Chapter 3: Taking a First Look at Joomla!
IN THIS CHAPTER
Introducing the front end of the default Joomla! installation
Understanding how the default content is structured for administrators and site visitors
Introducing the back end of the default Joomla! installation
Reviewing the controls located in the Joomla! admin system
If you worked through the previous chapter, you should have a complete Joomla! installation, ready to explore. This chapter goes through the front end and back end interfaces of Joomla! and explains what you see on screen. This chapter also provides a quick orientation and tour of the Joomla! system. At the end of this chapter, you should be familiar enough with the interfaces to start configuring and customizing Joomla! efficiently and with a clear understanding of the impacts of your decisions. The references and figures in this chapter all refer to the default site with the sample data set installed.
Exploring the Front End
The front end of your Joomla! installation is the interface that visitors see when they go to your site. The front end is the target for your output and the place where the public can access the site's content and functionality. By default, access to the front end of a Joomla! site is unrestricted; however, you can restrict the visibility of content and functionality to users who are registered and logged in to the system.
Note
Access controls and user privileges are covered in detail in Chapter 10.
Visitors to the site should be ...
