Getting start with Joomla

What to Expect

Joomla! is introduced using detailed 'hands-on' instructions about adding, altering and manipulating content. At the same time, general points about Joomla! are made which are intended to help people to learn and do more. As the tasks require more background knowledge, so there are fewer hands-on instructions and more general pointers to the extensive documentation available for Joomla!

Topics

The series is divided into multiple parts as indicated by the browsing menu found at the top of this page. You should move from topic to topic in a left to right progression. Each topic will build upon the previous one. Alternatively, you can go right to the part containing the information sought.

Remember

As you move from Tutorial topic to the next, you can always refer to the glossary if you forget the meaning of common terms.

Topics

These topics should be considered the key building blocks of a Joomla! web site. They will give you a foundation upon which to build your Joomla! web site and knowledge upon.

Templates

Templates control how a Joomla! powered web site appears for users. A template provides a method of integration between content (Articles) and Applications (Modules) in a specific, controlled view. Templates are how a Joomla! powered web site is end-user presented.

Categories

Every part of Joomla! powered web site or any CMS type of web site needs a method to display and store its content logically. The usual method is by categories and subcategories. Joomla! allows for multiple ways to display and use content controlled by categorisation. This part of the Tutorial will introduce you to the uses of Joomla! categories.

Articles

Articles are the core content of any Joomla! powered web site. Everyone needs to know the basics of how to edit and create them. This tutorial will help you to understand the inner workings of Joomla! articles and their integration into a web page.

Menus

Every web site has some type of navigation system, or menu. They can vary in style from web site to web site, but they all perform the same function. The menu tutorial will explain how menus control content.

Modules

As you have already learned, Extensions and Core Extensions are like a Computer Application (e.g. Word, Excel, Photoshop, Screensaver, File search). Modules are lightweight Joomla! extensions. A module's display is controlled by the Template and 'Menu' Core Extension. They are used as an integration point for Extensions (Applications) along with Articles(Content) into the page views of a Joomla! web site.

Summary

After you complete all Tutorial Topics, you should be able to create a simple website.

Summing it all up

• Templates control the look of a Joomla! web site.
• Categories create a organisational hierarchy to control web site content.
• Articles are the main type of web site content.
• Menus provide a navigational method to use or browse the web site content(pages).
• Modules provide a means to combine web site content(Articles) with extensions(Applications), regardless of whether they are core or add-on(installed, not core) extensions.