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Installing Joomla On Your PC

This quick-start guide explains how to install Joomla on your own PC. Experiment with your "localhost" installation before making changes to your live site. Complete documentation is available at Joomla.org.

Installing Joomla on a PC ("localhost")

  1. Download and install XAMPP from ApacheFriends at http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html. Choose the full version of XAMPP, not the lite version.
  2. Download latest version of Joomla from http://www.joomla.org. Extract the ZIP file archive to a directory under 
    c:/xampp/htdocs
    For example, create a folder in 
    c:/xampp/htdocs/joomla
    and extract the Joomla files there.
  3. Start the XAMPP Control Panel via the Windows Start menu, then start Apache server and MySQL database by clicking the Apache and MySQL Start buttons.
  4. Start your browser, then type http://localhost in your browser's address bar, and press the Enter key. This brings up the XAMPP Welcome Screen.
  5. From the XAMPP Welcome Screen, go to phpMyAdmin by clicking on the phpMyAdmin menu item.
  6. In phpMyAdmin, type a short descriptive name for your database in the Create New Database field. (Take note of the database name. You will need it later in the installation.) Click the Create Database button.
  7. Now you are ready to start the Joomla installation! Using your web browser, navigate to the new Joomla folder. If you followed the instructions above, your new Joomla folder is located at: 
    http://localhost/joomla
  8. You should now see the Joomla Installation screen. (Remember, XAMPP must be running first!) Pick your language and click the Next button at the top of the screen.
  9. Click the Next button to continue the installation. On the Connection Settings page, use the following settings:
    Database type: mysql
    Host Name: localhost
    User Name: root
    Password: nothing, leave it blank!
    Database Name: The descriptive name you chose for your database in phpMyAdmin (see above)
  10. Continue clicking the Next button. Don't worry about FTP settings for now. You can leave them blank.
  11. On the Main Configuration page, type in a name for your site, as well as your email address and a password to the Administrator area. Remember your password!

    Be sure to install the sample data by clicking the Install Sample Data button.
    When you receive a confirmation that the files were installed, then click the Next button.
  12. If all goes well, you should see a Congratulations screen. But before you can view your site, you must delete the installation folder from your hard drive. It is located at 
    c:/xampp/htdocs/joomla/installation <-- delete this folder only!
  13. After deleting your installation folder you can view your website's frontend by going to: 
    http://localhost/joomla
    You can also log in to the backend as a Super Administrator by going to 
    http://localhost/joomla/administrator
    Administrator login:

    User Name: admin
    Password: The password you chose during installation

Where to go from here

Complete documentation and discussion forum is available at www.joomla.org.

Adding JavaScript To Joomla

This article explains briefly how to add JavaScript to your Joomla articles. Keep in mind that all the steps must be completed before your script will work.

First download and install JIncludes, a plugin for Joomla. JIncludes is available for free under the GNU Public License (GPL) from the Joomla Extensions Directory. Be sure to read the instructions and always back up your system before making any changes.

JIncludes lets you add several types of code (JavaScript, PHP, HTML) to your Joomla articles. The procedure for each type of code differs slightly. For JavaScript code, you'll create an external file, then link to that file using JIncludes (see below).

Install The JIncludes Plugin

Install the JIncludes plugin in the normal way, using Joomla's Extension Manager. Before you can use JIncludes, you must configure it.

  1. Go to the Plugin Manager (Extensions>>Plugin Manager).
  2. Click on the "Content - JIncludes" plugin to configure it.
  3. Remember to enable the plugin.
Remember to enable the JIncludes plugin via the Plugin Manager.

By default, JIncludes lets you define 30 "snippets," which are a combination of code plus an associated key to call the code. The procedure for JavaScript is slightly different, however; instead of entering the code, you enter a path to an external .js file.

Create An External JavaScript File

In the example below, I created an external JavaScript file named formverify.js and uploaded the file to the default Joomla script folder. I gave the keyname "formverify" to the snippet. Now when I want to include that JavaScript file, I simply put the keyname in double curly braces within the article.

Launch The Snippet

Launch the snippet by putting the keyname, enclosed in double curly braces, somewhere within your Joomla article. Example (note: without the asterisk!),

{{ formverify }*}

Configuring The Plugin Parameters

Below is a screenshot of the JIncludes Plugin Edit page. There are three pieces of information shown: the keyname, a URL, and the type of code. Notice that the URL to the external javascript file is a relative URL, as indicated by the preceding forward slash.

("Relative" means relative to the home directory. In other words, we write:

/media/system/js/formverify.js

and not

http://www.foothillwebdesign.com/media/system/js/formverify.js.)

jincludes-plugin

Verify The Source Code

Finally, you can verify the success of the plugin by looking at the page's source code. Here we see the JavaScript file has been successfully included.

source-code

Where to go from here

JIncludes' author provides extensive documentation online at http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/jincludes/wiki/.

Google SEO Best Practices

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The Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide

In this article, I'll cover the main points of Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide. This valuable ten-point checklist explains the most important steps you can take to "improve your site's interaction with both users and search engines."

Please download the guide and keep it handy. Refer to the guide as you read this article. As you read through the guide, keep in mind your website should be appealing to both Googlebot and the human users who visit your site.

Before we address the steps individually, we'll follow Google's format by explaining the difference between paid (or sponsored) links and Google's "organic" search results. On any Google search results page, you are likely to see paid search results in addition to those returned by the search engine. Naturally your goal is to rank higher in the organic (non-paid) search results. Your page rank is an indication of your website's popularity. Also, links from organic search results are preferable because they are free.

The higher your appearance in the search engine results pages (SERPs), the more visitor traffic you can expect from the search engines. Since a large part of page rank is based on inbound links to your website, search engine traffic can be compared to positive word-of-mouth advertising.

The Title Tag

The Title tag is a bit of HTML code that goes within your webpage. The Title tag tells Google the name of your page, which is displayed in the Title Bar of your browser window. Google recommends you use your business name, followed by three areas of focus, for your Title tag. (More on this later.)

Google recommends that you use unique titles for each page. Since each page title is unique, it represents your best opportunity to describe the page. Ideally, your "three main focus areas" should consist of keywords you expect visitors to follow in searching for your site.

Use of a unique title tag allows you to more specifically describe your webpage. In Google's search results page, the title appears directly above your short "meta-description." To get an example of this, go on Google and see how your site is actually listed.

Always use the title tag to (1) remind Google of your business name, and (2) provide Google with several relevant keywords describing your site. Example:

Foothill Web Design - Business Web Design, SEO and eMarketing

In Joomla you set the page title from the Menu Item>>System Parameters page.
Read more...

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