Modules

= Modules = The next type of content in Joomla! are modules. Modules are sections that lie in predefined boxes along each page around the main content. These boxes may be such things as “left,” “right,” or “footer.” The menu displayed on the front page is one example of a module. For this website, let us add a few helpful modules:

1. First, go to http://localhost/joomla15/administrator and log in with the username “admin” and the password you specified during the installation. If you are already logged in, you do not need to do this again.

2. From the “Extensions” menu, select “Module Manager.”

Syndicate
This is the module manager page. From here, you can manage which modules display on each page. First off, let us add a module to show the RSS feed that we created for the front page:

3. Click on “New,” then select “Syndicate” and click “Next:”

4. Type a name for the syndicate box. Select a position to display your syndicate module in: usually “left” or “right.” For this module, the default template has a special “syndicate” section. These sections are defined in the template, which we will get to next. Under menu assignments, choose “Select Menu Item(s) from the List” in order to pick the pages on which the syndicate module will be available:

5. Click “Save” and check out the site for the results:

Login
Great! Now, let us add a login box so that the users we set up earlier can easily access the site.

1. From the “Extensions” menu, select “Module Manager.”

2. Click on “New,” then select “Login” and click “Next:”

3. Configure this module with the name “Login” and choose the “left” position. This will display the module immediately below the menu. We do want this module to appear on all pages, so there is no need to change these settings:

4. Click “Save” and check out the site for the results:

Newsflash
For another module, let us add a “Newsflash” module. This module displays a random article from a specific category. For this demonstration, the “Newsflash” module will display news from the president:

1. From the “Extensions” menu, select “Module Manager.”

2. Click on “New,” then select “Newsflash” and click “Next:”

3. Name the module “Latest News” and choose the “Top” position in order to display this next to the logo. Choose the “President” category to display updates from the president in this module. Make the title linkable so that the reader can view the full article after clicking on the title and mark “Yes” in “Article Title” to show the title of the article:

4. Click “Save” and check out the site for the results:

Breadcrumbs
Let us add one final module, the “Breadcrumbs” module. This module helps users navigate the site.

1. From the “Extensions” menu, select “Module Manager.”

2. Click on “New,” then select “Breadcrumbs” and click “Next:”

3. Name the module “Breadcrumbs” but disable the title in the “Show Title” setting. Leave the rest of the settings the same:

4. Click “Save” and check out the site for the results. Navigate around to different pages to see how the breadcrumbs change: