Template Frameworks: Gantry and T3 Joomla Chicago January 12, 2011
What is a framework? As defined by Wikipedia: “Software Framework – a reusable set of libraries or classes for a software system” In the Joomla World: “A template framework is a set of libraries, classes, css, etc., that is used to simplify the building of a template while providing flexibility and extensibility for the template being built.”
Template Frameworks in the Wild • • • • • • •
Rocket Theme – Gantry JoomlArt – T3 JoomlaBamboo – Zen Grid YooTheme – Warp 5 Gavick - Gavern JoomlaPraise – uses 960 Grid Themeables.com – Motif framework
Gantry and T3 More Information and Documentation: • T3 http://wiki.joomlart.com/wiki/JA_T3_Framew ork_2/Overview • Gantry - http://www.gantry-framework.org/ Both are licensed under Gnu/GPL Licenses
Gantry from RocketTheme
Features • • • •
960 Grid System Stunning Administrator interface iPhone and iPod Touch custom theme support XML driven and with overrides for unprecedented levels of customization • Per-menu-item level control over any configuration parameter • Preset any combination of configuration parameters, and save custom presets
Features (cont…) • 65 base module positions. Easily add more! • 36 possible layout combinations for mainbody and sidebars • Up to 3 sidebars for a total of 4 column layouts • Many built-in features such as font-sizer, to-top smooth slider, IE6 warning message, etc. • Flexible grid layout system for unparalleled control over block sizes
For Custom Developers • Look at the “guts” of a template ▫ View an index.php file ▫ View a templatedetails.xml file
Sites Using Gantry • Sourcebooks Main Site – www.sourcebooks.com (custom built by Nick Martinelli of JoomlaChicago) • The Isaac Ray Center (in development; modified RocketTheme template) • Leeder Furniture (in development; modified RocketTheme Template)
T3 Framework 2.0 from JoomlArt
Features • RTL language support • Mega Menu, Split Menu, Dropline Menu, CSS Menu • Front end layout control • iPhone, Android, and Handheld support • Template cache-ing, CSS & JavaScript compression • Block based layout system • Custom “themes” or CSS stylesheets
Features (cont…) • Profile overrides per menu • Google font API integration • Joomla 1.6 ready!
Sites and Template Clubs using t3 Framework • • • •
CMS Expo – www.cmsexpo.net JoomlArt – www.joomlart.com Gavick – www.gavick.com Cloud Base – www.cloudaccess.net