J1.5:Getting Started with Joomla!

The "J1.5" namespace is an archived namespace. This page contains information for a Joomla! version which is no longer supported. It exists only as a historical reference, it will not be improved and its content may be incomplete and/or contain broken links.

Joomla! Getting Started Manual

This page introduces documentation to help you to get started with Joomla! The approach is mainly 'hands-on' instructions about doing basic things both to edit and to manage content.

Note:  This introduction is a draft  just now - as are all the pages linked from it. 
It will have some screen pictures and illustrations but will continue to be mostly text
It is being actively edited

Who is the Manual intended for

People come to Joomla! from many backgrounds, needing to be able to do many different things. This means that an initial introduction to Joomla! must be appropriate for complete beginners as well as those with some experience. Here there are a number of general groups of people, who have different backgrounds and requirements:-

Note to explain the next bit whilst I am writing it: 
A simple word for each group seems rather too simplistic although useful.

The descriptions below are intended to define rough target areas - probably too many of them.

Clearly, each group has different needs and some can be let loose on other docs on the site - eg the Admin manual.

The notion of 'levels of expertise' implies that it becomes harder as you move beyond adding content.
But it might be harder for someone who is used to adding to static websites to learn to think-Joomla! than for someone
who has not had so much experience programming.
So I am trying to avoid notions of levels of difficulty.

• Novice: someone with no previous experience of adding content to a web site but has some basic email and editing skills. They need to know how to edit and add content. They have enough skill to follow step-by-step, hands-on instructions.
• An experienced author - used to laying out text, but has not previously added content to a Joomla! website. They need to know how to do as much as possible with the editing facilities available on their web site and may move on to managing the structure of the site. This could include multi-lingual content
• A person with some computing background and has added to a static web site but is not familiar with HTML, scripting or CSS. They need to know how to do as much as possible with the editing facilities available on their web site. They may want to manage the site and even be able to develop an 'out-of-the-box site themselves.
• Someone with previous experience with managing a static web site, has used HTML or a scripting language, but not a lot of background knowledge. They need to be familiar with the editing facilities but their focus is likely to be on managing a site and to develop an 'out-of-the-box site themselves.
• Someone who has used a CMS previously and needs to maintain a Joomla! site. They need a braod awareness of Joomla! and may move towards doing more developpment.
• A person with experience of programming with PHP and can cope with modules and templates. They also need to be able to do backups, installations and upgrades.
• Someone with wider programming experience and who is technically aware. Experienced with Operating systems, files installing software and much more. Needs to be able to get started with Joomla! in order to develop and manage complex sites.

There are indications of the intended audience at the head of each article.

The Manual

A Joomla! site for the tutorials - inevitable background to get started

You must have the use of a Joomla! website to get anything from these tutorials, which are mainly 'hands-on' the basic things you need to do.

Joomla! is a Content Management System (a CMS) which allows content to be created and edited by visitors who have a login with appropriate permissions. The logins are created, and the permissions defined, by the person who looks after the web site, usually called the administrator.

• User names and how to login - a brief instruction for getting access to a Joomla! web site.

Joomla! allows content to be created and edited by visitors who have a user name (sometimes called a login) with appropriate permissions. The user names are created, and the permissions defined, by the person who looks after the web site so you will need to make sure that you have been given user name with appropriate permissions.

• A demonstration web site on your own computer. Detailed instructions about installing Joomla! on your own desktop (or laptop) computer.

This can be a useful way to get an example for getting started with Joomla! This is sometimes referred to as a 'localhost' installation.

• The Demo on the Joomla! site - Not sure whether to include this
• Who can do what? More about usernames and permissions, with a description of the various levels of access to a Joomla! site.

This is background information and lists the various things that people with different permissions can do.

• What a Joomla! site looks like. This introduces some key charactoristics of a Joomla! web site.

Content

Articles are the building blocks of any Joomla! site and are the main way that content is organised and displayed.

How to edit and create articles

Everyone needs to know the basics of how to edit and create articles - so start here no matter what your previous experience.

• How to edit an article - aimed at helping everyone to use the editor and understand what articles look like and where they are stored.
• How to create an article - with simple layouts and content - aimed at helping everyone to know how to add new a new article to a web site
• More on editing articles - adding tables, links, pictures and changing layouts - aimed at helping everyone who wants to try any of these.

How to look after articles

Say what this means at the getting started level - keep them in the right place - get the right layouts for the content

• How articles are arranged, stored and managed - sections, categories and menus
• How to manage articles

Manage a site

What this means and who might do it

General

The administrator pages.

Brief description - and then references to other material because this is covered in admin manual. From the view point of looking after the site

Links to useful docs

Links and references

This will have:-

• Links to other helpful pages of different levels of user skill pages - with comments
• List of links referred to in various places

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--Lorna Scammell 16:46, 11 December 2010 (UTC)