How to Use Joomla – Setting Up a Site Quick
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Okay, so you’re still with me and want to learn how to use Joomla. This will be a very quick tutorial on how to get your first site set up. Now as I said in the beginning, it took me much longer than it should have to learn Joomla. Until I found this wicked online program that has tons of video tutorials and takes you from beginning to end in easy steps. Plus it includes over 500 Joomla templates and over 500 Joomla extensions. ‘Nuff said.
Okay, let’s continue on with how to use Joomla and especially I want to talk about how to use a Joomla template which has got to be one of the funnest and easiest ways to use Joomla I’ve found. Especially for non-techies. Now because Joomla uses PHP which is a scripting language that is used to produce dynamic web pages. It is often embedded within HTML. Originally PHP stood for Personal Home page but now it stands for Hypertext PreProcessor, whatever the hell that means. If you go with the original meaning you’ll have a pretty good idea of what it does. It helps create web pages.
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PHP is important because it allows for dynamic content as mentioned earlier. HTML deals with static content. So if you have a current date script on your web page, that requires PHP because the date changes, it is dynamic. Anywho, this is not about PHP but about how to use Joomla. Suffice it to say that because Joomla uses PHP, you need to have a web server that can run PHP on its database. Most do. The common ones that do are HostGator and BlueHost.
Okay, so if you set yourself up with one of those hosts you’ll have everything you need. Next you’ll need to upload Joomla 1.5 to your server. This is a pretty easy process that you can access through your cPanel with Hostgator or BlueHost. Just click on the smiley Fantastico face and then click on Joomla and you’ll want to install a New Installation. How to use Joomla this way is really easy. If you’re getting lost, there are tons of Joomla tutorials out there to help you, and your hosting company will be happy to help too.
Okay let’s get to working with and installing Joomla templates. The course that is full of Joomla videos and Joomla training materials has over 500 Joomla templates for you to choose from. Plus they have a wicked Joomla template maker software if you want to play around with that too. Fort this blog on how to use Joomla, let’s pretend that you’re just choosing one of the 500 templates.
For argument’s sake, we’ll call this Joomla template that is now residing on your PC “Wicked Joomla”. Head into your Joomla administrative interface, go to Extensions -> Install/Uninstall -> Upload Package File (choose “Wicked Joomla” template from your PC) and then click on Upload File & Install. You’re golden, well done. A quick tip when learning how to use Joomla, I always keep my templates on my desktop for ease of access in these kinds of situations.
Okay so let’s carry on with how to use a Joomla template. To make sure that “Wicked Joomla” is your default Joomla template, go to Extensions -> Template Manager and make sure the button for “Wicked Joomla” or the template you want as the default is clicked. This is how to use Joomla, then you’ll want to make sure that you click on the default star to make sure you complete this task.
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Wow, I can’t believe it took me so long to walk you through how to use Joomla and we just go to installing the template as a default. Do yourself a favor and get the course and you’ll be up and running in a week. Next time, I’ll show you how to use Joomla plugins as well as how to change stuff on your Joomla template.
How to Use Joomla Extensions
Okay guys, this article is going to tell you how to use Joomla extensions. Now as most of you know, Joomla extensions are built by third party developers and that is why they are called extensions. They extend the features of Joomla and oftentimes make it easier to use and enhance the Joomla functionality.
So because they are built by third party developers if you have a problem after reading this how to use Joomla extensions guide with a particular extension, you should seek the support of the developer. They are super helpful.
Okay, first off I want to share with you how to install Joomla extension so that even those of us new to the Joomla content management system (CMS) are all on the same page. If you are new to Joomla, you’ll find it can be a little tricky to use at first. But I don’t think it is harder than using Wordpress for example or Drupal.
Best practice with installing any software is to read the “readme” file if there is one. Failing that, take a quick browse of the supporting documents and any forums that the Joomla extension developer has created. You’ll often find a terrific amount of helpful advice and support there.
Okay, this is the most common way to install a Joomla extension. You’ll find it very logical and intuitive if you’ve downloaded and installed various pieces of software. The first thing you want to do is download the Joomla extension as a zip file onto your local hard drive. I like to download it to my desktop so I can find it easy.
From the backend of your Joomla web site (the administration panel) select “Extensions” and then select “Install/Uninstall”. Now you’ll have to find it on your own hard drive. This is why I like to save Joomla extensions on my desktop so I can find them easily. Once you’ve found the Joomla extension to use click on “Upload File” and then click on “Install”. You’re done. That’s pretty much it. Now some extensions might have further details so that’s why you want to check out any supporting documentation with them.
A couple of other issues that might come up. If you get an error, the first thing to try is to unzip the file. Then you’ll have to upload each of the folder or files separately. No big deal, just repeat the above process as many times as necessary.
Another thing to bear in mind is that if the Joomla extension is super large you might have to unzip the file and upload it through your favorite FTP client like Filezilla or something. As large Joomla extensions can’t be uploaded through the automatic installer.
So I really wanted to tell you how to use Joomla extensions but this blog post is getting pretty long and I know you guys start getting glazed eyes at around the 400 word count LOL. So the next post will be all to do with how to use Joomla extensions, scouts honor!
How to Use a Joomla Template
Let’s learn how to use a Joomla template. So I was talking last time about how to use Joomla and how Joomla is a CMS, a Content Management System. But unlike other CMS Joomla is made up of a blocks to a page. Kinda like the wooden blocks that a baby plays with. And like those blocks, just as you need 4 blocks to spell the word baby – the ones with the letters on them, you need several blocks to make up a Joomla page or Joomla template.
Now I want to give you some additional insight and tips with using Joomla software. Okay, so just to let you know a little about the Joomla lingo. These blocks that make up a page are called “positions” in Joomla and you use Joomla templates to layout your “pages”. Now these templates layout the pages which includes things like the boxes, fonts, colors and background too. Oh yeah, another thing, is that blocks are made up of Joomla modules which we’ll talk about now.
Okay, so how to use Joomla modules. Something you have to understand before we continue is that Joomla is designed to be expanded. It’s also made up of dynamic content, content that your users can add too, so it builds upon itself like some voracious beast! 
There are tons of nice to have and need to have Joomla plugins that we’ll talk about later. Check out the program that I recommend which has hundreds of the best Joomla extensions you’ll ever need.
Three other things to get out of the way. What are the differences between Joomla modules, Joomla components and Joomla mambots? It’s best if I give you an analogy.
Joomla modules are simple plugins that present information on your site. So for example a comment box would be a module and your menu would be a Joomla module too. Modules can be best thought as being the stuff that visitors actually would see if they came to your Joomla site.
How to use a Joomla template, you’d need to know about Joomla components. Components are kinda like applications. They make the backend of Joomla or the Joomla admin panel more user friendly. So if say you wanted to add a newsletter component to your Joomla site, you would, yes you guessed it, add a Joomla component! Easy hey. Now you’d probably also add a module too. The component would help you manage the newsletter and the module would let your visitors enjoy the newsletter.
Now how to use a Joomla template is much easier if you get that course I recommended. But these are just some tips for you on how to make using Joomla easier. Hope you’re enjoying them. We’ll talk more about Joomla templates and how to use Joomla wrapper next time.
By the way a wrapper is just what it sounds like. That’s the cool thing about Joomla, they name things to help you identify their use. So a Joomla wrapper let’s you wrap third party apps into your own website. Cool huh?
How to Use Joomla – A Beginning
Hey guys, this first post is going to be about some basics on how to use Joomla. For those of you who are new to Joomla, I’m going to spend some time giving you the 411 on what it is. Joomla is basically a Content Management System. Wordpress is also a CMS but it works differently. Basically as the name says, a CMS just helps you organize content. So any web design software program that you use to create and manage content is a CMS.
Joomla though, like all CMS is different. That’s why when learning any CMS and especially when learning Joomla, you need to spend a little bit of time getting familiar with it. It’s not hard, it’s just different. And it’s not gonna take you weeks to learn, especially if you get yourself a copy of the program that I recommend. But more on that later.
Most people look at websites as being static, ‘cos most of them are. So if you look at websites as being static then you could say they are like a tree. They grow from one main trunk (like a home page) and then branch out from there. About Me pages, Grannies Birthday page and maybe My Christmas Holiday page etc. But all of these pages once up, just stay like that without much changing or editing. Blogs are different of course.
And Joomla is way different too. With Joomla sites, you can’t tell what the page will look like without publishing it first, so you have to have an idea of what you want ahead of time. Similar to Wordpress. You’ll have an idea of what your Wordpress page will look like, but you won’t know for certain until you publish it.
Joomla software is different, if you want to know how to use Joomla properly it’s best to think of it like building blocks. You know those building blocks that baby’s use. The ones with the letters. So if you take those blocks and want to spell “baby” then you need 4 blocks right, two blocks with the letter “b” on it and one block each or “a” and “y”.
To learn how to use Joomla, think of each page as being a word. It’s made up of a bunch of Joomla blocks including Joomla plugins and stuff like that.
The next post on how to use Joomla will give you some more tips. Joomla is great, trust me. You just need to give yourself some time in learning it.
Hi, I'm Ryan and I started this blog to share some amazing tips with you about how to use Joomla. I wish I had known this before I made this blog 'cos I would've made it with Joomla instead.
Anywho, I'll attach a link to my guitar site I'm building in Joomla when it's done.
