Using Joomla

Using Joomla

by Ron Severdia, Kenneth Crowder
Released December 2009
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9781449383114

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Book description

Why use Joomla? Because with Joomla you don't need to have any technical expertise or web design experience to create effective websites and web apps. Whether you're creating your first website or building a multi-function site for a client, this book provides straightforward, hands-on instruction that makes it easy to learn this open source web content management system.

Written by members of the Joomla Leadership Team, Using Joomla helps newcomers quickly learn the basics, while developers with Joomla experience will pick up best practices for building more sophisticated websites. You'll also find more than a dozen ways to extend the functionality of existing Joomla-built websites. Start building with Joomla in minutes!

  • Get guidelines for planning, creating, and organizing your content
  • Understand how to create and use Joomla templates to build websites quickly
  • Explore how components, modules, and plug-ins can extend your site's functionality
  • Increase your site ranking by using Joomla best practices
  • Use built-in components such as banners, news feeds, polls, search, and web links
  • Set up an online store, calendar, photo gallery, discussion forum, and more
  • Learn important security precautions to safeguard your site

Publisher resources

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Table of contents

  1. Using Joomla
    1. SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly
    2. Foreword
    3. Preface
      1. Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Read This Book
      2. How This Book is Organized
      3. Conventions Used in This Book
      4. Using Code Examples
      5. Safari® Books Online
      6. How to Contact Us
      7. About the Technical Reviewers
    4. 1. An Overview
      1. Using a CMS: Static Versus Dynamic
      2. A Brief History of Joomla
      3. Why Open Source and the GPL?
      4. The Future
        1. Joomla 1.0.x: End of Life
      5. Summary
    5. 2. Quick Start
      1. Quick Install
        1. Installing Joomla Using Fantastico
      2. System Requirements
      3. Add Sample Content or Not
      4. Some Basic Terminology
        1. Frontend Versus Backend
        2. Extensions
          1. Components
          2. Modules
          3. Plug-ins
          4. Templates
          5. Languages
        3. Site Content
          1. Sections, categories, and articles
      5. Summary
    6. 3. A Tour of the Administrator Panel
      1. Control Panel
      2. Administrator Menus
        1. Site
        2. Menus
        3. Content
        4. Components
        5. Extensions
        6. Tools
        7. Help
      3. Administrator Modules
      4. Main Toolbar
      5. Article Filtering and Display
      6. Summary
    7. 4. Global Configuration
      1. Site
        1. Site Settings
        2. Metadata Settings
        3. SEO Settings
      2. System
        1. System Settings
        2. User Settings
        3. Media Settings
        4. Debug Settings
        5. Cache Settings
        6. Session Settings
      3. Server
        1. Server Settings
        2. Local Settings
        3. FTP Settings
        4. Database Settings
        5. Mail Settings
      4. Summary
    8. 5. Preparing Your Content
      1. Planning, Creating, and Organizing Your Content
      2. Sections, Categories, and Articles
      3. Section Manager Overview
        1. Creating Sections
        2. Publishing and Unpublishing Sections
        3. Copying Sections
      4. Category Manager Overview
        1. Creating Categories
        2. Publishing and Unpublishing Categories
        3. Copying Categories
        4. Moving Categories
        5. Uncategorized Sections and Categories
      5. Summary
    9. 6. Creating Content
      1. Articles As Building Blocks
      2. Creating Articles
        1. The WYSIWYG Editor
        2. Customizing Articles
      3. Article Publishing and Unpublishing
        1. Scheduled Publishing and Unpublishing
      4. Article Parameters
        1. Article Parameters Hierarchy
        2. Global Article Parameters
        3. Basic Article Parameters
        4. Advanced Article Parameters
        5. Page Functions: Print PDF, Email to a Friend, and Print Page
        6. Prevent Code from Being Stripped Out of the Editor
        7. Global Check-in
      5. Article Manager Filtering and Ordering
        1. Filtering Articles
        2. Ordering Articles
      6. Permissions
        1. Section Permissions
        2. Category Permissions
        3. Article Permissions
      7. Archiving Articles
        1. Archiving an Article
        2. Unarchiving an Article
      8. Trashing Articles
        1. Trashing an Article
        2. Restoring Trashed Articles
        3. Permanently Delete Trashed Articles
      9. The Front Page Manager
        1. Ordering Front Page Articles
        2. Removing Front Page Articles
      10. Frontend Versus Backend Editing
        1. Edit an Article on the Frontend
      11. Submitting Content on the Frontend
        1. Submit a New Article on the Frontend
        2. Submit a New Web Link on the Frontend
      12. Summary
    10. 7. Menus
      1. Menu Structure Versus Content Structure
      2. Menu Manager
      3. Menu Item Manager: Menu Item Types Explained, Controlling Layout
      4. Menu Item Parameters
        1. Menu Item Details
        2. Parameters (Basic)
        3. Parameters (Advanced)
        4. Parameters (Component)
        5. Parameters (System)
      5. Menu Modules: Parameters
        1. Module Parameters
        2. Advanced Parameters
        3. Other Parameters
      6. Menu Module: Split Menus
      7. Built-in Site Map
        1. Create the Site Map
        2. Add Your Site Map to an Article Using the Content—Load Module Plug-in
      8. Using ItemID to Create Internal Links
      9. Menu Trash
        1. Restore Menu Items
        2. Permanently Delete Menu Items
      10. Summary
    11. 8. Components
      1. Extending Joomla with Extensions and Compatibility
      2. Built-in Components: Banners, Contacts, News Feeds, Polls, Search, and Web Links
        1. Banners
          1. Categories
          2. Clients
          3. Banners
        2. Contacts
        3. News Feeds
        4. Polls
        5. Search
        6. Web Links
      3. Other Built-in Components in the Extension Manager
      4. Third-Party Components: How to Install
      5. Summary
    12. 9. Modules
      1. The Module Manager
      2. Built-in Frontend Modules
        1. Article Modules
        2. Component Modules
        3. Feed Modules
        4. User Modules
        5. Other Modules
        6. Creating Modules
        7. Assigning Modules
        8. Duplicating Modules
        9. Deleting Modules
        10. Moving Modules
      3. Creating a Menu Module
      4. Creating a Custom HTML Module
      5. Built-in Administrator Modules
        1. Navigation Modules
        2. User Modules
        3. News Modules
        4. Other Modules
      6. Showing a Module Inside an Article
      7. Installing Third-Party Modules
      8. View All of the Module Positions
      9. Summary
    13. 10. Plug-ins
      1. The Plugin Manager
      2. Plug-in Types
      3. Built-in Plug-ins
      4. Third-Party Plug-ins: How to Install
      5. Summary
    14. 11. Templates
      1. The Template Manager
      2. Installing and Assigning Templates
        1. Installing a Template Package File
        2. Uploading Template Files
        3. Removing a Template
        4. Assigning the Default Template
        5. Assigning a Template to Specific Site Sections
      3. Template Folder Structure
      4. Editing Templates
        1. Editing with the Template Manager
        2. Edit Using an External Editor
        3. Adding Images
      5. Anatomy of a Template File
        1. JDOC Statements
        2. Template Conditionals
      6. Module Chrome
      7. Template Parameters
      8. Template Overrides (MVC)
      9. Summary
    15. 12. User Manager
      1. User Manager
      2. Adding and Editing Users
        1. User Details
        2. Parameters
        3. Contact Information
      3. User Registration
        1. Login Module
        2. Creating an Account
        3. Forgot Your Password?
        4. Forgot Your Username?
      4. Recover Your Admin Password
        1. The Easy Way
        2. The Hard Way
      5. User Permissions
      6. Summary
    16. 13. Media Manager
      1. The Media Manager
      2. Navigating Views and Managing Media
      3. Uploading and Deleting Media
        1. Uploading Media
        2. Deleting Media
      4. Using Media in Your Articles
        1. Adding an Image
        2. Changing an Image
        3. Removing an Image
      5. Summary
    17. 14. Languages
      1. The Language Manager
      2. Finding and Installing Languages
        1. Installing Other Languages
        2. Assigning a Language Pack to the Site or Administrator
        3. Assigning a Language Pack to a Single User
      3. Creating a Language Pack
      4. Other Language Options
        1. Joom!Fish
      5. Summary
    18. 15. Extension Manager
      1. Installing Extensions
        1. Upload Package File
        2. Install from Directory
        3. Install from URL
        4. Troubleshooting
      2. Uninstalling Extensions
      3. Upgrading Extensions
      4. Summary
    19. 16. Tools
      1. Global Check-in
      2. Clean Cache
      3. Purge Expired Cache
      4. Read/Write Private Messages
        1. Write Private Messages
        2. Read Private Messages
        3. Private Messaging Configuration
      5. Mass Mail
      6. System Info
      7. Summary
    20. 17. Hands-on: Converting a Site to Joomla
      1. Designing Your Website
      2. Finding Zones in Your Design
      3. Preparing the HTML and CSS
      4. Hands-on Walkthrough
        1. Insert the Joomla Tags
        2. Set Up the Template XML File
        3. Uploading Your Template
      5. Summary
    21. 18. Extending Your Site: Recommended Solutions
      1. E-Commerce: Set Up a Simple Online Storefront Using VirtueMart
        1. Store Frontend
        2. Administrator Backend
        3. Creating a Product Category
        4. Adding a Product
        5. Other Extension Options
      2. Blog: Blogging Functionality Built In
      3. Calendaring/Event Management: Manage and Share Online Calendars with JCal Pro
        1. Creating a Calendar
        2. Creating a Calendar Menu Item
        3. Creating Event Categories
        4. Adding an Event
        5. Adding a Mini-Calendar
        6. Other Extension Options
      4. Forms: Create Custom Forms to Collect and Store Information with bfForms
        1. Field Types
        2. Submit Actions
        3. Layout
        4. Final Thoughts
        5. Other Extension Option
      5. Photo Gallery: Set Up an Online Photo Gallery Using Phoca
        1. Adding a Category
        2. Uploading an Image
        3. Other Extension Options
      6. Document Library: Create Online Document Storage Using RokDownloads
        1. Creating a Folder
        2. Uploading a File
        3. Creating a Menu Link
        4. Latest Downloads List
        5. Other Extension Options
      7. Reviews: Create an Online Review System Using JReviews Express
        1. Setting Up Review Sections and Categories in Joomla
        2. Setting Up Review Criteria
        3. Setting Up a Review Category in JReviews
        4. User Reviews on the Frontend
        5. Configuration and Access Options
        6. Other Extension Option
      8. Building a Community: Extend User Profiles and Functions with Community Builder
        1. Creating a User List
        2. Adding a Profile Tab
        3. Adding Profile Fields
        4. Other Extension Option
      9. Podcasting: Publish Podcasts on Your Site and on iTunes with the Podcast Suite
        1. How a Podcast Works
        2. Setting Up Podcast Suite
        3. Create a Podcast Category
        4. Create a Podcast Menu Item
        5. Upload Your Podcast Audio File
        6. Publish Your Podcast
        7. Setting Up Your iTunes Channel
        8. More Parts
        9. Other Extension Options
      10. Discussion Forum: Set Up an Integrated Discussion Forum Using Kunena
        1. Synchronize Your Users
        2. Create a Menu Link to Your Forum
        3. Setting Up a Forum Category
        4. Add a Moderator
        5. Integration
        6. Other Extension Options
      11. Site Backup/Migration: Perform Backups and Migrate Your Site Using JoomlaPack
        1. Getting to Know the Interface
        2. Backing Up Your Website
        3. Restore Your Website
        4. But Wait, There’s More!
          1. JoomlaPack: eXtract Wizard
          2. JoomlaPack Remote
        5. Final Thoughts
        6. Other Extension Options
      12. Power Search: Powerful Site Searches with JXtended Finder
        1. Set Up a Search Filter
        2. Adding a Search Box
        3. Search Options
        4. Reindexing Your Content
        5. Other Extension Options
      13. Content Tagging: Organize and Connect Related Content Using JXtended Labels
        1. Planning and Creating Your Labels
        2. Labeling Your Articles
        3. Creating a Tag Cloud
        4. Other Extension Options
      14. Comments: Set Up User Comments Using JXtended Comments
        1. Other Extension Options
      15. Summary
    22. 19. SEO and SEF
      1. What Is SEO and SEF?
        1. Search Engine Optimization
        2. Search Engine–Friendly URLs
        3. Blocking Search Engines
      2. Lowering Your Page Rank
      3. Keywords and Metadata
      4. SEF URLs and Creating Custom URLs
      5. Error Pages
      6. SEO and SEF Resources
      7. Summary
    23. 20. Security
      1. Importance of Security and the JSST
      2. Best Practices
        1. Keep Joomla Updated
        2. Subscribe to Security Update
        3. Backup Often
        4. Stay on Top of New Vulnerabilities
        5. Uninstall or Unpublish Unused Extensions
        6. Strong Passwords
        7. Create a New Super Administrator User
        8. Do Not Use jos_ As Your Database Prefix
        9. Database and Super Administrator Passwords Should Not Be the Same
        10. User Permissions
        11. Help→System Info
          1. System Info
          2. PHP Settings
          3. Configuration File
          4. Directory Permissions
          5. PHP Information
        12. Do Not Use PHP 4
        13. Register Globals
        14. .htaccess
          1. Prevent directory browsing
          2. Deny access to view XML files directly from the Web
        15. SEF URLs
        16. robots.txt
        17. Directory Permissions
        18. Backup Often
        19. More Information
      3. Summary
    24. 21. Joomla 1.6 and Beyond
      1. Changes and Improvements
        1. Article Manager
        2. Extension Manager
        3. Menu Manager
        4. Interface Enhancements
        5. ACL and User Permissions
        6. Other Improvements
      2. Extension Compatibility
      3. Migrating to Joomla 1.6
      4. Summary
    25. 22. Getting Involved
      1. Write or Translate a Tutorial or Documentation
      2. Test or Add a Comment to an Issue Report
      3. Develop an Extension or Template
      4. Join a Joomla Working Group
      5. Help Out at a Joomla Event
      6. Contribute in Other Ways
      7. Summary
    26. A. Installing and Upgrading
      1. Requirements
      2. Database Setup
      3. FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
      4. Web Installer
      5. Local Web Servers
      6. Upgrading
    27. B. Choosing the Right Extensions
      1. Which Extension Is Right for Me?
        1. What Do I Want the Extension to Do?
        2. What Do Others Say About the Extension?
        3. Am I Willing to Pay for the Extension?
        4. License
        5. Is It Secure?
        6. Can I Get Support if I Need It?
        7. Is the Extension Encrypted?
      2. Where Can I Find an Extension Used in This Book?
    28. C. Developing for Joomla
      1. Joomla Framework
        1. JDatabase Example
        2. JRequest Example
        3. JDocument Example
      2. Developer Resources
    29. D. Tips and Tricks
      1. How to Tell if a Website Is Running Joomla
        1. generator meta tag
        2. /administrator
        3. tp=1
        4. Check for Default Joomla Template
        5. View a Core XML File
        6. View the robots.txt File
        7. View Their configuration.php-dist File
      2. What Is Key Reference Anyway?
      3. Showing Component Area Without Modules
    30. Index
    31. About the Authors
    32. Colophon
    33. SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly

Product information

  • Title: Using Joomla
  • Author(s): Ron Severdia, Kenneth Crowder
  • Release date: December 2009
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9781449383114