Absolute Beginners Guide to Joomla! 1.0 & 1.5 (updated)

[AmyStephen]

A new version of this is at http://docs.joomla.org/Beginners




[color=red][b]PHASE 1: [/b][/color][color=navy][b]YOU ARE ON THE OUTSIDE, LOOKING IN[/b][/color]

[b]Start by taking Joomla! out on a test ride[/b] using . Think about all of the pieces you see available on the demo site. What would be great to have? What do you not want in your website? Just cruise around and enjoy the scenery; you should not be breaking a sweat at this point.

[color=red][b]PHASE 2: [/b][/color][color=navy][b]WALK RIGHT THROUGH THE DOOR[/b][/color]

[b]Probably now, you are wondering, how can I install this thing? [/b] Never fear – it’s not that difficult when you follow these instructions:

First, starting with [u]Russ Winter's[/u] [b]Joomla! HISA: Health Installation and Security Audit Tool[/b] It's like having a system admin in a box. Install it and it will tell you if your environment "[i]is ready[/i]" for Joomla!.

[u][b]Joomla! v 1.0.x[/b][/u]
- Make certain your webhost can meet these system requirements:
[b]OR[/b] if you want to work on your local machine, try XAMPP .
- Download Joomla! and upload to your webserver.
- The installation is a snap, just following these instructions.

[u][b]Joomla! v 1.5[/b][/u]
Easy-to-follow installation guide
Presto, you're done! Imagine. Your very own copy of Joomla!. :-*

[b]What now? Well, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get busy. Start by reading the "Joomla! Quick Start" [/b] . This is an easy to read, 20-page manual that gets right to the heart of the matter. Walk through the guide with your own Joomla! implementation in front of you. Do not worry if things seem a little fuzzy, at first. ??? As you keep studying, it will become clear. You will find yourself saying "Huh?", “Oh!” and “I see!” during this phase.

[b]When you have finished, familiarize yourself with the Joomla! lingo[/b] using . The better you learn the language, the easier it will be to talk to the natives. Practice speaking these words in the car ride on the way to work, “Let’s see. A category belongs to a section.” Consider asking a friend to make you word games and crossword puzzles using Joomla! terms to drive home key concepts. :P

[color=red][b]PHASE 3: [/b][/color][color=navy][b]BEYOND CURIOUS, BUT NOT QUITE COMMITTED[/b][/color]

[b]By now, you should be feeling much more comfortable but not necessarily "ready for action." You need to keep learning. [/b] This time, we are going to give you several reading assignments. (Yes, you can! You CAN do it!) And, a great list of "[i]click here, and then do this[/i]" example sites that really rock!

OK. what are you [u]trying[/u] to do? If you have a good idea of what you want to do - but you have absolutely no idea how to squeeze those ideas into Joomla!, read [b]Content is King::A Beginner's Guide to organizing content in Joomla[/b] this is an *[b]excellent[/b]* guide to help you think about configuring Joomla!.

Also, read this FAQ entitled [b]User Group Access levels explained in simple terms![/b] .

[b]Floating World offers END USER tutorials for those who manage site content![/b]

Tutorial 1: How To Log In To the Backend
Tutorial 2: A Tour Of The Administration Area
Tutorial 3: How To Update Content
Tutorial 4: Uploading Images And Other Media
Tutorial 5: Inserting Images Into Content Items
Tutorial 6: Adding Products To Your Virtuemart Store

[color=red][b]PHASE 4: [/b][/color][color=green][b]***S*E*R*I*O*U*S*** TEMPLATING![/b][/color] You can do it yourself! Sure you can!

[b]By now, you have probably uploaded an avatar that shows you mean business.[/b] You told Mom that Sunday will not work for dinner because you are testing the new release. You might even be feeling like your learning journey is done. Grasshopper, you need more knowledge.

Yes, we are talking building your own [b]TEMPLATE![/b]

[b]Joomla! v 1.0.x[/b] see the [b]Joomla! Template Tutorial[/b]
- or -
[b]Joomla! v 1.5[/b] see the [b]Joomla! v 1.5 Template Tutorial[/b]

[color=red][b]PHASE 5: IT'S TOO LATE.[/b][/color]

We hope you did not read ahead because this might scare off a real newbie. You have accepted the fact that you are now a prisoner and can think of nothing better to do than to play with Joomla! all day long. You are [u]quite certain[/u] some of your friends have been avoiding you and seem disinterested in your Joomla! tales. :( You brush off the realization knowing you have new friends -- TRUE friends -- from the forum. :D

[b]Want more?[/b] There are lots of good videos, guides and tips available. These resources are extremely well written and you are going to be ENTHUSED as you find out how smart you are!

[b]Joomla!Tutorials[/b] .
[b]How to Joomla![/b]
[b]Compass Design[/b] .
[b]The "Official" Joomla! v 1.0.x Guide[/b]
[b]Joomla! Administrator Guide[/b]
[b]FAQ[/b]'s. There is already a TON of stuff out there that you WILL find helpful - and people expect you to look there BEFORE posting to the forums! (So, try to do that!)

[b]Resources for EVERYDAY USE![/b]

[b]JoomlaFeed[/b] - HOT Consolidated Joomla! Newsfeed
[b]Brian Teeman's Weekly Joomla! Newsletter[/b]
[b]Alledia Daily Joomla Blog[/b]:
[b]JoomlaJabber Weekly Podcast [/b]
[b]Eyezberg's Joomla! and Joomla! v 1.5 news[/b]
[b]JoomlaForm[/b]
[b]Joomla! Flickr Group[/b] Thanks, Hagen Graf!

[color=navy][b]THE FORUMS[/b][/color]

[b]At some point in this journey, you started feeling confident enough to reach out to others and began using the Forums. [/b] There are a few "common courtesies" you should be aware of:

[list]
[*]First of all, did you actually [b]read[/b] the assignments? If not, do! Only you can help yourself learn and reading this material will do the trick!
[*]Please make certain you [b]search[/b], first, before posting a question. Nine times out of ten someone else had the same issue that you had. As it turns out, we all travel a similar path.
[*]Also, check the [b]FAQ[/b]'s. There is already a TON of stuff out there that you WILL find helpful. Being responsible to search and review existing material keeps the questions at a manageable level for the volunteers who help.
[*][b]Be clear and specific in your request for help.[/b] Entries like [color=red][b]“Help! It doesn’t work!”[/b][/color] tend to get ignored. Try to explain everything that led up to your problem. Try to explain what your problem is. Be clear about what you want to happen. And, thank those who bother to help! [/list]

[img]http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/2480 ... ard5tu.gif[/img]
Image courtesy of Guilliam and Damienov

[color=navy][b]DO WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP[/b][/color]

This is a pay it forward help environment; early on, you will be the one who gets help – you should not feel bad about this. But as soon as you start walking upright, begin helping someone else who is crawling around by answering a question or two on the forums. Also, consider helping out by joining a Working Group.

[b]Good luck and welcome to the community! [/b]

Updated with Amy's revised text 2/20/07

[guilliam]

mod edit:
UPDATE:
DISCUSSION ON THIS THREAD CAN BE MADE HERE: http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic ... 76426.html


Old topic
DISCUSSION ON THIS THREAD CAN BE MADE HERE: http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,47233.0.html