Chapter 20: Customizing the Appearance of Joomla!
IN THIS CHAPTER
Reviewing the default templates
Understanding the role played by templates
Customizing template styles
Duplicating styles
Assigning styles
Modifying templates
Creating new templates
Overriding module and component output
One of the joys of working with the Joomla! system is the ease with which you can create an attractive website. Unlike many other content management systems that lock you into a standardized, cookie-cutter approach to site design, Joomla! has great flexibility. The presentation layer is controlled through the use of templates. A template is a collection of files that work together to handle the layout and presentation of your site. Your default Joomla! site comes with two site templates and two administrator templates. You can work with these, add new templates, or create your own. In addition, the system uses a feature known as template styles. Using styles, you can create multiple variations of a single template and assign those styles to various pages of your site. Taken together, Joomla! templates and styles give you the freedom to create exactly the site appearance you desire.
This chapter takes you through the basics of understanding how Joomla! templates work and then digs more deeply to explain how you can customize an existing template or even go farther and build your own template from scratch.
Exploring the Default Templates
The Joomla! default distribution includes a set of templates ...
