In this presentation to the Dallas/Fort Worth Joomla User Group, we covered the basics of custom Joomla templates for Joomla 2.5. We discussed:
The Basics of Joomla Templates
- Overall File Structure
- templateDetails.xml file
- index.php file
Some Advanced Template Topics
- HTML Overrides to override the output of Joomla components and modules
- Template Parameters to use in the Template Styles
- Language Overrides
Two Methods of Installing Your Custom Template
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Creating Custom Templates for Joomla! 2.5
1. Creating Custom Templates
for Joomla! 2.5
Dallas/Fort Worth Joomla User Group
January 14, 2013
www.KatalystCreativeGroup.com
2. A Bit About Me: Don Cranford
• Partner / Lead Developer at Katalyst Creative
Group
• Web Design/Dev, Branding, Content, SEO
• Started using Joomla! (Mambo) in 2004
• Joomla! is our primary tool, but also do some
WordPress and Drupal.
• Custom Joomla! templates and extensions.
www.KatalystCreativeGroup.com
9. templateDetails.xml
• Used during the installation process
• Tells what files to install
• Provides the optional parameters
• Used in configuring the style options.
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14. index.php
• The primary file that controls the layout.
• Can use regular php within the file
• Uses tags (<jdoc include type=“…” />) to
determine where to output different pieces
• <jdoc include type=“head” />
• <jdoc include type=“component” />
• <jdoc include type=“module” name=“*position+” />
• <jdoc include type=“message” />
www.KatalystCreativeGroup.com
16. Html Overrides: What Are They?
• Override the layout for any MVC components
and modules
• MVC = Model, View, Controller
• Gives Joomla tremendous flexibility!
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17. Html Overrides: How To?
• Create folder name that corresponds to
component or module under html
• Create folder name that corresponds to the
view name (ie. html/com_content/article)
• Create default.php file
• Can copy from the original as a starting point
• Ex: html/com_content/article/default.php
www.KatalystCreativeGroup.com
18. Template Parameters
• Derived from the templateDetails.xml
• <config><fields name=“params”>…</fields></config>
• Each parameter defined as a field
<field name=“…” type=“text” default=“…”
label=“*language string from language file+”
description=“*language string+” />
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19. Template Parameters
• Access in the index.php with:
• $this->params->get(‘*parameter field name+');
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21. Language: Files & Overrides
• Provides the text for the language strings in
the template
• Two files in the language/en-GB/ folder
• en-GB.tpl_mytemplate1.ini
• Language strings used in the template
• en-GB.tpl_mytemplate1.sys.ini
• Language strings used in installation and admin
www.KatalystCreativeGroup.com