This is looking REALLY, REALLY good! You know they just released RC 4 on the 19th and that it is expected (hoped!) to be the last RC. So, if that's true, Joomla! v 1.5 is not far off.
Kevin - of all the things you have written in your life, there is likely *nothing* that will be used by as many people as this will be.
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INTRO
Add a section in the very front of the guide that informs the reader that they will build an example website:
In this guide, we are creating a website for a pretend landscaping company. The landscaping company wants to make information about trees, bushes and [* spam *] available to site visitors. The president wants a section of the website, as well, to share important plans and reports about the company. In addition, the site must have a way for site visitors to contact the company, search for information, and find links and news feeds relevant to landscaping. The public relations office wants the frontpage to be reserved for specially selected material and needs an RSS feed available for the media.
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Back on Step 6 of the
Installation - make certain to say -
do not install sample data. Then, you know where they are at as you proceed.
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After discussing
Sections, categories and articles, have them create a products section, and then three categories 1) trees, 2) bushes and 3) grasses category.
Then, a corporate section and a presidents category.
Have them create at least 5 articles in each category with introductory text and main text.
Also, have them select 2 articles from each for the front page.
You don't have to show them this - just instruct them to do it since it will be used in the next section.
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Then, show how to configure the
User/Contact information - everything that must be done before creating a menu item.
- Show how to create a User (create one for the product manager, the PR director and the president).
- Show how to use the contact manager (categories - just one, then contacts - one for each, above)
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Then, show how to create
Weblinks - categories/links - one category - and a few links for each
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Then, show how to create
News feeds - categories/links -one category - and a few feeds for each
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Now, we are ready for
Menus
Take a moment to introduce more terminology: explain how Joomla! has components, modules and plugins. Components are the main part of the webpage and are driven by menu items. Each Joomla! "webpage" has one component - and there is only one component per Joomla! webpage. Explain that now, after the components have been configured, we can build the menu items that will drive each of the webpages of the site.
For
each menu item (frontpage, article category blog(s), Contact Me, Link Manager, Search Page, Newsfeed) show
three things:
A. Explain how to create the menu item.
- From the Menu Item Manager Page, click New.
- Click Articles. Then, Front Page Blog Layout.
B. Show a Picture of the Menu Item Editor for that Menu Item and explain what you want filled out.
- On the Front Page Blog Layout, enter:
Title: Joomla! Landscaping
Parameters - Basic
....# Leading 1
....# Intro 2
....# Columns 2
....# Links 2
Parameters - Advanced
Show a Feed Link Yes.
Parameters - System
Page Title - Joomla! Landscaping
(Make a note that for default content - this is where the soon to be infamous "Welcome to the FrontPage" is.)
Then, Press Save.
C. Show what it looks like from the front end.
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Modules
Explain that modules in Joomla! are not the main part of the page, but are typically the little boxes that surround the main page. Explain how a menu also has a corresponding module - and that it is the module that shows the menu on the front end.
For each module show three things:
A. Explain how to configure it. (Make note of the position of each module - briefly mention how the position is defined in the template.)
B. Show a picture of the module open in the editor. Tell them what to click on and off, etc.
C. Show the module from the front end. Repeat how things you turned on and off impacted the look.
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Templates
Add a step where you show the HTML - and show them how a module position is defined in a template. It's okay to say that template development is outside of the scope of the guide, too. But, give them a mental hook for later.
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Might want to come back and use the LoadModule plugin to show a module.
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Might want to add an extension, too. Maybe a cool GHOP one.
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I was very happy when you grabbed this task. It's going to be very important.
Thank you for your work on this.
Amy