In This Chapter

This chapter walks through the steps of creating a Joomla template. Specifically, you will create a template that uses Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to produce a layout—without using tables. This is a desirable method because it makes the template code easier to validate to World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards. It also tends to load faster, is easier to maintain, and performs better in search engines. These issues are discussed in detail later in the chapter. This chapter covers the following topics:

• What is a Joomla template? What functions does a Joomla template perform, and what is the difference between a template that has no content and a template whose content is added to the CMS?

• How does the localhost design process differ from that of a static HTML or XHTML web design process?

• What are the implications of tableless design in Joomla, and what is 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 three-column layout by using CSS rather than tables?

• What are the basic CSS styles that should be used with Joomla, and what are the default styles that the Joomla core uses?

• How do you place and style modules, and what are some new techniques for rounded corners?

• What would be a simple strategy for producing lean CSS menus that mimic the effects of menus developed with JavaScript?

• How do you control when columns are shown and hide them when no content is present?

• What are the proper steps in creating a Joomla 1.6 template?