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| Quick Tip: Use JoomlaXplorer to modify your template. |
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| Written by Cory | |
| Saturday, 17 March 2007 | |
I often find that the template manager is not very useful in terms of making modifications to a template. When you click "Save" in the template manager after editing the template HTML (index.php) or CSS (template_css.css) file, the manager takes you back to the list of installed templates. If you need to make another change, you have to re-open the Edit CSS or Edit HTML screen, which adds an extra step. Another drawback of the template manager (in Joomla! 1.0.x) is that it only allows you to edit the "index.php" and "template_css.css" files. For some of the more advanced templates, there are more files that you may need to modify. You might also need to upload some more images for your modification. That's where JoomlaXplorer comes in. It is a file manager that enables you to upload, modify, and delete files from your Joomla! installation via the administrator control panel. I use it every time I want to make a change to a template. For one thing, when I make a change to the HTML or CSS, it stays on the editor page. That way, I can check to see if the change I made produced the desired outcome or if I need to make more changes, and I can quickly go back and make more changes if necessary. It also allows me to edit any file in the template's folder and not just "index.php" and "template_css.css". Finally, it gives me the opportunity to replace images by uploading or deleting images based on my requirements. So, if you haven't done so already, head over to the Joomla! Extensions Directory and get yourself a copy of JoomlaXplorer. It is the most useful component for web administrators available for Joomla!, and it will help you make changes to your site's template.
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Comments (12)
CW Cage: ... http://www.cwcage.com
Great tip! I generally just ftp up to my template directory to deal with the muli-css file templates, but this will be great for those times I want to make a quick edit through the browser.
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March 18, 2007
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illytips: ... http://www.illustratortips.com
Totally agree!
I don't do a lot with the template or CSS, but I do upload a lot of images using JoomlaXplorer instead of the Media Manager because I can upload images 10 at a time which saves me tons of time. I found out about JXplorer right here at How To Joomla so I just wanted to say thanks Cory! Indispensable component! 2 report abuse
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March 18, 2007
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Cory: ... http://www.howtojoomla.net
CW & illytips... I'm glad you found this useful. I love JoomlaXplorer. I don't know how any Joomla! admin ever lives without it!
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March 19, 2007
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Ahmad: ... http://www.alfystudio.com
JoomlaXplorer save alot of time
its the ideal solution for file management , this MUST be implemented in the core of Joomla! !! 4 report abuse
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March 21, 2007
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Sam: ...
This is a great find, thanks for the tip, especially on editing the CSS I've always found the save (get sent back to templates manager) and not just apply option a pain. Would have been usefulin the early days of template development for my last site, but got it for the future now!
Got a question though for a "how to" but kind of unrelated. I'm trying to get a module to appear only on a specific item page, but this item doesn't have a link from a menu, only from a "read more.." within a bog-category page. Is it possible to get get this to show on the item but not the category page? 6 report abuse
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March 28, 2007
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Tamas: ... http://budapest-bamako.org
Well, Cory, what you write is REALLY useful to me! Thanks!
The JoomlaXplorer is wowww! I have several domains at DreamHost. And with this tool I can manage ALL of them... at once. NEW to me! THANKS, Tamas from Budapest, Hungary, Europe 7 report abuse
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April 24, 2007
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marcel: ... http://www.scleroderma.org.au
This JoomlaXplorer sounds great, but I can't get my hands on it, as the link to download it isn't working.
could someone tell me where else I can get it form. thanks marcel 8 report abuse
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May 02, 2007
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marcel: ... http://www.scleroderma.org.au
Thanks Cory
I'm a happy chappie, am looking forward to making it work.  Thanks again marcel 10 report abuse
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May 04, 2007
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Richard: ... http://luggage-store.ricky.sk
Well done prerfect tip for more Joomla users / All joomlas must have! Richard
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July 22, 2007
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Gabe: ... http://www.fijiwebdesign.com/
Using an FTP client is always a good option too. You can download an FTP client like Filezilla, or CuteFTP, or even use FTP from the browser. A lot of good code editors have FTP build in like dreamweaver, or my current favorite, Aptana - which is Open Source.
One advantage a code editor has over JoomlaXplorer is that it creates a local cache of the file that you can work with. Its faster. It not hard to use the code editor with a version management tool such as SVN (Subversion) also. This way you can revert to older versions instantly if you make mistakes. It is overkill if you just want to edit a few files though, as you need to set up an SVN server, but if you do it often, it really is worth setting up. The major advantage of JoomlaXplorer is its ease of use. There is also the problem with file ownership conflicts when you use ftp to edit files (like with code editors), so if you don't want to be bothered with this, or don't know what it is, JoomlaXplorer is safer. JoomlaXplorer is so well built, with its syntax highlighting, ftp mode and quick navigation features, it really is a must have on your site if you want to make quick template changes, without any hassles. 12 report abuse
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February 28, 2008
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