Beginning Joomla!® Web Site Development

Chapter 8. Building a Custom Template

You've installed Joomla! and all the extensions you need, and you've created your content and menu structure. Now that your site's structure is in place, it is time to consider the look and feel of the site. As you learned in Chapter 1, templates are used for providing a layout and design within which all of the pieces of your Joomla! site come together.

To get the look you want for your site, you have several options for finding prebuilt templates. One option is to use one of the three templates that come pre-installed with Joomla!: Beez, Rhuk_Milky-way, or JA_Purity. Another option is to find a free template from one of the many places on the web that offer free Joomla! templates. If you intend to use a prebuilt template, the best option is to pay a small fee to purchase a template from one of the many companies that sell high-quality, professional, prebuilt Joomla! templates. Although there is a cost associated with professional prebuilt templates, many of the companies that provide these templates provide excellent support, regular updates, and source graphic files to help you customize your template, so they are well worth the price. You can find a list of some of the top companies that provide professional templates in Appendix D.

Many high-quality, prebuilt templates are available, and they are great options if you do not have the time or the money to build a custom template. With a custom template, you can create the exact look and feel ...