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Creating a pure CSS layout Joomla 1.5 template

In this chapter, we'll go through the steps of creating a Joomla template. Specifically, we will create a template that uses Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to produce a layout without use of tables. This is a desirable goal because it means that the template code is easier to validate to World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards. It will also tend to load faster, be easier to maintain, and perform better in search engines. These issues are discussed in detail later in the chapter.

• What is a Joomla template? What functions are performed by a Joomla template, and what is the difference when a template has no content versus when content is added into the Content Management System (CMS).
• How does the localhost design process differ to that of a static (X)HTML web page?
• What are the implications of tableless design in Joomla and the relationship between W3C standards, usability, and accessibility?
• What files make up a Joomla template, and what functions do they perform?
• How do you create a source-ordered 3-column layout using CSS rather than tables?
• What are the basic CSS styles that should be used with Joomla, and what are the default styles that are used by the Joomla core?
• How do you place and style modules, and what are some new techniques for rounded corners?
• What would be a simple strategy to produce lean CSS menus that mimic the effect of those developed with JavaScript?
• How do you control when columns are shown and hide them when no content is present?
• What are the proper steps to create a real Joomla 1.5 template?

This sample content is excerpted from the forthcoming book, titled Joomla! A User's Guide: Building a Joomla! Powered Website, to publish in 2007, by Prentice Hall Professional.

The author, Barrie North creates Joomla Templates and Tutorials at  www.joomlashack.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 2.5 License. This attribution must be reproduced in full.