Joomla

[Geoserv]

My host recently added Joomla(formerly Mambo) to the list of progs. we can use.

Has anyone used Joomla before, and does it fare well with search engines or the same as html?

Im looking at taking www.apnaonline.ca and converting it into Joomla based. I have Joomla setup in a subdirectory so I can do it without interfering with the live site.

If anyone has used Joomla before, I could use all the help I can get until I get the hang of it.

Thanks,
Geoserv.

[Nigel Lew]

I have used it a bunch of times. I am currently working on one here...

http://www.thegraphicdesignresource.com/interpreter for a woman who is an interpreter obviously.

It is not too hard to make validate, but, you have to mess with some of the code that generates errors. The core is not bad but some of the extensions are.

I have never had much luck with any seo hacks from their site. While the url's it outputs are a total mess, I have never had any seo issues though.

Get your extensions here: http://extensions.joomla.org/

I have thus far installed community builder, some newsletter mod, jobline,google translation, and something else I think.

I can likely answer specific questions, feel free to shoot me a note.

Nigel

[arcadepunk]

I havent used Joomla but I have heard it is a lot better than mambo. I would say go for it.

[Geoserv]

Thanks guys.

Im going to try it out, just confused on how and where to put things. Will need to experiment.

What would the login form be used for?

The program installed a default skin, so I will definitely be changing it, but the version I have is at http://www.apnaonline.ca/joomla

Geoserv.

[Nigel Lew]

Joomla is a full blown content management system. The login form is so users can log in and participate by posting news items, blog posts, add links to the directory or whatever else you opt to install. Users can be placed in groups, these groups can be given various permissions such as author, etc.

Basically folks can join your site much like this forum. If you would like a forum, you can sync joomla to simple machines forum system, which I think is vastly superior to vb or invision... and yep its free as well. It's absurdly faster.

At any rate, if you want to not see the login form simply go to your admin panel and click on modules>site modules.

Find the login form in the list and click the icon next to it.... it should unpublish it(turns into red X). If you put a check box in it and then hit edit(top menu) you will note that this is where you determine the location of the module.
This is how you move core stuff around. Joomla has pre-defined module positions such as header, banner, footer,etc. you would call user 1 for instance with php in your template to make the module appear in a custom template.

This is basically how everything works, it is either published or not. This applies to content as well as components and modules.

So, you install a module for instance, make sure its published or available if you will, and then make a new menu item for it. Or in this case just unpublish the entire module as you may not need it.


Hope that helps, 3-4 more of these posts and I think you will have it. It is not entirely complicated but its pretty confusing at first.

Nig-

[Geoserv]

Perfect, thanks alot.

I think I will keep the login there for nw, and see ifI can work it in to the site. Right now Its the daunting task of moving articles etc...over to Joomla and putting the stuff in the right place.

That forum saounds good as well.



Geoserv.

[Nigel Lew]

You can get converters for most forum systems.. meaning you should be able to simply import your current forum users into simple machines. I could not tell what forum app your using.

Bear in mind you have to intstall everything in a certain way to make the forum system adobt user logins from joomla. Its just a bridge of sorts. This makes it possible for one login vs. 2. If I remember correctly you have to install the forum using the same database.

Glad I can help
N.