Hi there,

We are currently using J1.5 on our websites.

I am considering converting my Joomla template that is in use on our site [URL removed for privacy] to be powered by a Template framework. There are a couple of reasons for me wanting to do so, namely mobile detection, & more flexibility in configuring the template etc.

My question is has anyone ever done a conversion; if yes, what is entailed and which framework did/would you use (JA T3 or Gantry)?

Thanks in advance,
Chaim

Hi Chaim,

I've used Joomla bamboo's zend framework and there is a bit of a learning curve, however it's not steep, especially if you've created custom templates from scratch before. Although, in your case, the zend framework isn't the best choice as I don't think it's mobile compatible yet.

For T3 and Gantry, I've fiddled with both, and I would have to say that both have relatively the same learning curve. For some people it will be easier to learn T3 and for others Gantry. T3 is more feature rich, however perhaps not as "polished" as Gantry since Gantry has been around a bit longer.

Then there is also the construct framework which is relatively new to the scene and which I'm not too familiar with but has a lot of great potential:
joomlaengineering.com/

With that being said, your best bet is to test out the frameworks and find the one that works best for you. If you stick to one of the above, you won't make a wrong choice and it's only a question of making the best choice which is largely going to come down to preference rather than a clear cut winner.

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,
Nick

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the advice.

I will report back in due time on my findings. (Would you mind if I convert the Breeze blue template?)

Hi Chaim,

You're welcome! Go for it. I would be very interested in checking it out once you're done :)

Kind regards,
Nick

Will do so during the summer months, when I have some time to focus on it.

Sounds good!

Kind regards,
Nick

Hi Nick,

Hopefully you are enjoying your summer. i would like to start on "rewriting" the templates to use a template framework. I still have not decided which one I am going to use yet, any pointers would be great.

As many people have screens whose resolution is greater than 1024x768 I was wondering if it makes sense to code the default template width to 1024px and use a 16 grid system (as 12 grid system would result in a non-whole number {85.3}), or should I program it to automatically adjust to screen width (How do I set that up?)?

I am not a developer/coder so (for now) I would only like to do it once, any help/pointers will be greatly appreciated
.
Chaim

Hi Chaim,

I am indeed enjoying the summer! Hope you are too! :)

I would give T3 one a try first since it has a bit more specific documentation:
wiki.joomlart.com/wiki/JA_Template_Framework/Overview

Try them all though and find the one that fits you. You won't make a wrong decision either way because they are all great! :)

Maybe just go with Auto width to keep things friendly for everyone:
wiki.joomlart.com/wiki/JA_Template_Frame...#Width_Configuration

Kind regards,
Nick

Hi Nick,

I am not sure if i should be posting the question in this discussion, or in www.ostraining.com/support-forum/joomla-...e-suggestions/34447/.

My question revolves around the different frameworks that are out there, recently there has been a "big push" to go use responsive design, should that be considered or should we sick to using different templates for different devices; if yes would you use Twitter bootstrap V2, or have the developer custom code it?

Thanks in advance,
Chaim

Hi Chaim,

Yes, in my opinion, responsive designs are the way to move forward.

Check out the following blog post for information about Joomla Responsive Templates and frameworks:
www.ostraining.com/blog/joomla/mobile-ready-joomla-templates/

OneWeb starter template is a really good one to look into:
internet-inspired.com/blog/css-and-html/one-web-template

In fact, that's what I'll be using while working on a site that will sell Joomla responsive templates in a specific niche. By the way, Seth (the developer of OneWeb) will be releasing a rewritten version of it in the next couple of weeks.

Hope this helps! If you want, start a new forum topic if you'd like to discuss things further.

Kind regards,
Nick

Thanks @nick for the link to the template. My only issue with responsive templates is that not all extensions/modules respond to the screen size setting change.

In my case I have a slideshow and a video load in different modules their size is set in the module settings, when I tried re-sizing the window size (on my local host using the stock template) the modules won't re-size to the width :( do you know of any modules that are responsive for Youtube videos and JoomGallery slideshow (it doesnt have to be the same one? Additionally, does the Youyube player support html5 fallback?

The direction that currently headed is to create a desktop version of the site that is a fixed width template (such as for anything above 1024px) and a mobile version that uses a responsive template for anything under, what are your thoughts?

Hi Chiam,

Hope you don't mind me butting in. In my opinion the two-template approach is the easiest to implement. Infact that is actually what Rockettheme does. Not all the "responsive" templates you can get are actually 100% responsive within the same template. Some of them read the screen size and serve up the appropriate template.

You might want to check out this article
www.ostraining.com/blog/joomla/mobile-ready-joomla-templates/
and look into Joomla Bamboo Platform template, which has a Zen Tools module for creating slide shows and other items. I haven't used it yet, but when I wrote the article I tested it out, and it showed some promise.

Cheers,
Ed

Hi Guys, thanks for your input.

Is there any way/method to hide certain modules from the mobile view?

and how about a YouTube player that offers responsive layout?

One question that I do have regarding responsive template is related to the menu system and how it displays the sub-menus; we have some menus that are 3 layers deep (top menu ->child menu ->"grand"child menu), any idea how that will work out?

Hi Chaim,

In my opinion, it's better to use one responsive template for all the devices. After all, that's the purpose of responsive design; one design that responds to all devices.

You have to make the modules resize; they won't resize on their own :) Using CSS3 media queries makes it really simply to resize modules.

For Youtube and other embedded objects, check out the following article:
www.webmonkey.com/2011/12/how-to-scale-e...-responsive-designs/

As to the menus, you'd have to think how to creatively display them. If you wanted, you could even use a simple list of the menu items with the sub menu items "indented" visually.

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,
Nick