Overview of Joomla! Templates

The index.php file in a Joomla! template can be viewed as the "engine" that determines the content and layout of each page in conjunction with the template_css.css file in the template's /css subdirectory and image files contained in the template's /images subdirectory,

What Has Changed?

Just about everything!  However, if you don't want to read any further, just turn on "Legacy Mode" in your Joomla! 1.5 confguration and your existing Joomla! 1.0.x templates will work with Joomla 1.5.

Template Functions and Constructs

Joomla! 1.5 templating is accomplished via a combination of xHTML, PHP and <jdoc .. /> statements.  Ths dicussion concentrates on the PHP and <jdoc .. /> stuff.  The xHTML stuff is left as an exercise for the reader, as is any in-depth discussion of PHP.

In general the template statements cause some configuration value to be inserted, xHTML statements to be generated and then inserted, some conditional action to take place, or a combination thereof.  Sophisticated templates often contain a variety of PHP statements and Joomla! function calls, however, the directives listed below comprise the basic set found in the vast majority of templates.