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?

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