Step 5 - Move Joomla site from JSAS to Web Server

Rabu, 23 September 2009

In step 2 we learned how to install Joomla online with Joomla Fantastico Installer and on your own computer with Joomla Stand Alone Server.
 
If you installed it online, your Joomla site is already published. Those of you who used JSAS to install Joomla read below how to transfer your Joomla site to your web hosting account.
 

Move local Joomla Site made with JSAS to your Web Server

1. Preparing your Web hosting account

1. First thing we need to do, is install a fresh copy of Joomla to your web server. Go to Step 2 of this guide and start with 3. Joomla Fantastico Install Procedure.
   
   Hosting Residence Install Instructions
   
   
2. When you are finished and you can see a default Joomla site online come here and continue.

2. Uploading your local site to web server

1. Open up your FTP program (go to Webmaster Center if you need one)
   
   
2. Connect to your host (Contact your host for username and password ).
3. You will see two panes. One is for local files and the other for online files.
4. In the local files pane navigate to your website in Joomla Stand Alone Server folder on your hard drive. Usually it is located in C:\Program Files\JSAS\http_root\www\xxx - name of your website.
5. If you see administrator, cache, components folders listed you are in the right folder.
6. In the online pane we will do something very similar. We will navigate to the Joomla folder that you installed before a few minutes in Step 2. It differs from host to host, but with most hosts you will find it in public_html folder.
7. Now that you have both panes ready, select all the local files except configuration.php.
8. Upload files to web server. It could take some time depending on your internet connection.

3. Exporting Joomla database with PHP MyAdmin

1. Open JSAS and click on admin icon. On right some options will open.
   
   
2. Click on PHP MyAdmin to launch it.
3. From left select the database you want to export.
   
   
4. Click on export.
   
   
5. Now you have to select which tables you want to export. Click on select all. They will color once selected.
6. Check Add Drop Table.
   
   
7. Select Save as File and click on Go. This will open Save as window dialog.
8. Save it on your hard drive.

4. Importing Joomla database to web server with PHP MyAdmin

1. Now open PHP MyAdmin on your web server (it should be in your control panel).
2. From left select the database you want to export.
3. Click Import.
   
   
4. Browse for the .sql file you just saved to your hard drive (your database).
   
5. Click Go.
   
6. Your database is now imported.

Check your site. It should now work online.
 
If your site does not look 100% the same after you uploaded it that is normal. Go to Global settings and set things they were set locally. If you have any other problems contact your hosting provider or check Joomla support forum for possible solutions.

Step 4 - Building and Managing Joomla Web Site

Selasa, 22 September 2009

Joomla organizes content differently than it is organized in a HTML site. The main difference is that web pages in Joomla Do not exist. ??!!?? What? Well technically there are Menu Items and Modules, which are attached to Menu Items. So every Joomla page you see in your browser is compiled from a database. There is nothing wrong about it. I just thought you should know that.:)

Seriously: This kind of organization gives Joomla several advantages and you are able to do more in shorter time. Lets now add some content to our Joomla Site.

Managing Content with Joomla

Managing Content | Adding Sections and Categories

Joomla organizes Content in Sections. And in Sections there are categories. In categories there are Content Items.

Note: Before we can create Content Items we have to create some Sections and Categories. It is easy to create them.

Adding a Section

1. We are now going to use a table you made in Step 1: Planning a Joomla Site.
2. Log in to your administration area.
3. Navigate to Content:Section Manager
   
   
4. Click on icon New to create a New Section.
5. In the field Title enter the name of your section (it will be seen only by you in administrator area).
   
6. In the field Section name enter name you want to be seen by visitors in page headings.
   
   
7. Click Save. Now we have a new section. But we need to create at least one category for our section.

Adding a Category

1. Navigate to Content:Category manager
2. Click on icon New to create a New Category
3. In the field Title enter the name of your category that will be seen only by you in administrator area.
4. In the field Category name enter name you want to be seen by visitors in page headings.
5. There is a drop down menu called Section. Select in which Section you want to create your new category.
6. Click Save. Now we have a new category.

Note: Sections and Categories are not directly visible on your Joomla Site. They only hold place for Content Items. Read below how to create them.

Managing Content | Adding Content Items

Content Items are similar to body of classic HTML pages. Thats where the content is. To create them:

1. Navigate to Content:All Content Items
2. Click on Icon New Item
3. Enter your new Content Items Title
   
   
4. Select Section and Category you want your Content item to be placed in.
5. Add some Intro and Main text.

Note: Your Content Item is not visible on your Joomla Site, until you create a Menu Entry for your Content Item.

Managing Content | Adding Menu Entry for a Content Item

Joomla installation has a default menu called Main Menu. We are now going to create a new menu item in that menu.

1. Navigate to Menu:Menu manager
2. Find mainmenu in the table and click on Menu options icon.
   
   
3. Click On NEW menu icon. A page opens with several options and radio buttons.
   
   
4. Since we want to create a link to a single menu item we Select: Link - Content Item. Click on it.
   
   
5. Now enter name for the menu item as you want it to appear on your Home page.
   
   
6. Select Content Item you want the menu to point.
7. Save

Managing Content | Adding Menu Entry for a List of Items

Some of your categories may hold several Content Items. You can add a menu entry for a whole category of items.

1. Go to Menu:Menu manager
2. Find mainmenu in the table and click on Menu options icon.
3. Click On NEW menu icon. A page opens with several options and radio buttons.
4. We will now create a link to List of items. Click on Blog-Content Category.
5. Now enter name for the menu item as you want it to appear on your Home page.
6. Select one or more Categories that you want the menu to point.
7. Save

Managing Content | Adding Static Content

As always there are some exceptions. We said earlier that Content Items must be organized in Sections and Categories. However that is not true for static content. Static Content is similar to Content Item, with difference that it does not belong to any category or section. It is independent.
 
To create Static Content:

1. Navigate to Content: Static Content Manager.
   
   
2. Click on the Icon NEW.
3. Enter Title
4. Insert your text.
5. Save

Before you can see it, you have to add a new menu entry. It is very similar to the above example (Adding Menu Entry for a Content Item). The difference is that in this case you select Link - Static Content instead of Link-Content Item. Thats it!

Managing Content | Removing Content Items

Joomla has some preconfigured Content Items that might not fit in your website. To delete them:

1. Go to Content: All Content Items.
   
   
2. Mark Items you want to delete.
   
   
3. Click on Trash Icon on right top corner.
   
   

You can do the same thing with Modules.

1. Go to Modules: Site Modules.
2. Select Modules you don`t need and click on Delete Icon.

Note: Doing this will delete your modules. I prefer unpublishing them. It has the same effect for visitors, but unpublished modules remain in administration area and can be used later.

Managing Content | Customizing Joomla Front Page

All of the Content Items can be configured to be shown on Front Page. Well actually, only their Intro Text is shown. You can customize it by:

1. Going to Content: All Content Items.
2. For each Content Item you can set if it is Published or Unpublished on Front Page. Toggle by clicking on Red Cross or Green Tick in the All Content Items table(Front Page Column).
3. Once there are some items published you can customize and set order of appearance by going to Content: Front Page Manager.

Step 3 - Change Joomla design - Install Joomla Templates

Senin, 21 September 2009

1. Changing Joomla Design | Install Joomla Templates

To change Joomla Design we are going to show you how to Install Joomla Templates. Installing is easy. The best thing about Joomla is that you can change a template anytime you want with just a click. And your site will remain great looking. No painful coding is needed.
 
Get the Template

1. You can get a few Templates from our Webmaster Center for free. If you also need a domain name, register it with Hosting Residence, and you will receive 125 Joomla Templates for FREE.
2. Download one of the templates to your desktop.

Making changes in Global Settings

1. Before we can install any new Joomla templates we have to make some changes to global settings: make templates folders writable.
2. Select Site:Global Configuration from the menu.
3. Select the Server tab. You` ll see some radio buttons.
   
   
4. Select CHMOD new files to 666 and CHMOD new folders to 777.
5. Save your changes. We are now ready to install a new template.

Install Joomla Templates from your computer

1. To install a template we have to be logged in to your joomla site (www.yourname.com/aministrator).
2. Navigate to Site:Template Manager:Site Templates. This opens Template Manager.
   
   
3. Click on the NEW icon on the top right of the screen.
   
4. Click Browse. It will open a file browser.
   
   
5. Select the template you downloaded earlier to your computer and click open. File browser closes and the path to file is shown.
6. Now click on Upload File and Install
7. Joomla will notify you that template has been successfully installed. Click Continue.
8. We will now apply your new template to be default template for your Joomla site.
9. Click on a radio button before your new template. Click on icon Default.
   
   
10. Voila! Check your site. It now has a new look.
    
    

2. Changing Joomla Design | Selecting Modules

Changing Joomla Design is easy compared to static Html, bacause Joomla uses modules to assemble a page. Each module can be set to a position and can be turned on or off for every website. Lets say that you want your main menu to be shown just on home page, but not on About us page. You can do that by customizing modules. It is easy!

1. Log in to your Joomla administrator area.
2. Navigate to Modules: Site Modules.
3. Play around with clicking on publish/unpublish icon.
   
   You will see which module is which and where it is placed. You can easily unpublish all the modules you don need.
4. Now click on a module called Main Menu.
   
   As you can see there are some items you can select on the right side. These are actually pages of your Joomla site. You can select or unselect them and that defines if they will be shown on these pages.

3. Changing Joomla Design | Header Graphics

This is an easy thing to do and you will instantly have a personalized template. You will need your own photo or logo and a Graphics editor.

1. First we have to figure out what is the header image called.
2. We will do that by going to our Joomla Website, right click on header logo and select Properties.
3. This shows us image name and width and height in pixels. Write it somewhere because we will need it later.
   
   
4. Now you have to create your own image and make it the same width and height and name it exactly like the one in Step 3.
5. 
   
6. When your new image is ready, we will upload it or copy it to your Joomla Site.
7. Use your file manager or FTP client and open folder of the Template you are using in your Joomla Site.
8. Open images folder.
9. You will see a file with name we selected in step3.
10. Upload your new image. Since the name is the same you have to replace it. That is ok.
11. Check your Joomla Site. It should now have your new header image.

4. Changing Joomla Design | Site Footer

If you are wondering how to change the Footer here is how.

1. 1.Use your File manager or FTP client and Navigate to root/includes/footer.php
2. 2. Open it with Notepad remove the line called:
   
   
   
   URL; ?>
   
   
   
3. Save it.
4. The line Powered By Joomla should now disappear.

Now that you know how to Install Joomla Templates and tweak your Joomla Design is time to add some content.

Step 2 - How to install Joomla with JSAS or Fantastico

Minggu, 20 September 2009

1. System Requirements for Installing Joomla

Here are minimum requirements needed for Joomla:

* PHP 4.2.x or above - http://php.net
* MySQL 3.23.x or above - http://mysql.org
* Apache 1.13.19 or above - http://apache.org

Don`t worry if you never heard for these before. All you have to know is if your Web Host supports Joomla. Hosting Residence offers Joomla Auto-Install.

2. Installing Joomla Locally with JSAS

These instructions are for Windows XP. We will be using JSAS - Joomla Stand Alone Server to install Joomla on our PC.
 

1. Go to http://jsas.joomlasolutions.com/ and Download JSAS installation package to your computer.
2. Now you have to run the file you just downloaded and follow the steps in installation.
3. Once JSAS is installed, you will have all the tools you need to run Joomla on your Computer.
4. Now open JSAS icon that was placed on your desktop.
5. Click here. A new window will open, with instructions to create a Joomla Site with the JSAS.
   
   
6. Go to Joomla Pre-installation check below to finish Joomla Installation.
   

If you need to install on other operating systems, get yourself some of these packages:

• XAMPP - multi-platform,
  
• LAMP - Linux platform,
  
• MAMP - Macintosh platform.
  

These are only PHP, MySQL and Apache installers. You will have to install Joomla Manually. Get it here.

3. Joomla Fantastico Install Procedure

This little tutorial will guide you trough Joomla Fantastico Install so make sure your Web Host has Fantastico or any other Autoinstall client enabled.

1. Log in to your hosting control panel.
2. Find Fantastico Icon and click it.
   
   
3. Find Joomla and click it. There will be lots of applications available to install; Look for CMS or sth. similar.
   
   
4. Set the path of installation. When you click it there should be some settings. Make sure the path of Joomla installation is root (that means Joomla will install into a www.yoursite.com and not in www.yoursite.com/applications/joomla/).
   
   
5. Choose Admin username and password and write them on a piece of paper.
6. Fill in your email and Site name.
   
7. Once you fill in all the details, Click on Install. If you have trouble with settings, contact hosts support. They will help you.
8. You are done!
   

If you are not using Fantastico, you might have to go through Pre-installation Check below to finish Joomla Installation.

4. Joomla Pre-Installation Check

When you run your Joomla Site for the first time, you have to go trough a wizard and fill in some user names and passwords.
If you are using JSAS you got these information at the last screen of Joomla install, if you are installing on a web server, you will get them from your host or in Fantastico before you installed Joomla.

1. Go to your Joomla page. If using JSAS, open it and select which Joomla site you want to run. If online, go to your homepage: www.yourdomain.com (make sure you installed it correctly).
2. You should now see Pre-installation check page generated by Joomla.
   
   Make sure everything in the right column is colored GREEN. If there are values colored red, you have to either set some folder permissions or contact your hosting provider to fix it for you. Click Next.
3. Another screen appears with License. Click next.
4. You are now asked to enter your details.
   
   Take your piece of paper and enter the following:
   
   • Hostname (usually "localhost")
   • MySql user name
   • MySql password
   • MySql Database Name
5. You are almost done. Joomla will ask you to confirm the settings. Click ok.
6. If you entered settings correctly you are asked to enter your Site name.
7. New screen appears.
   
   Enter your domain name, email and password!!(very important: write it on a piece of paper!!)
8. Joomla is installed. However, you have to do one more thing before you login.
9. You have to delete a folder called installation in your Joomla site. Attention! Do not delete the whole Joomla site.
10. Go to your file manager (if using JSAS) or FTP program (if your Joomla is online) and go to the folder named exactly like the name of the site you entered in step 6.
    
11. Now find a installation folder and delete it. Thats it!

5. Logging in for the first time

Congratulations! You can now log in for the first time. Take a look around. Your very own installation of Joomla!:)

Step 1 - Joomla Web Site Development Plan

Sabtu, 19 September 2009

1. How to plan a Joomla Site?

You should create content that would be interesting to your visitors. Ask yourself who is your website for, who is going to use it, read it? What will they gain?
 
Take a blank piece of paper and put down everything that comes to your mind about your website. Write tags or titles you want to cover on your website.
 

2. How should I structure my website?

Joomla Web Site Development is an important part of building a Joomla Site.
Create a table in Word or Excel with 5 or more columns.

• 1. column represents sections
• 2. column represents categories
• 3. column represents content items
• 4. column is for marking content type (blog/list of items/single item/static content)
• 5. column is reserved for titles

Now take the paper you used earlier for brainstorming and start organizing content into sections and categories. Move them around until you are satisfied.
 
It should look something like this:
 

Sections	Categories	Content Items	Content type	Title
Products	For Men		List of items
		Product 1		Black Shoes
		Product 2		Brown Shoes
	For Women		List of items
		...
Services
About us			Static Content

 

3. Joomla Design and Navigation

Where should I place menus? How will the layout look? Think how you want your site to look.
Some options:

Layout Option 1
	I want a common website layout with navigation on left and content on right.
Layout Option 2
	I want to have navigation on top and content below with several columns that would look like a portal site.
Layout Option 3
	I would like a divided navigation on left and top, center for content, and a right column reserved for advertisements.

 
I am sure you are going to find a template that suits your needs. You can download some from our Webmaster Center for a start.

4. Interactivity

Joomla is a dynamic site Builder and has some integrated Components that can make your site Interactive. When developing a Joomla web site you can enhance your site with numerous add-ons and extensions available at Joomla Website.
Define what do you want to offer your visitors?

• Do you want your website to be publicly accessible or do you want to set some content private?
• Do you want your visitors to be a ble to comment your posts and do other things?
• Do you want your site to have calendar, Photo Gallery and other advanced Functions?

With lots of Extensions available almost anything is possible. And you can always add these things later.

------------------------

After this step you should have a clear vision what you want to do with your website, a detailed table with website structure and an idea of site layout.

------------------------

It`s now time to install Joomla and start things rolling.

Joomla step by step guide

Jumat, 18 September 2009

Joomla Content Management System Overview

What is Joomla?

Joomla is a Content Management System. Using Joomla is not as easy as using Wordpress to create a simple blog. However, once you are familiar with Joomla you can do more, better and faster that you ever imagined.

Joomla facts

Joomla produces dynamic content
Joomla has its own way of organizing content, so don`t be worried if things seem a little fuzzy at first. As you keep learning, things will become clear.
 
Joomla uses Templates
With use of templates we can achieve that all pages have a consistent look. You can easily change a template without any need of changing the code. Once you get more familiar with Joomla you can even create your own template.
 
Customize modules to get the look you want
Joomla uses modules, which can be published, unpublished, moved into different positions on a page and customized to get your page look and work exactly how you want.
 
Integrated Content Editor
Similar to any word editor with some advanced features makes inserting text, tables and photos easy. Changes are instantly shown on your website in real time.
 

Easy Site Guide Joomla! Guide

In the next few steps you will learn everything you need to know to set up your own Joomla! website from install to publish. We organized Joomla! Guide in 5 steps:
 
Step 1 - How to Plan a Joomla Site
Step 2 - Installing Joomla
Step 3 - Customizing look of your Joomla Site
Step 4 - Managing Content in Joomla
Step 5 - Uploading and Publishing your Joomla Site