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Strategy for frontend templates
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TOPIC: Strategy for frontend templates

Strategy for frontend templates 1 year, 7 months ago #14

We should figure out a concrete strategy for the frontend templates. Right now there are two versions of Beez and Atomic.

Atomic is aimed at the simple users with a barebones template. It's extendable but that's not necessary.

I think we need a small business template in the core (Beez doesn't fit that description) since many small businesses use Joomla. What do you think?

Or should all templates be removed except one and make the others available for download or installation via the automatic installer?
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The following user(s) said Thank You: christian-hochfilzer

Re: Strategy for frontend templates 1 year, 7 months ago #45

There probably should be only two installed frontend templates (XHTML and HTML5 (mobile?)) both with a simple design and well commented (// in PHP) so template devs new to Joomla have a feature rich and simple example of using both - essentially a boilerplate.

The HTML5 template could use the proposed XML switch goo.gl/RswE9

The current beez5 template is needlessly complicated purely due to supporting two doctypes.
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The following user(s) said Thank You: christian-hochfilzer, naythor

Re: Strategy for frontend templates 1 year, 7 months ago #46

Just a quick note to add to my previous post.

The HTML5 template could use (W3C Valid) Schema. This would be a great way to encourage 3-party template devs to use the spec as a selling point and make Joomla the most SEO friendly CMS.
www.schema.org/

All three major search engines agree:
googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/introduc...-search-engines.html
www.bing.com/community/site_blogs/b/sear...-web-of-objects.aspx
www.ysearchblog.com/2011/06/02/introduci...-on-structured-data/
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Re: Strategy for frontend templates 1 year, 7 months ago #61

@beat's suggestion of inline frontend editing is brilliant and definitely should be part of the strategy! - goo.gl/DZJna

I'd be willing to start developing a frontend pure HTML5 template for 3.0 - I've recently launched yushinautomation.com/ which is Joomla, HTML5 and uses schema microdata, I'm working on my own reusable Joomla HTML5 boilerplate atm anyway.

A few things to consider:
  • Implementation of @beat's suggestion above
  • The HTML5 switch method
  • The possibility of adding required module params goo.gl/0t2t2 (and schema)
  • If the Joomla 3.0 roadmap includes HTML5 form types and attributes. (A JS expert would also be handy to create a library independent form plugin similar to flowplayer.org/tools/release-notes/index.html#form) that makes full use of the new attributes.
Last Edit: 1 year, 7 months ago by bigbangireland.
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Re: Strategy for frontend templates 1 year, 7 months ago #69

  • partic
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A basic small business template would certainly be great - but may be better to be outside the core install as Ron suggested so as to not clutter things. The 1.7 template manager is already a bit clunky, with the preview images of the templates taking up real estate. Ideally the default templates should only ever be a starting point for someone rolling out a site. The new JTD is also I imagine going to fill a void that has been missing to now.

An additional feature I'd like in the admin area is to not just be able to edit the base HTML and CSS for the template, but to also be able to manage and install template overrides from within the template manager. Creating a new override for a newly installed component or module after it's been installed would be handy also. I think that overrides are still very under utilized as a feature, primarily due to needing to create and upload them outside of the Joomla shell.
Joomla Consultant and Troubleshooter
Melbourne Joomla User Group www.joomla.org.au/melbourne-user-group
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Re: Strategy for frontend templates 1 year, 4 months ago #225

Firstly, I am NOT a commercial template developer.

However, I'm am a template designer.

Personally, I think that the idea of having a "default" template for the front end is and always has been flawed.

It's what makes cookie cutting, well cookie cutting.

Why not have a one touch install system that utilises the best 2 or 3 templates from the top 5 odd template companies with links to their commercials ones too.
This way the templates would be constantly updated and the idea of the statement "oh there's a Joomla site" might be something of the past.

My 2c
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Re: Strategy for frontend templates 1 year, 3 months ago #285

I was thinking this too...how cool would it be to allow all the template companies to submit some basic templates for inclusion in the stock install. Either they could be voted on (to keep them to a minimum) or heck, they could all be installed on a server somewhere and the user could choose one or all of them during the install-to be downloaded and installed on the fly.

This gives them all some exposure and at least gets some nice templates available at install (but won't bloat the install files). You could put together some sort of group who approves them (and make sure it's not weighted toward only the big guys). This little suppository of themes could grow over time, but be vetted so that it's not full of crappy junk that will break Joomla.

Something to think about
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The following user(s) said Thank You: naythor

Re: Strategy for frontend templates 1 year, 3 months ago #325

Why don't we install joomla without a front-end template?

Upon going to the template manager a user can be provided the option to browse the new Joomla Template Directory, from within the template manager, and download a template of their choosing.

We already have this sort of functionality in the update manager. In my opinion, we should be using it in other areas too. Let's give the users choice and make it easy for them; no hunting through the various template club websites, no dodgy junk-infested 'free' templates, no "How do I install this?" or "Can I use Fantastico?", just browse > select > install.
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The following user(s) said Thank You: naythor
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