Progress Report

well it kinda looks like wee heading into the final stages, im trying to set up hosting so i can get my site live...

on my testing server i have successfully integrated virtuemart, and had intergrate with PayPal Sand box succesfully!

so once i get my site live i need to get all that working...
and then its documentation time :( boo

2nd Update

Well, things are going rather well, Joomla! is obviously intergrated and my personal template is begining to take shape, ive started to developed an online store using virtuemart and just trying to edit to layouts so that its a bit more appealing to the eye...

it has been surprisingly easy to get most of it to run - the main problem has been getting it to look the way i want it to look but trial and error have been very good at providing the answers.

Modules and things - Handy Tools

Right so I've installed my first module!

its a fairly good and VERY easy to use form module

http://www.projectamplify.com/component/rokdownloads/3-modampcontact.html

ive currently got it sitting in the footer of

www.best1.com.au/index.php


SEO - getting your joomla sitemap and robots.txt

this handy tool does it all for you! and then submits it to google yahoo etc
very easy to use too!

http://extensions.joomla.org/extensions/structure-a-navigation/site-map/5386

Update! - Progress Report

Well, its been a crazy first couple of weeks, getting set up with new progams and systems have definitly been more demanding then was expected.

I have succesfully installed Joomla! to my portable HDD in order to have a testing server and just get more familar with how this is set up. I have also installed PHP and MySQL to these servers.

To get more familar with Joomla! I have also installed it to a previous site I made, so that I can use that as a platform to learn more about it.

www.best1.com.au/index.php

Thanks to Joomla! for dummies, which has litterally saved me in terms of learning how to use Joomla!

Things I've learned:

How to post an Article

How to organise Articles into Sections and Catagories

How to create Sections and Catagories and their relationships

How to Build Menus

How to update the Homepage

How to update the Logo for the page

Enabeling and Disabling various components

Editing Components

Building Polls

and more.

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Project Schedual

Currently I am running a little behind on my Project Schedual, some of this is due to sickness, but preliminary designs have been created and are being coded and made into a joomla template...

basic layout, already programmed in HTML/CSS - needs to be transferred to work with Joomla!

As of April 1st, we are almost on schedual, Design Mock Ups have been completed (see above)

Story boards are being worked out and work has commenced on building the prototype and having it intergrated with Joomla!

Joomla

Starting to learn how to use Joomla, rather exciting... adding some articles and sections and catagories... hopefully will be able to get around to acctually building a website soon and getting it to work and look how i want it...

Joomla

Well I was completly confused as to how install Joomla or where to even install it, so i decided to use my virtual server...

i found a GREAT video that went through step by step... easy easy easy

http://www.videotutorialzone.com/content-management-systems/joomla-cms/how-to-install-joomla-1.5-rc4-on-windows-server-2003-with-iis6.html

MySQL and PHP

Just finished install MySQL and PHP on my virtual server... fun times

Business Idea

Create an E-Business that sells my woven art pieces.

Build a website outline the quality of the products, the time and effort that goes into their creation, and an opportunity to buy premade pieces or request specific pieces in varying colour, size and weight.

I've been making these products for about 3 years, I started when I was at university, and each weaving has a pretty unique quality to them, they also take about 6 hours to produce a peice about the size of an A4 peice of paper.

Installing

seeing as we need to install php and mysql to our server im currently installing xampp to cover this. I'm also going to install Joomla once that is complete

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Update, seems i didnt need to do that... xampp doesnt get installed to the server... woops... hopefully i didnt cause any problems.... time to move of with the project plan instead.

Joomla

Joomla seems like a good CMS to use it offers huge level of support and is designed to be easy to use but also can give you a lot of a power if you dig deep enough...

and its very easy to install apparently!
it also offers tools for inventory management, which seems like it would be benificial for our eCommerce site project.

and its FREE!

Virtual PC's are making me angry...

Sooooo time consuming and then for some reason it doesn't like my product key... this is not research or anything to do with the project i just need to rant...