Browsing Category: "Great Ideas"
Creating a template for Joomla 1.5
Joomla, Great Ideas, graphic design, Web Development, FireFox, PHP July 2nd, 2008
There is not too much secret to create a template for Joomla 1.5. The concept is the same as breaking a design for any site and you just need to know some content anchors and some “must have” files to make it work.
Let’s start with the “must have files”. No matter what kind of template you are building you will need the following:
- index.php
- templateDetails.xml
- template_thumbnail.png
- a css folder with template.css (or whatever name you want to use.css) inside
- a images folder with at least the logo.png file (must have this name)
If you have this, your template is half away to be complete.
The templateDetails.xml is tricky and it have changed from the 1.0.x version to the 1.5.x version. Anyway this file must have the following parameters:
- xml opening tag: <?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”utf-8″?>
- install open with version and type described: <install version=”1.5″ type=”template”>
- name: this will be the name displayed on joomla for your template, but it will be as well the directory of the template
- creationDate
- author
- copyright
- authorEmail
- authorUrl
- version: the version of the template
- description: the description that will be shown for the administrator on joomla
- and files: all the files that you use on your template
- with filenames (off course has to contain the “most have” files)
Now all you need to do is break the design and attach the content anchors on your file and this is how it works. When you go the module manager on Joomla you will see a bunch of module positioning availabe. Copy those names, you will need them. They are the current anchors that you have available to use on your template. You can definitly change what module is on which positioning on the module manager, and that can affect the use of your template.
Anyway, for any module positioning on your template, let’s say, left, you will use the following command:
<jdoc:include type=”modules” name=”modulename: left for example” />
You don’t need to write a html header, those Joomla will take care of, but you will need to tell Joomla to do that and for that you will need to use:
<jdoc:include type=”head” />
At the very first line of your index.php you will need to test if you can execute Joomla. It’s required for the template. Anyway, you still have to work out some other checks needed for Joomla to work, so this is how your header must be:
“<?php
defined( ‘_JEXEC’ ) or die( ‘Restricted access’ );
JPlugin::loadLanguage( ‘tpl_SG1′ );
?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd”>
<html xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml” xml:lang=”<?php echo $this->language; ?>” lang=”<?php echo $this->language; ?>”>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=”Content-Type” content=”text/html; <?php echo _ISO; ?>” />
<?php if ($my->id) { initEditor(); } ?>
<jdoc:include type=”head” />
<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”templates/system/css/system.css” type=”text/css” />
<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”templates/<?php echo $this->template ?>/css/template_css.css” type=”text/css” />
</head>
Now, construct your template how it should be. Add the anchors and for the content area, add the following anchor:
<jdoc:include type=”component” />
You are done. Keep these tips and tricks in mind and you will create a Joomla Template in no time.
Best Feedback System I’ve Seen To Date | Two Guys One Beer
Cool Shit, Great Ideas, UI Design, Web Development July 1st, 2008
Check out the feedback system they are using from (Updated: uservoice ). Best one i’ve seen so far.
Episode 12 - Viewer’s Recommended Brews | Two Guys On Beer
Unique Horizontal Scrolling Non Flash Navigation
Great Ideas, UI Design, Web Development June 25th, 2008
Phorsite.com has a unique horizontal scrolling navigation. I’ve seen this navigation before on flash sites. It is an intriguing effect. From a UI point of view, there are some issues. I clicked the “More Info” button on the homepage and didn’t realize that I was now on the solutions page. So I then clicked “solutions” tab at the top and received no interaction from the site at all.
Google webmaster tools
Great Ideas, Google, SEO, optimization, Web Development June 18th, 2008
There’s no easier way to add your site to Google index than using Google Webmaster tools.
The steps are simple: You create an account (if you don’t have one), add your site and verify it.
There are 2 ways to verify the site, you can either add a meta tag with one code that the tool will provide you or you can create a .html file with the code.
Once your site is verified, you will access usuable information such as:
- If your site is indexed (surprising enough, I had one that wasn’t)
- How Google webcrawler see your site
- Adding a site map only for helping the web crawlers (more known as Google bot)
- Keywords and phrases most searched
- Manage how fast the web crawler will search for your site (I’m still trying to understand how this works and why should affect your index position)
- Add tabs on your iGoogle with all information for each site you manage
- some other stuff that might be useful
I do recommend to use Google Analytics and AdWords together with the info from the webmaster tools to get more traffic to your site.
Google Friend Connect
Cool Shit, Great Ideas, Google, Facebook, Web Development May 13th, 2008
This May, Google released the Google Friend Connect.
This must be one of the most boldest and simpler concepts of social networking I have seen so far and, even without being able to actually see how it is going to work, this are my first impressions about the new tool.
- It’s simple enough that a simple user can do it. If you are capable to use Google Anaylitics, you will definitely be able to use this.
- No matter what you have selected to use as a gadget on your site, the user gadget is the main one and has to be added to the site always. This gadget will actually connect all users of your site and if the user is already a Google account th registration process becomes simpler. You can add friends from Facebook, Orkut, GTalk and, soon, HI5.
- Reports will be provided to see how your site is growing as a social network site
The main goal of all of this will be transforming a simple blog into a strong social network site based on other big known social networks.
So far everything looks a little bit too unclear, since nobody had access to the tool, but imagine how viral a simple blog can be with this.
Let’s wait for Google new tool to be release and right now if you want to take a first look at it, you will have to register: http://www.google.com/friendconnect/
Meanwhile here is a cool site that is already using the Google Friend Connect: http://www.ingridmichaelson.com/
Converting a Object to Array and vice-versa
Great Ideas, PHP January 11th, 2008
I believe that at some point everybody have already tried to convert an array to a object and if you search on Google.com you are going to find some great functions for that, but have you already tried to convert an object to an array?
The process is very simple, you just will need to cast the object to an array object.
Consider this class:
Class A
{
private field1;
public field2;
protected field3;
function __construct(){ field2 = 2;}
}
$objectA = new A();
To convert this to a array is simple, you will only need to cast the result into an array:
$converted = (array) $objectA;
For the other way around is not that simple, but here’s a simple code that can do the process:
$obj = new stdClass();
foreach($array as $key => $value)
{
$obj->$key = $value;
}
Consider this for most of the one level associative arrays. For a multilevel array you will need a little better function and for arrays that are not associative, you must provide an name for each field because php does not accept variables initiated with a number.
An idea for Blockbuster.com
Great Ideas December 1st, 2007
First of all, there’s no place on the Blockbuster.com website to make suggestions about improving the site. Not very web 2.0 inspite of all the Ajaxy modifications to their site. Netflix at least has a community blog: http://blog.netflix.com/
I’m running into this on a regular basis and I’m starting to think that any relevant website that presents themself as a useful internet tool should have a feedback area where users can post and rate ideas for improving the site.
Second, if Blockbuster was listening, I’d suggest the ability to add movies automatically to my queue based on actors, directors, etc. in a movie. For instance, I may be a huge Bruce Willis fan and want to watch every Bruce Willis movie that comes out once it’s out on DVD. Maybe, I’m a Tarantino buff and want every Tarantino movie added to my queue. Perhaps I’m a Jessica Alba fan and would like every Jessica Alba movie added to my queue. Great idea, right?
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