Joomla!, wordpress, fireboard, help?

12 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
  • |
Hello template guru masters,

I'm gearing up for the monster site and I may need some assistance here. I'm looking for some simple advice, and willing to entertain offers as well.

I have been using wordpress for some time now. I just dipped into Joomla! and the transition looks like it is going to be quite smooth from an administrative perspective.

I have a new site I'm putting together and for starters I have decided on a Joomla! template. I have decided to use wordpress to blog on the site instead of the joomla option, so I would like my wp template to match the joomla site.

I would also like to add touches of the joomla template design to fireboard for my forum.

I am probably in way over my head. I know how to exchange a simple graphic in a banner for example on wp, but I have a feeling swapping the coding around will not be as simple for what I am trying to do here. I have a feeling the word cascading style sheet is in my future.

I have seen an example of another site that added a wp blog flawlessly. You feel like you are on the same site.

I have also seen an altered fireboard template, so I know this can be done as well.

Has anyone else done any work tweeking all these elements? Are there any short cuts that might help me?

I'm all ears. If anyone thinks they might want to tackle this and wants to see the template I've fallen for please send a pm or post here. If you're looking for a sugar mama you may want to click your back button on your browser.

I'm purchasing access to the template, so I will have the source files to start with.

Can anyone recommend a proper plan?

Thanks,

Jill
#fireboard #joomla #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author brilliantjv
    To give you an idea of what Joomla is capable of / or not ...
    have a look at the Joomla extensions available at the official
    Joomla site Joomla! Extensions Directory and then you will have a better
    idea of the integration process necessary.

    Personally though I would stick to either WP or Joomla. Not both on the same
    core.


    JP Zaayman
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[68107].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
      Thanks for the link.

      Technically, the blog and the site will not be the same. I just want them to look like they are the same, so it is a design issue with the template.

      I have the option of even giving the blog a completely different domain.

      I'm thinking the best way to go about the blog is to find a wp template that I can alter and toy with changing the image files.

      The Joomla template has a transparent forground. Just looking to match the components at the top of the template ie navigation buttons.
      Signature

      "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[68443].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Simplweb
        I would HIGHLY recommend you rethink your strategy here. You should be using Joomla to power your blog so everything works together.

        My blog, compassdesigns.net is Joomla. All you need is a comments extension.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[77330].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author dar
          I agree with the above comments, what you want to do isn't practical. You'll have to keep both Joomla/Wordpress upgraded, log into both separately, import/export users.

          Making both look the same shouldn't be too big of an issue if you're willing to hire someone. A programmer would have to make a Wordpress theme using the HTML from the current Joomla one. (This part could get complicated really fast if you are doing everything yourself!)

          Note: I have lots of experience with WP, but little with Joomla.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[77392].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author tm
            I agree with what has been said above, running two CMS's is to be avoided at all costs. You can run a blog well with Joomla, if you know which components to use. JomComment is a great component, there is also a ping component that is a little harder to track down. Or you can use one of the blogging components for Joomla, which seperate the blog content from the main part of Joomla, but the blog runs from within the Joomla core. MyBlog is a good example of these components.

            With reference to Fireboard, there are quite a few themese out there for Fireboard and it is a pretty simple job to work with the CSS to bring it inline with the rest of your site.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[78300].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
              Thank you all for your input.

              I'm afraid I will disagree, and be keeping the wordpress and joomla. It is not "that" hard to keep them straight.

              Like I said, I have specific reasons for setting things up this way.

              I also think - and this is just one thing - if I have guest writers in the future I'd like to bring into the blog, it will be nice to give them wp to go into. The joomla backend can be too overwhelming for some.

              My plan for this is not unique. I have seen it done elsewhere.

              The built in joomla blogging displays wonderfully as a "showcase" feature. It's not like I won't be using it - I'm just using it for something else.

              I have found someone to blend the templates so I'm on to deciding if fireboard is where I really want to go. Looking more into VB, phpbb, simplemachines - need to see which will work best with amember - and then I can go back to looking at the template options for the forum.

              As for keeping them both upgraded - I use simple scripts and it upgrades in seconds. The plugins upgrade themselves practically on wp as well.

              I can do wordpress in my sleep. I'm still working my way around joomla, but it is coming very fast! In fact, the only problem I see right now is not enough upgrades in joomla to 1.5.6 to upgrade all the components to go with it.

              I emailed a gal with a book on the joomla membership sites who looked like she had a good plan, and she confessed it was all for the old joomla. I have found a couple of resources that look like they are up to date.
              Signature

              "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[82584].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author fcsites
    Sorry, can´t understand you totally... do you need to version a theme from joomla to WP? JoomlatoWordpress.com - Bridging the two CMS Worlds

    I design themes, most of theme are bridge themes from one CMS to another... as http://www.famouspadexx.com
    If you let me know wich are exactly the themes you mean, I can give you and answer...

    Contact me through www.fcsites.com I will unregister here after this message.
    Bye
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[100907].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Thaddeus
      Intrigued by your joomla / wordpress set up - I have exactly the same thing going on, and though I completely understand your motivation, to be honest after two and a half years of this it's a real mess and I want to settle on either joomla or wordpress.

      I'm currently leaning towards Wordpress as it seems less flaky than the joomla 1.15 I'm stuck with. (I am willing to believe Joomla 1.5x is a lot more solid?)

      The real concern I have is the effect of doing all this migration on my google listings, some of which are pretty special.

      Are there any capable developers out there who would like to quote for this? (I can give a lot more details if you PM me.

      If I decide to go ahead the work would be commissioned in the new year.

      T
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1366556].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author agrable
    From my friends at alledia.com:

    "
    Advantages

    • Wordpress is the best blogging solution on the net today. Integrating it with Joomla can utilize the best of both setups.
    • Wide range of blog features not available with default Joomla blogging, including RSS, tags, pings, archives and trackbacks.
    • Its free!
    • Powerful comment functionality is built in, without needing to rely on another component.
    • It has the approval of the Joomla core developers who use it for their blog.
    • It is 99% compatible with SEF URLs.
    Disadvantages

    • Development is currently stopped. Wordpress has now moved on to 2.1.
    • It doesn't integrate easily with other key Joomla components such as Community Builder.
    • Unlike the MyBlog component for Joomla, this doesn't allow you to add content within the regular Joomla Section/Category heirarchy.
    • Because it is integrated with Joomla, not all of the Wordpress plugins will work.
    • SEF URLs produce just one or two bugs in the setup, depending on which SEF component you're using.
    Overall

    OpenWP is a good blogging choice. It doesn't bring 100% of the power of Wordpress to Joomla, but it brings enough to make it a very solid blogging tool.
    Its not easy to levarage the power of this component for too many people, because only the main administrator account has access the Control Panel. Therefore, OpenWP is recommended for people looking to a single-author blog with more power and options than are available through a default Joomla setup."


    Hope this helps.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1406266].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author xtratheme.com
    Try 'corePHP' WordPress Integration for Joomla 1.5 !

    extensions.joomla.org/extensions/news-production/blog/6659
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1406492].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author managepro
      Hey Folks,

      Xtratheme is right, you can use the corephp plugin for joomla.

      'corePHP' WordPress Integration for Joomla 1.5 - Joomla! Extensions Directory

      Wordpress and Joomla are both great CMS's but with varying purposes.

      Joomla is great for content management.

      Wordpress is great as a blog.

      Both have a great community support.

      The good part about the corephp plugin is that it installs wordpress into joomla as a component, so you dont have to mess with the install other than installing the corephp wordpress component into joomla.

      Its got a cost to it, but its worth it if you consider the effort required to synchronize the look and feel of joomla and wordpress. I have tried it and considering the effort finally decided for different look and feel for the joomla site and the wordpress blog.

      Since Corephp wordpress component is installed within joomla so this problem is automatically resolved.

      Best Wishes,
      Santosh
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1408088].message }}

Trending Topics