
Also look on your tut or elsewhere on the net such as here..http://help.joomla.org/component/option,com_easyfaq/task,view/id,25/Itemid,268/ and theres a full expample with code to show what the output looks like with the different switches on or off.
-3 is really cool if you know how to use it right..this one wraps the DIV in layers of DIVS that make it easy for you to for instance..to have a rounded corner edge.with a background on a fill and gradient, and that the whole effect resizes to any size that the module is.Here is a great tutorial explaining how its done.
http://tutorials.rockettheme.com/joomla-te...le-hilites.html

Also I have to tell you i do not use the "Joomla" copy of Joomla, I use http://www.a8ejoomla.com/
now this copy of Joomla is a hacked copy, the reason well, go back to the first line of code I explained..
<?php mosMainBody(); ?> notice there there is no switch? there cannot be a switch that controls the main content page - It is ALWAYS outputted in a table..no mater what you do ;(((
Now I have got round this with the standard copy of Joomla, I just published the <?php mosMainBody(); ?> in an ivis DIV thats hidden, then I published a module that allows content items to be published in there, and used that as the main content, only drawback is..the site is not very dynamic..more static this way because every page has to be really linked to the module etc..
A8eJooomla to the rescue;) every component/mambot/module I have thrown at it so far works, A8e is also on the same release as the current 1X Joomla so theres no downgrading to use it.
Tha gain? well your site can be totallly table free!! not many sites can boast that using Joomla!! My own site itself is still on "table" joomla ;( now I got A8eJoomla working on two production sites I think its time I went for a redesign of Mokum Design to take the main content table away!!!

Hope this made some sense to you, modules and Joomla are easy once you know how wink.gif

 

 

 


Comment/Reply (w/o sign-up)

Sten
im gonna have to use tables for my site, theres no way around it. the design is really complicated. if u look at all my images that ive got (they are in my first post) then u might pick it up.

so why is it called user1? cant it just be called menu? oh wait i think im starting to get it. so in my templateDetails.xml, if i put like a position called menu, will it show menu in the list of positions and i just put the main menu module as menu?

yeah now its starting to make a bit more sense, unless im thinking wrong...

ok, so for the positions, is something like this right?

CODE
<position>header</position>
<position>navigation</position>
<position>main</position>
<position>extra</position>
</positions>


in the header bit is the logo basically. the navigation bit is obviously the navigation (which is on the left side by the way). the main section is in the middle which has the actual content and then. the extra bit is on the right which has the poll, login box, whos online and latest news (just looking throught the modules for them, my add more if i need them or download them)

so is my thinking right, is that how it works?

oh and sorry for being a pain, this is the first time ive been serious about joomla, im not that good. im gonna buy a joomla book maybe. theres this one i want that isnt out yet that i might buy.

oh and by the way, what is the "breadcrumbs" module? lol



Comment/Reply (w/o sign-up)

Mark420
Ok by standard there are 28 module positions on Joomla.Inside Joomla on the top menu for Site Templates theres a section called Module positions - in here you can rename them anything you want.
To be honest your going around things way too deep for messing around with Joomla.
I normally do NOT make a template xml file etc untill the site is 100% finished.Theres no point..cos if you start swapping images over etc..if you try to install in the template again you will get a checksum error.
You now how I start with most sites?
I copy and paste my code into the "Madeyourweb" template,I delete everything inside the images folder etc, I keep Solarflare there just incase I need to check things - most things work 100% in solarflare so its a great test template.
Also I keep all the CSS info in the HEAD of the index.php file - yes in time you too will get SICK of changing the CSS and having to upload it or change it inside Joomla.
Once again when its totally 100% working I break out the CSS into its on file.
Its also very easy to test locally also this way.
Oh yes the Breadcrumbs...ok these are navigation helpers at the top of a Joomla site.Ever seen on top of a "content" panel something like this "HOME > Products > Tshirts" these are "section" and "category" names for the content you are viewing at the moment, they should be clickable also so you can get to the "Products" page just by clicking on it.Of course they got thier own CSS rules so you can make them do anything.

Also there is no reason ever to use tables in any site...CSS will do it all belive me wink.gif

P.S. lol this thread os great!! Ive earned 20 credits in 2 days off it!! wink.gif)
Pity im not hosted here anymore and have a paid hosting here;)

Comment/Reply (w/o sign-up)

Sten
thanks astahost.

im not being mean but the email address i put in the first post was one that i use for only certain things and didnt want to get it out exactly.

well today i look on that email account and what do you no? spam! so i googled my email address, and this is where i ended up!

i changed the email address to the one that i already get loads of spam from thanks to my web hosting application having it in there :l



Comment/Reply (w/o sign-up)

Quatrux
Well Sten, it was your mistake to put your email address there tongue.gif You have to be careful wink.gif

Comment/Reply (w/o sign-up)

Sten
lol i no, im never puting that email address on any other site again.

its more of my... self email address that only like 3 people know about until now. i hope that google gets rid of it soon, i dont want spam on that account.

yahoo doesnt do much of a job at spam filtering though, it didnt even put it in the spam folder.



Comment/Reply (w/o sign-up)


Got an Opinion! Express your Views! (no registration):-
Add your Reply/ Opinion/ Views/ Comments/ Suggestion/ Questions/ Queries etc.
Posts with decent grammar & English will be accepted and please refrain from profanities.
For asking a Question, We recommend you to sign-up (for free) so that you can track the topic easily.

Nature of your Post*: Opinion/ Reply/ Comments
Question/Query
Feedback to us.
       
Name   Email
Title/Question*

This textarea will convert to Rich-Text automatically (IE, Firefox, Chrome)

Similar Topics

Keywords : joomla, template, title

  1. Jsecure For Joomla
    security plugin (1)
  2. Useful Modules For Joomla
    Give yours (0)
    Well i'm starting my website with joomla and the only thing that I can say is that is very good
    and I been getting use to it very quickly.



    ....
  3. Joomla Template Kit Extension For Nvu/composer
    help in understanding how to change html template to joomla (3)
    Hi Everyone, I am becoming quite (a lot) interested in designing with joomla, and need an
    understanding of how to use the template kit extension in Nvu/Composer. There doesn't appear to
    be any tutorials available on how to use a HTML template to insert and design with joomla modules.
    Is there anyone who could shed some light on this subject. It would be MUCH appreciated.....
  4. Where I Can Find Templatemonster Themes For Joomla
    (1)
    Can anyone know where i can find templatemonster themes for joomla. I searched every where by number
    of themes. But i can't find it. Help me please!!!....
  5. Joomla License Question
    (1)
    I have a small question of the joomla license. I know Joomla is release under the GNU/GPL license
    and that it means I can freely use, copy and alter the source code as long as the license
    information is retained. I know that this is possible for non-commercial use, but what about
    commercial use ? The reason why I ask this is because I've been asked to create a website for a
    store (a bio-store to be exactly) where the owners can place announcements from time to time. Can I
    do this with joomla ? (btw. they have no intentions for having an online shop, just some announ....
  6. Joomla 1.5 Review
    (4)
    i try to give a review for joomla 1.5 + Like all joomla version, joomla installation is easy for
    begginer. ( not easiest wordpress ) New admin interface ( more easy to use ) Faster from another
    version Great in SEO - A lot of plugin, module and component that not designed for joomla 1.5 ....
  7. Joomla Extensions
    (0)
    Here are some websites that contain joomla extensions (modules, components, plugins and templates)
    extensions.joomla.org webmaster-tips.net joomla24.com /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle"
    emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />....
  8. Looking For A Joomla! Mambot?
    Handy PHP Is Taking Request For Free Mambots (1)
    While developing my website which is managed using Joomla! , I found that a great number of third
    party components come with everything except a SearchBot. I find it very frustrating that a
    developer would go to all of the trouble to make a decent component and not finish the job by
    writting a SearchBot for it. Funny thing is that a full component is much more complicated to write
    than a Mambot. None of the forum bridges or components came with a SearchBot. So one day I sat
    down and started studying the process of writing a SearchBot for Joomla! . It turns out tha....
  9. Travel Template
    (1)
    Hi guys I am looking for a template that relates to a travel type of theme. I am looking for a free
    one so please guys if you know of one then please post a link so I can check it out. Thanks in
    advance....
  10. Joomla Security
    (3)
    Has anyone had any problems with security with their Joomla set-up? I know that hackers loved
    Php-Nuke. Therefore I was wondering about Joomla whether it was easily hacked? And if it is what
    security precautions did you take?....
  11. Joomla/mambo?
    (6)
    This may sound silly but what is the difference between the two? Also if I were to install Joomla
    could I use Mambo skins? If they are different what is the difference and, which is better?....
  12. Gallery 2 For Joomla
    (1)
    HI today I have reinstalled joomla again without Fantastico and I am using a newer version of
    Joomla..the Ecommerce edition with virutua mart built in.. I have also downloaded and uploaded
    Gallery2 I have unpacked it on the server..stuck it in the joomla directory.. I have surfed to the
    config page of Gallery2.. Gone thro all the steps needed to get Gallery2 installed... It all worked
    no problems at all.. I logged in as the admin and made a new gallery etc.. Then i noticed that it
    has Local Server Upload ability so I looked into it, it asks for a path to the folder wher....
  13. Choosing A Different Joomla Start Page
    How do I start somewhere other than Home? (6)
    I am trying to set up Joomla on this site and woud like new visitors to start at the "What We
    Sell" page rather than the Homepage. The What We Sell page is less busy and has some nice photos; I
    want them to be able to click on Home to view news and other things. I tried a 301 redirect from
    the .htaccess file to redirect index.html to
    http://mistymanor.astahost.com/index.php?o...id=19&Itemid=36 but this did not work. Visits simply
    went to index.php as normal. Any ideas?....
  14. Editing Menu Types In Mambo / Joomla
    How to change menu type and orientation (2)
    I want to ask about how to change menu type in Mambo / Joomla. Can we change menu type with tree,
    tab, or others ? Thank you....
  15. I Cannot Embed A Google Video In A Joomla Post
    (6)
    I have been struggling all day to be able to embed a google video into one of my joomla posts. I
    tried opening the HTML Source editor...the Flash Editor.... and a box will come up, but there
    isn't anything in it. Can any help me out in explaining how I can get a google video embeded
    into a Joomla Post? Here is an example video for the type of code I need to put on my post for the
    video to show.... I just can't get it to show up....When you view the post, you see the CODE for
    the embed video...but not the video. Help Help Help! here is an example of the typ....
  16. Joomla Login Bug
    Not exactly normal... (3)
    I just installed Joomla manually and whenever i login, I'm identified as "0" even though my
    username is Evion. I tried creating another user to test it and it still has that "0" thing.
    What's wrong with it? Here are some screenshots: Before logging in: After logging in:
    Any help would be appreciated thanks because if this doesn't work out i may have to reinstall
    it again. I think it maybe something within the installation. I probably deleted the wrong file when
    there was that screen that said i had to delete all installation files. I deleted all t....
  17. How To Embed Swf Files In Joomla ?
    (16)
    I want to embed some swf game files into my Joomla project, I've been at it for two hours and
    haven't made much progress. I've tried making a new content item and placing ... but that
    hasn't worked. I'm kind of stuck /sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":("
    border="0" alt="sad.gif" /> Anyone familiar with Joomla or Mambo that may have some knowledge
    regarding my issue?....
  18. Joomla! 1.1 Alpha 2 Release
    (0)
    QUOTE Our 1.1 Alpha 2 release is now frozen and this announcement means it is feature complete.
    The next phase of work will see core team members and third party developers collaborating to ensure
    compatibility and extensibility of their wares. As mentioned earlier, Joomla! 1.1 will be far more
    powerful than anything previously on offer. It provides an entry into object orientated development,
    with inbuilt internationalisation (multi-lingual support), a refactored core and FTP extension
    installation. Some other innovations we've not mentioned include the inclusi....
  19. Joomla 1.0.7 Released
    (1)
    New version of Joomla CMS is now available as of Sunday 15th January 2006 21:00 UTC for download.
    1.0.7 is essentially 1.0.6 repackaged to fix one major bug in 1.0.6 - therefore it should still be
    considered a Security Release. It contains nine (9) `Low Level` Security Fixes, and seventy (70)
    plus minor/non-critical bug fixes. Download link:
    http://developer.joomla.org/sf/frs/do/view...oomla_1_0.1_0_7 ....
  20. Template Redesign For Mambo 4.5.2
    moding an existing mambo 4.5.2 template (4)
    ok this topic is being started do to the fact that I want to mod an existing template a little and
    might need some help...but first I have to figure out how to change the pages that an existing
    module shows up on...once I figure that out I will start with the mambo templet mod.....
  21. Mambo Aka Joomla
    One of the best open source softwares (4)
    Mambo is in my opinion one of the best open source Content Management Systems. It has a incredible
    number of components and modules that makes it very flexible and powerful. All you need to instal
    mambo is a hosting that supports php and mysql. After the instalation the whole site can be managed
    from the backend for any person without any knowdlegde of html, design or programming. Last month
    the developers changed Mambo name to Joomla. You can find more information in their official
    website http://www.joomla.org/ If you are thinking to use a CMS for your websit....

    1. Looking for joomla, template, title

See Also,

*SIMILAR VIDEOS*
Searching Video's for joomla, template, title
advertisement



Need Help With Joomla Template - title says it all!

Affordable Web Hosting, Low cost Web Hosting - ComputingHost.com