Just 14 lessons, a little attention and patience, and now you can use one of the most flexible content management systems - Joomla. This is actually a universal engine that is suitable for all projects.
- 1 Introduction to Joomla
A small introductory part: about the capabilities, about the history, about the appearance - you will understand what you have to deal with.
- 2 Installing Joomla on localhost
Many webmasters start working on a website without posting it on the Internet, but by placing it on local hosting. How to install a CMS on it will be discussed in this article.
- 3 Installing Joomla on hosting
Step-by-step instructions with which any user can install Joomla on hosting so that his site works on this CMS.
- 4 Introduction to the admin panel and basic settings
In the article you will find a lot of useful information on setting up your resource. Starting with how to log into the admin panel and get comfortable with it, ending with how to change the session time, find help and delete some demo data.
- 5 Installing a template on Joomla
The lesson will tell you where to get design themes for the engine, how to install them from a folder, archive, or via a link, and then activate them so that the design of the site changes.
- 6 Creating pages and menu items
About how to add a page to a site, and then place a link on it so that every visitor can read it. The lesson will teach you how to customize pages and add items to the navigation menu.
- 7 Creating categories
- 8 Menu Types in Joomla
Joomla is a fairly flexible system, which is reflected even in working with menu items. There are a lot of menu types in Joomla, and this lesson will tell you about them.
- 9 Create a feedback form
If you want to maintain two-way communication with your visitors, create a contact form by completing this lesson.
- 10 Modules, plugins, components
At first glance, they are synonyms, but in Joomla, it turns out that each type of add-on performs its functions differently. After reading the article, you will learn how to distinguish a component from a plugin, and a plugin from a module, where to find them and how to install them.
- 11 Creating a photo gallery
Images on a website are always important, but not taking advantage of the opportunities offered by Joomla extensions is a big omission. The article discusses the Phoca Gallery component - the most popular and most functional of the free solutions.
- 12 Creating a template on Joomla
In order not to use third-party developments, you can adapt your own (or any other) HTML template for Joomla. How exactly to do this is shown in the lesson with a clear example. The structure of design themes, the correct approach to archiving and setting up the templateDetails.xml file are revealed.
- 13 Transferring a website from local hosting to a server
Instructions describing the algorithm and steps of transferring a website from a home hosting to a real one. Everything is illustrated, everything is described step by step.
- 14 Online store on Joomla
Creation of an Internet project based on Joomla filled with goods, baskets and payment methods using the well-known VirtueMart extension. Read on, and you will have an idea of where to start creating an online store and how this process generally works.
The course contains a lot of useful information, illustrated with examples and pictures. After completing it, you will be able to create and administer websites built on the Joomla CMS. You will understand their structure and be able to configure them.
As someone who has not used Joomla! before, you should know where to start.
Maybe you have a friend or neighbor who uses Joomla!, and you want your own Joomla! website.
Maybe you are a small business owner, maybe you have a club or community that needs a website and for this purpose you want to use Joomla!
Maybe you are an experienced IT professional, but have not used Joomla before!
In this case, you are starting a pleasant journey for you and we are pleased to warmly welcome you on behalf of Joomla! and encourage you to read Joomla! a guide for beginners.
Welcome to Joomla! The leading open source content management system platform.
Joomla! It is a well-tested, efficient, extensible tool that is actively supported by a community of developers and users.
Sure, you could spend your whole life learning Joomla!, if you master the basics, you'll be able to create an attractive and interesting website framework in a short time and without special technical skills.
Understand how Joomla!
You might want to know how Joomla! and how its functions are interconnected.
In short, Joomla! consists of a platform and extensions. There are several types of extensions, each capable of performing specific tasks. Some extensions are developed as part of the Joomla! and are installed together with the general package. If you want to expand the functionality of the site, you can install additional extensions.
You can compare this to a computer operating system such as Microsoft Windows or Linux. You don't directly use the system itself (Joomla!); you use extensions to complete tasks. Some applications become immediately available, but you can also install or remove any others at any time.
Install Joomla!
Here are some ways to install Joomla!
If you would like to test Joomla! and have not yet purchased a domain, you can install Joomla! on your computer (your site will not be displayed on the Internet), you can install it using the XAMPP installation package. You can also easily create a working website using this link.
If you want your website to be accessible on the Internet, make sure you have an account on the web server. For most people, this means signing up with a hosting company and purchasing a domain that supports the site's main address.
- Option one: One-click installation. Many hosting companies offer an "instant" way to install Joomla! Follow your hosting provider's instructions for one-click installation.
- Option two: normal installation. This method involves copying the Joomla! to your hosting account, unpacking, creating a database and then running the installation file. Complete installation instructions follow the link.
- Option three: Demo site. If you used a demo site, you can follow the backup instructions to move the site to your existing hosting or create a hosting account after the end of the 30-day trial version.
Let's start making our own Joomla! website
Now you are ready to start creating your own content, web links, contacts, banners and news feeds. Before you get started, you may want to read an overview of planning your website. Finally, you may want to install one of the thousands of extensions for Joomla!
Please remember that all extensions are created by independent developers. If you need help with a specific extension, the best advice will be given by its developer.
Installation. Go to the site where you purchased hosting services by entering your username and password. Then go to your hosting control panel. Find a section on installing constructors: on the Reg.ru website, for example, such a section is called “Softaculous”, and on Nic.ru - “CMS”. Click on "Joomla" and "Install". The program will install automatically. You can find out about installing the designer yourself in the “Help” or “Support” sections.
Entrance. After installation, you will receive a letter about successful installation with your login and password to your email address, and a link will appear on the hosting: “Joomla Site Control Panel”. Go to the panel and enter your username/password in the login window. Don't forget to specify Russian as the interface language.
Choosing a template for the site. At the top of the panel, select the "Extensions" section, then "Template Manager". There are 2 templates to choose from: “Beez3-Default” and “Protostar-Default”. By clicking on the eye icon next to the templates, you can see what they consist of. Select the template you like and click on the star button to the right of it. Remember or make the location of the positions (Position-0, etc.) - this will be needed to select a place for the information blocks.
Create a category. To make the site attract attention, think in advance what information blocks (categories) it will consist of. For example, if this is a travel site, then the categories should be appropriate: Thailand, Turkey, etc. Go to the section “Materials - Category Manager - Create Category”. Enter a name and click “Save and Close”.
Creating content for a category. Go to the section “Materials – Material Manager – Create Material”. The name of the material must correspond to the specified category. Write the text of the article on the topic, select the appropriate category on the right and click “save and close”.
Creating a menu and choosing a location position. In order for a category and thematic material to appear on the site, you need to create a corresponding menu item. In the top line of the Panel, find the “Menu” section and the “Menu Manager” subsection. Click Create Menu. An options window will appear. The menu title should combine by name all the categories that will be in it. For example, (if we again take a travel site as a basis) “Last minute tours” or “Accommodation”.
Go back to the “Menu Manager“ section. To the right of the created header there will be an inscription that no module is specified for this header. Click on the “Module” button and in the parameters select a position for this header (based on the type of template).
Save and select “Menu – Header Name – Create Menu Item”. The name of the menu item must match the name of the created category. In the parameters, click “Menu Item Type” and in the window that appears, select “Materials - Category Block”.
Evaluation of results. At the bottom of the designer control panel there is a “View Site” button. Press it periodically and check if everything is working out as you intended. Your site will open in a new window. If you find an error, return to the control panel tab and edit any inconsistencies.
Many people know such a set of scripts as Joomla. Our article will tell you how to work with Joomla. After downloading and installing Joomla on your hosting, you will immediately have access to the control panel as well as the main page of the site. Now you need to come up with or have a structure for your website. If you want to see several menu items on the site and when you click on one of them you can get to a site page that will have links to some materials, then you definitely need to know how to use Joomla. Let's say you have 50 articles, which are divided into 2 categories:
- Articles about the process of creating a blog;
- Articles about the process of creating the forum.
In this case, you will have to create 1 section of the site and 2 of its categories. A section must be created in any case if you want to create at least one category. Having created a category, you need to select the section it belongs to. And when creating articles, you need to select the category to which they belong.
Creating a section
To do this you need:
- Go to the “admin panel”;
- On the main page, click the button labeled “Sections”, which will take you to the “Sections Manager” (you can also select “Materials” in the main menu, and then “Sections Manager”);
- Click the “Create” button;
- In the “Title” you can add a nickname, description and much more;
- Click “Save” and you’re done.
Creating categories
To do this you need:
- In the main menu, select “Materials”, and then “Category Manager” (you can also click the “Categories” button from the main page);
- Click the “Create” button;
- In the “Title” we indicate the name of your category. We fill in the line “Pseudonym” with Latin letters (it is best to separate several words with a “dash”);
- Next you need to select the required Section. In “Description” we write the text that you want to see when opening this page;
- Click “Save”. In the same way, we create the required number of categories.
Components
In order to know how to work with Joomla, you need to know about the standard components that are available to you immediately after installing Joomla. Components are the functional elements of a given system that do the most important part of the job. There is only one position for displaying such components on the page, and is determined by the template using code.
- com banners (Banner component) - required for creating and further managing banners. When you open the “Banner” item, you will see 3 sub-items. In the “Options” item you can enable the calculation of statistics of clicks (follow-ups on a given link). First you need to create a category, then a client, that is, an organization or person who orders the display of this banner. Now you need to create a banner for the client in this category. There is a “Banners” tab for this.
- com contact (the “Contacts” component) - required to create contacts and a page with contact information on the site. To create them, you need to go to the “Components” item, then to “Contacts”, where you will see a simple page for this component. Using the “Options” button on the toolbar, you can configure the desired display of icons on the contacts page, as well as choose what to show and what not.
- com newsfeeds (the “News Feeds” component) - is necessary in order to display news feeds (RSS) on the site, linking each feed, a list of all feeds, or a list of category feeds to the menu.
- component “Voting” - required for voting and polls on the site, as well as for publishing them or linking them to the menu.
- “Search” component - required for searching the site and displaying the search result.
- “Link Directory” component - required to create a link directory, which is similar to creating news feeds.
Standard templates and modules
In order to know how to work with Joomla, you need to know about standard modules. To see them, you need to go to the “Extensions” item, then to the “Modules Manager”.
- mod syndicate (“Syndicate”) - is necessary to display a link to the page’s news feed in the desired position. In its settings there is a “Position” item, which determines where the module will be located. If there are several feeds, they can be displayed in some order using the “Order” field. The “Access” item gives the access level to this module. To create a module, you need to click the “Save” button (you can also “Apply”).
- mod wrapper (“Wrapper”) - is necessary to create a window in the desired position, inside which there will be a page. The address of this page is entered in the parameters of this module.
- mod banners (“Banner”) - is required to display a banner in the selected position, which was previously created in the “Banner” component. The “Search by tags” item is needed to display banners on the page whose tags are the same as the page’s keywords.
- mod login (“Login”) - required to display the user registration/login form.
- mod poll (“Voting”) - is necessary to display in the desired position the vote previously specified in the “Voting” component.
- mod Feed (“News Feed”) - is necessary to display the news feed in the desired position, the address of which is specified in its settings.
- mod mainmenu (“Menu”) - required to display a menu previously created in the manager. It has many different settings that are very simple.
- mod breadcrumbs (“Site Navigator”) - required to show the user his location on the site.
- mod footer (“Footer”) and mod search (“Search”) are very simple and understandable modules for anyone.
- mod latestnews (“Latest news”) - required to display a list of the latest news.
- mod related items (“Related materials”) - needed to compare keywords in the material.
- mod custom (“Custom HTML code”) - is necessary to output the HTML code that you specified when creating the module to the desired position.
- mod mostread (“Most read”) - needed to display a list of popular materials.
- mod newsflash (“Random news”) - required to display random news when the page is refreshed.
- mod stats (“Statistics”) - needed to display site statistics.
Now you know how to use Joomla!
Welcome to the Joomla Quick Tutorial! From this lesson you will learn how to make a website in the CMS Joomla from scratch, how to work on this engine and where to start promoting and organizing your web resource. The pattern of your actions may differ from what is described, but nevertheless you will receive a tip and understand which direction is best for you to go.
How to make a website from scratch
The first step is to purchase a domain name and space from a hosting provider. A domain name is the address of your website, a link to it. An account with a hosting provider is disk space on third-party servers, which is necessary to host all the information of your resource so that the data is always available online via the Internet for other users.
The next step, if you decide to make a website from scratch, you need to download any FTP client to your computer, as well as CMS Joomla distributions. You must make sure that the hosting from which you want to buy disk space is suitable for the engine. To do this, you can immediately ask the technical support service for this information.
Then you need to transfer the distribution kits to the hosting using an FTP client, placing them in a folder with the name of your site in the root of the directories, or in the WWW folder. After this, you should go to your website (enter the domain name in the address bar of your browser) and open the admin panel. To do this, specify /administrator at the end of the link using a slash. Go through a couple of installation steps until you need to enter information about the databases. Then go to your hosting and create a MySQUEL database. Be sure to include information about the super administrator account for the site, otherwise you will not be able to work with the admin panel inside the CMS. Now complete the installation.
How to start using the site after installation, what needs to be done
Since you are creating a website from scratch, installation instructions alone will not save you - you still need to learn how to work on the resource and change it.
The first thing you need to start with is the design of your site. It is determined by the established template. You can find many templates online.
Please note that even if the layout does not exactly fit your site as intended, you can still make it fit by changing some data in the code.
To get started, download any more or less neat template that you like. Then go to the site admin panel. There you will see the “Extension Manager” or the “Extensions” tab - you will work with it very often. You need to upload the template archive to the resource, and then install it. This is very easy to do even for beginners who are creating a website from scratch - since everything in the menu is intuitive.
After installing the template, activate it in the "Templates" section. Now you have a website design. To change it, you will need to adjust the CSS files. Unfortunately, this Joomla tutorial does not contain information on how to use the code, so you will have to read about it yourself on the Internet.
If you don’t have time for CSS, you can upload some extension to the site and thereby change the design of the resource. Extensions are functional elements of the Joomla engine. There are plugins, components and modules. It is thanks to the components that you can change the page format. For example, make a product catalog. And thanks to the modules, you will add various functional elements to the site (for example, you can create a registration form and a calendar). The plugin will help you improve the performance of the engine. It is called by a shortcode.
Now, to make a good website, you need to put together all the necessary extensions and optimize the site as much as possible. For a resource to become successful, you need to be able to analyze many factors at once. You must simultaneously think about promotion, mailing lists, user registration, fighting spam and hacking, adding comments to the site, and most importantly, generating new content.
Where is the best place to start?
While you don’t have people on your resource yet, you need to make the site easy to use and optimize it. Turn on the SEF function - these are human-readable links that will help with promotion. Then install plugins to automatically generate meta data, which will help with promotion. The next step is to add all the necessary media tools to the resource: sliders, galleries, maps, players, etc.
Then all you have to do is fill the pages with useful content. The influx of traffic to the resource pages will depend on the quality of posts. Write interestingly, use keywords in your articles and you will definitely reach your audience. Make sure that the site always works quickly and is convenient, and users will thank you. Also, immediately think about the adaptive version of the site - this will have a positive effect on promotion in search engines. Create your step-by-step plan and start taking action!
