Will Joomla! 3.x templates continue working in Joomla! 4.x?

[Windwood]

I'm getting ready to change templates on one of my sites Joomla 3.9.3 installations. Siteground template doesn't work with PHP 7+. I have a few questions concerning what might be best template to use with Joomla 4 coming. I've currently switched to using Beez3. It's the only core template left in my install. So, before I spend a lot of time styling, I'd like to make sure I'm not wasting my time.

Where can I find a download of the standard issue templates?
Which template might be best to be ready for Joomla 4?
Does anyone know if the new Joomla 4 will have an effect on templates?

Thanks in advance,

Love this forum

[Per Yngve Berg]

The greatest change will be the upgrade from Bootstrap 2.3.2 to version 4.

Bootstrap is not backward compatible, so templates like Protostar will not work. Get a Joomla 3 compatible Bootstrap 4 template.

https://github.com/sniggle/joomla-bootstrap4-template

https://www.joomlashack.com/blog/joomla-news/css-grid/

[DaveOzric]

So no 3rd party templates will work with if they are using Bootstrap 3? I am trying to find out what my template needs to work with Joomla 4. My current template is Bootstrap 3 based and the developers are not updating yet. They will but will it have to be based in BS 4?

They are using BS 3 now but you indicate it's not backward compatible? So it must be BS 4 to work?

[sozzled]

So no 3rd party templates will work with [J! 4] ...?

In much the same way as

1) No J! 1.0 templates will work with J! 1.5;
2) No J! 1.5 templates will work with J! 1.6/1.7/2.5;
3) J! 2.5 templates will not work with J! 3

It is unlikely that templates developed for J! 3.x will interoperate seamlessly with J! 4.

It's not simply that the templating framework in J! 4 leverages Bootstrap 4. The codebase in J! 4 has changed from J! 3.x just as the codebase changes with each new major release of J!. Remember, too, that J! 4 is still in alpha development and the design paradigm is not yet fixed in concrete. Furthermore, it is uncertain what timeframe we're really discussing about the release of J! 4.0.0 but the indications are that it probably won't happen this calendar year. It all depends on how involved people are in designing and building as well as testing J! 4.

One certainty, without a doubt, is that J! 4 will only operate with PHP 7. If people haven't already begun to use PHP 7 now then they'll certainly have problems in the future, won't they? First things first: people need to get ahead of the game and go to PHP 7 before anything else.

[DaveOzric]

Let's try again, will Bootstrap 3 work with Joomla 4?

[DaveOzric]

My template developer is not going to switch to Bootstrap 4 so my question is still will Boostrap 3 work with Joomla 4? I am not asking if the Joomla 3 template will work. I'm asking if you could develop a template using Bootstrap 3 and have it work with Joomla 4?

[Per Yngve Berg]

https://getbootstrap.com/docs/4.4/migration/

[DaveOzric]

Links is dead. It's a pretty simple question and I'm pretty sure it is yes. Will a Bootstrap 3 template work on the frontend of Joomla 4.

[Per Yngve Berg]

Updated the link.

[DaveOzric]

This really does not answer my question. I'm sure the template company knows all this. I will just assume any template that is built for Joomla 4 will work. Bootstrap 3 or 4 or otherwise.

[Per Yngve Berg]

Bootstrap 3 does not work with Joomla 3.x, unless you override all the layouts. Layouts made for 3.x will not work in 4. You can delete the overrides and use the core J4 layouts. Now you have to adjust the class names, so they are compatible with Bootstrap 4.

Grid system
Moved to flexbox.
Added support for flexbox in the grid mixins and predefined classes.
As part of flexbox, included support for vertical and horizontal alignment classes.
Updated grid class names and a new grid tier.
Added a new sm grid tier below 768px for more granular control. We now have xs, sm, md, lg, and xl. This also means every tier has been bumped up one level (so .col-md-6 in v3 is now .col-lg-6 in v4).
xs grid classes have been modified to not require the infix to more accurately represent that they start applying styles at min-width: 0 and not a set pixel value. Instead of .col-xs-6, it’s now .col-6. All other grid tiers require the infix (e.g., sm).
Updated grid sizes, mixins, and variables.
Grid gutters now have a Sass map so you can specify specific gutter widths at each breakpoint.
Updated grid mixins to utilize a make-col-ready prep mixin and a make-col to set the flex and max-width for individual column sizing.
Changed grid system media query breakpoints and container widths to account for new grid tier and ensure columns are evenly divisible by 12 at their max width.
Grid breakpoints and container widths are now handled via Sass maps ($grid-breakpoints and $container-max-widths) instead of a handful of separate variables. These replace the @screen-* variables entirely and allow you to fully customize the grid tiers.
Media queries have also changed. Instead of repeating our media query declarations with the same value each time, we now have @include media-breakpoint-up/down/only. Now, instead of writing @media (min-width: @screen-sm-min) { ... }, you can write @include media-breakpoint-up(sm) { ... }.

[DaveOzric]

Thanks

[john-doe]

If you are doung Custom Templates is better that you set it to BS4 so if the migration / upgrade to Joomla 4 process won't be so cumbersome or traumatic.

However some commands or strings might slip on it.

To Myself: I should try one of my custom based BS4 on an Alpha or RC