Create a Layout

Jdocmanual works best in full page mode, although mobile phone views work well too. The following instructions ... are a suggestion.

Create a Child Template

This is intended to simplify module management, which can become a chore on complex sites.

Part 1: Start with the Cassiopeia Template

• Go to System / Site Templates / Cassiopeia Details and Files
• Use the Create Child Template button in the Toolbar.
• In the Child Template dialog:
  • Enter a child template name, for example Jdocmanual
  • Select Additional Template Styles: Cassiopeia Default
  • Select Create Child Template
• At this stage you are still in the original Cassiopeia template.
• Open the index.php file, select its contents and copy to the clipboard or to a temporary text file.
• Close the Templates: Customise (Cassiopeia) form.

Part 2: Update the Child Template

• Select the newly created child template: Cassiopeia_jdocmanual Details and Files.
• Select the New File button.
  • At the top left, select (twice) the name of the new template: /templates/cassiopeia_jdocmanual
  • In the File Name field enter index
  • From the File Type list select .php
  • Select Create
• In the newly created index.php file paste the contents of the original index.php file copied to the clipboard.
• Look for lines 106 to 114, 142, 205 to 209 and 221 to 225 - this is where the left and right sidebars are specified.
• Also look for line 212 (breadcrumbs).
• Delete these lines in reverse order or the line numbers will be out of sync.
• There may be others to delete later.
• Save & Close

Part 3 Remove the Brand

• Open the Site Templates page.
• Select the Cassiopeia_jdocmanual item.
• In the Advanced tab set brand to No.
• Save & Close

Create a Menu Item

A default Joomla installation has a Main Menu located in the right side bar. Its Home page is a Featured Articles blog layout but as there are no articles, featured or otherwise, the Home page is empty apart from the Main Menu and Login modules in the right sidebar.

Create a menu item as follows:

• Go to Menus / Main Menu and select the New button from the Toolbar.
• Enter the title Jdocmanual (the alias must be jdocmanual).
• For the Menu Item Type select Jdocmanual.
• For the Template Style select Cassiopeia_jdocmanual, copy of Cassiopeia - Default.

Create a Custom Module

The top of the page often has a banner but Jdocmanual works best with a Search form In the same row as the site title. A custom module works nicely for that:

• Create a Custom Module
• Set the Title field to Site Name (it is not used)
• Set the Title button to Hide
• Set the Position to below-top
• Toggle the content area so that you can enter plain text and add this HTML:

  <div class="navbar-brand">
    <div class="site-logo h2 mb-0"><a href="jdocmanual">Jdocmanual Local</a></div>
    <div class="site-description">A site for Joomla! documentation</div>
  </div>
  

• In the Advanced tab set the Module Class to flex-grow-1 and the Module Style to noCard.

Add a Smart Search Module

• Set the Title field to Search Form
• Set the Title button to Hide
• Set the Search Field Label to Hide
• Set the Position to below-top
• In the Advanced tab set the Module Style to noCard

Remove Brand from Default template Style

The original Cassiopeia template will have the new custom banner and its original Brand banner. To turn off the latter:

• Go to System / Site Template Styles
• Select the Cassiopeia - Default style
• In the Advanced tab set Brand to No

Site View

Check that the site view suits your purpose and behaves as you expect.