Joomla templates can be made up of a any number of files and folders, but their standardized structure allows Joomla to treat templates generically. That makes it possible to switch the look- and-feel of a Joomla site by simply selecting an alternate template. As long as a template includes a place for component display and a few typical module positions, it can be used interchangeably with most other templates.

Therefore, you will need to know the folders that hold a template (often the root folder, the css folder, and the images folder) and the minimum files required for proper display (index.php, template.css, and templateDetails.xml). There are also several optional files (parameters.ini and template_thumbnail.png) that make it easier to manage a template. Since you may only have experience with templates from the user side, your study should begin by looking at how the Joomla system organizes each template.

Files and Folders
All user templates installed on a Joomla site are stored in the templates directory, which is located at the root directory of a Joomla site. The templates folder holds a single folder for each template installed on the system. The name of the folder must exactly match the name of the template, and the template system is case-sensitive. For example, the template rhuk_milkyway must be contained in the huk_milkyway folder.

Joomla installation is relatively easy for an experienced computer user. This section summarizes the installation steps, so if you haven’t gone through the process, this will familiarize you with the basic features.

Start the installation by downloading the current Joomla image (from www.joomla.org) to a local drive. Expand the archive (either a .zip, .tar.gz and .tar.bz2 file), and place the Joomla files in your Web server directory. In a remote installation, you can use an FTP program such as the free FileZilla to upload the files in the root directory on the Web server.

Before you begin installing on a remote server, you should check to ensure that PHP is functioning properly. You can easily perform this test by creating a file with your text editor (such as Notepad) named test.php and putting in a single line that reads . Save the file and upload it to the remote server. When you access the file (with a URL such as http://www.example.com/test.php), you will be presented with a multipage screen of PHP configuration parameters. If PHP isn’t executing properly, contact your ISP. Be sure to delete this file after it has executed properly because it can reveal a great deal about your Web server to a potential hacker. Additionally, a phpinfo() page is securely included in the Joomla Administrator interface, so you can obtain the information there.

You have probably already had some experience with Joomla installation, but I’ll provide a short overview so that you may consider the different installation possibilities. When you are making choices about the configuration, you must decide between local or remote deployment, select the platform Joomla will use, determine the method of performing the installation, and pick which Web server to use.

Although most of the options will hinge more on the target deployment conditions than personal preferences, you should evaluate the positives and negatives so that you can understand the ramifications of each selection. You should pay attention to the differences in deployment when performing your evaluation, since it is not unusual to use a different platform for development and testing than will be used for the final deployment. It is common to use Windows or Mac OS for the staging server, while the final site will be launched on a Linux Web server. By noting the variations at the start, you will have an easier time making the deployment transfer.

Local Installation or Remote Deployment
The first installation decision is whether Joomla will be installed locally or remotely. You may have a Web service provider such as GoDaddy.com or SiteGround.com that will be serving your Web site.