Using Joomla

Chapter 11. Templates

Joomla is a template-based content management system. It uses templates to display your information the way you want. You can have a single template for your entire site or an individual template for each page. We recommend using a single template since it’s easier to make changes and updates, but you have the flexibility to choose based on your needs.

If you already have a website and want to convert it to Joomla, this chapter will help you get your template together, but also read Chapter 17 to see the steps involved in converting an existing site.

The Template Manager

The Template Manager (Figure 11-1) is where you assign templates, change template parameters, edit template code, and assign the template to either the entire site or specific areas. Joomla comes with three basic templates to start with—Milkyway (Figure 11-2), Beez (Figure 11-3), and JA_Purity (Figure 11-4)—and all of them have unique designs and parameters.

Figure 11-1. The Template Manager for frontend site templates

Figure 11-2. The Milkyway template with sample data

The Beez template is focused on pushing Joomla 1.5 capabilities and accessibility.

Figure 11-3. The Beez template with ...