The Basics: Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes
For starters, we should define what JOOMLA is and what is isn't.
What is JOOMLA?
Joomla is a Content Management System. What is that? Read this >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system
Joomla! is one of the most powerful Open Source Content Management Systems on the planet. It is used all over the world for everything from simple websites to complex corporate applications. Joomla! is easy to install, simple to manage, and reliable. Visit their homepage located at www.Joomla.org for more information.
Joomla is free. The software is offered as a stand alone product for you to download and install manually, OR you can install Joomla using the hosted solution provided by your hosting company. We're going to show you how to install Joomla using the the hosted solution. It takes less than 5 minutes!
So who uses Joomla?
The United Nations implemented a Joomla installation at http://www.unric.org/. Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich's website utilizes Joomla with a few special components installed. Thousands of website are built using Joomla. From small business and Fortune 100 companies to municipalities, government sites and non-profts, Joomla provides an affordable, powerful, efficient and effective website solution.
Joomla is great for companies and organizations of all sizes. Joomla allows multiple users to contribute content to a website creating a dynamic user experience. Joomla provides for rapid content creation and a robust Admin area to organize all of that content.
What JOOMLA isn't.
Joomla does not create webpages that can be edited in Dreamweaver or any other HTML editor (in the traditional sense). Joomla uses a database to store site content (text and images) and page elements (modules and components). You can edit the HTML contained in the BODY of a Joomla page and/or the content inside a custom module using Dreamweaver etc. This makes for a simple way to add tables, FLASH, Javascript, PHP or other custom code. We show you how to do these more advanced procedures in the PRO SERIES.
Joomla does not allow you to simply download a page via FTP, make changes, and then upload when completed. You do not need Contribute or any other HTML editor to use Joomla.
Please complete the suggested reading below. You will be better equipped to follow some of the lingo used throughout the site.
Our JOOMLA video tutorials require that the viewer have a general understanding of the following:
- Know what a URL is
- Know the meaning of "file directory" and "host" and "root directory"
- Know what FTP means and how to use it. It is not important that you know the inner workings of FTP. It is important that you know HOW to use your FTP client and KNOW THIS - You can delete your entire site if you make a mistake using FTP. OK, that's the scary scenario, but we'll show you in the FTP video how FTP works and how to use an FTP program for the PC called FILEZILLA. After using it a few times, you'll settle right in.
What is a URL?
URL is the acronym for Universal Resource Locator. A URL is used to identify the location of a file or "resource" on the internet.
You domain name (www.YourSite.com) is a URL. The files within your site are easy to locate using a distinct URL like so:
If I want to let others locate an image called "HOUSE.jpg", I could provide them the following URL:
EXAMPLE URL: www.YourSite.com/HOUSE.jpg
When someone typed the above URL into their browser it would show them the image HOUSE.jpg.
If I had the image HOUSE.jpg in a folder called "images" the URL would look like so:
EXAMPLE URL: www.YourSite.com/images/HOUSE.jpg
Why is this important? The link above illustrates a simple file structure or "directory" within your hosting account.
This bring us to the next objective.
What is meant by "directory"?
Your hosting directory is a simple filing system on a server (at your Hosting Company) that holds the HTML or PHP or ASP pages of your site. We can view this file structure using IE. or Firefox but let's use a real FTP client to do this. Before we do that...
Read this article that defines "directory" from Wikipedia and then return to this page. (See also "File System" for more in depth information.)
What is a "host"?
Your site host is where your site files are actually stored and then "served" to site visitors through their browser when they visit your URL. Simple. Not much to know here other than this is where all of your files will be "hosted" and served. Think of it like a dinner party where the location is the host and the meal is your website.
Read this article that defines "host" from Wikipedia and then return to this page.
What is FTP (File Transfer Protocol)?
JOOMLA does not require any user to utilize FTP in order to build a website, however, in order to create a professional website with branding elements it is strongly suggested you get comfortable with an FTP client.
When viewing the Intermediate and PRO SERIES training videos, you'll need to be comfortable with uploading and downloading files via FTP.
Read this article that defines FTP from Wikipedia and then return to this page.
You'll want an FTP client. You can download an FTP client for free:
For PC:
FREE FTP software
Filezilla - Download for free at http://filezilla-project.org/
$$ FTP sotfware
WsFTP - http://www.ipswitch.com/products/ws_ftp/home/index.asp
For MAC:
FREE - Fetch - http://www.fetchsoftworks.com/
Having read the above articles, you should have a basic understanding of URL's, directories, file structures and FTP.
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