Introduction: A New and Easy Way to Build Websites
Installation: Getting Joomla Up and Running
Installing Joomla in four steps
Time for action – downloading the Joomla files
Time for action – placing the files on the web server
Time for action – creating a database
Time for action – running the Joomla installation wizard
First Steps: Getting to Know Joomla
Making the switch – building websites the Joomla way
Introducing frontend and backend – the Joomla interface
Exploring the frontend – the website as the user sees it
Time for action – tour the example site
Taking control – administering your site in the backend
Time for action – logging in to the backend
Getting your feet wet – start administering your site
Time for action – publishing your first article
Time for action – adding a module to the site
Time for action – setting Joomla preferences
Web Building Basics: Creating a Site in an Hour
Cleaning up – removing the sample data
Time for action – deleting articles and categories
Time for action – deleting menus
Building your new site in three steps
Step 1: Customizing the layout
Time for action – creating a copy of the current template
Time for action – preparing a new logo image
Time for action – tweaking the design details
Time for action – creating a News category
Time for action – creating an article
Time for action – adding a menu link
Time for action – adding uncategorized articles
Time for action – assigning articles to the home page
Step 3: adding extras through extensions
Time for action – creating a contact
Time for action – creating a Contact Form menu link
Time for action – creating a message block
Wrapping up: Changing site settings
Time for action – changing the site configuration
Small Sites, Big Sites: Organizing your Content Effectively
Grouping content – a crash course in site organization
Time for action – create a future-proof site map
Creating categories and subcategories
Time for action – create a category and subcategories
Displaying main categories and subcategories on your site
Time for action – create a link to point to a main category
Time for action – move content from one category to another
Time for action – rename a category
Building a site without using categories
Creating Killer Content: Adding and Editing Articles
Articles and content pages, what's the difference?
Creating and editing articles: beyond the basics
Making your words look good: formatting article text
Time for action – add styling to article text
Time for action – uploading images
Time for action – inserting and aligning images
Changing the way the article displays
Time for action – creating an intro text
Time for action – using page breaks to split up an article
Displaying images and links with articles
Time for action – adding images and links to an article
Tweaking the details: changing article settings
Time for action – creating a news archive
Welcoming your Visitors: Creating Attractive Home Pages and Overview Pages
Why do you need overview pages, anyway?
Creating the perfect home – mastering home page layout
Time for action – rearranging the layout of articles on the home page
Time for action – show the most recent items first
Another type of home page: using a single article
Time for action – creating a different home page
Creating category overview pages
The first type of overview page: creating Category Blog layouts
Time for action – create a facebook using the Blog layout
The second type of overview page – Lists
Time for action – add a link to a Category List layout
Helping Your Visitors Find What They Want: Managing Menus
Creating user-friendly navigation: cleaning up the Main Menu
Time for action – changing menu item order
Time for action – creating a secondary menu item
Time for action –creating a new, empty menu
Time for action – moving hyperlinks to the new menu
Time for action – telling Joomla where to display the menu
Time for action: displaying Main Menu links in the Top Menu
Exploring menu module settings
What types of menu links are available?
Time for action – creating text links
Opening Up the Site: Enabling Users to Log In and Contribute
What are the default user groups and their permissions?
Enabling users to log in and contribute content
Time for action – adding a user with frontend authoring permissions
Time for action – put a Login Form on the home page
Time for action – logging in as a frontend content contributor
Time for action – reviewing and publishing submitted content
Enabling self-registration – allowing visitors to register
Time for action – register yourself and log in
Time for action – hiding content from non-registered users
Time for action – partially hiding content from non-registered users
Creating custom-made user groups
Time for action: Step 1 – create a user group
Time for action: Step 2 – tell Joomla what the group can see
Time for action: Step 3 – Tell Joomla what the group can do
Time for action: Step 4 – adding users to the new group
Getting the Most out of Your Site: Extending Joomla
Extensions in all shapes and sizes
Enhancing your site using core extensions
Time for action – adding a Newsflash to the home page
Time for action – adding a series of contacts
Enhancing your site using third-party extensions
Time for action – downloading and installing an extension
Time for action – putting the extension to work
Time for action – create an image gallery
Time for action – replace Joomla's default text editor
Time for action – removing or replacing default texts
Creating an Attractive Design: Working with Templates
And this is why templates are so much fun
Changing the settings of the current template
Time for action – changing the site color and layout options
Changing to a different template
Time for action – activating a different template
Applying Template Styles to individual pages
Time for action – creating a Template Style for one specific page
Downloading and installing a new template
Time for action – downloading and activating a new template
Time for action – adding the logo file
Time for action – adding a menu module
Time for action – placing modules in new template positions
Customizing a template: tweaking CSS styles
Time for action – customizing the background color using CSS
Backing up and restoring a customized template
Where can you get a new template for your site?
Using a template framework as a base for your own template
Attracting Search Engine Traffic: SEO Tips and Techniques
Why do you need to accommodate for search engines?
Optimizing articles for findability
3. The article body text – use relevant keywords
4. The images – explain what they're about
Time for action – setting the HTML page title
Time for action – personalize the site metadata
Using search engine friendly URLs
Adding extra links to site content
Time for action – adding a list of links to popular articles
Redirecting visitors to pages that have been moved
Time for action – creating page redirects