Configure a new blog-Part I

Learn about how the blog system works, and setup a new blog on your Typo3 site.

Part I of IV

Welcome to the Configuring your blog tutorial.

What we will show is how various options can be applied to your blog. Some of these options require external tools, or extensions. These tutorials will be broken up into small sizes, so enjoy them all.

Part one deals with templating your blog to look like a blogger styled site.

1. As part of the WEC Typo3 install, some tools are in place for your use for blogging. One of these is a default styled template for your blog.To start, log into the backend of Typo3, then select "Template tools" from the WEB section.
2. This site has a new blog that has been setup. We will template this specific blog.  In our example, the page title is "Pastor johnnys own blog". Click on the text for that page.
3. For us to be able to add the template, we must create what is called an "Extension" template. This allows us to make specific changes just to this blog, without disrupting the rest of our website. Click on the "Click here to create an extension template" button
4. A dialog box appears to ask us "Are you sure you want to do this?". Click on OK.
5. Now, within the Template Tool, we need to "Click here to edit the whole template record" for our +EXT template. Here is where we can make some decisions about the look of our blog.
6. Once here...scroll down until you find the "Include Static" section. (from extensions). What we need to do is move through the list on the right (Items:) and look for the KUBRICK (default weblog template). Click on the text to move it to the SELECTED: list.
7. Scroll down and select "Save and close document". An important habit to get into when making a major change like this is to "Clear all cache". Note the text option here, and click on it to proceed.
8. Now lets review what this change has done. Click on the magnifying glass for "View webpage".This is known as the default "Kubrick" theme. This is a basis for a majority of blogs on the internet. If you scroll down the right side of the page, you can see some various specifics to blogs for this template.The template has an archival feature, categories and blogroll. These are regular features of a standard blog setup.This would complete the template setup.
9. Lets delve a little further though. Besides this main template, there are several others available from the "Extension" system. In the backend again, we will need to scroll down the left side to the Tools section and select EXT MANAGER. This is known as the Typo3 extension manager, and will allow us to add some new features to our blog.
10. A new window opens, the "Extension Manager". For us to be able to install a new extension, we need to select from the drop down menu "Import Extensions".
11. The window changes to the "Extensions in Typo3 extension repository". From here we can search for the various extensions available to Typo3. In our example we will simply type in "timtab". Then click on the "Look up" button. (As a note, before doing this, you may wish to "Retrieve/Update" your extensions list. This makes sure we see the latest files from the Typo3 repository)
12. Up comes a list of various extensions with the "timtab" wording in the title or description. Some of these extensions we will discuss in other tutorials. For now, lets decide on a template to use. You actually can install ALL of them, and see which one works best for the look you would like on your blog. For now in our example, we will install the "TIMTAB connections theme". Click the red arrow to the left to install.
13. This copies the files to our server for use, and now we will make the full install. Click on the text "Install extension".
14. We need to finally click the "Make updates" button. This makes sure the"cache" is cleared, so the changes are noted to the website.
15. Now, to use the template for our blog, lets go back to "Template tools" under the web section of Typo3.
16. We should still be on our blog page. If not, make sure to click on the blog you wish to edit in the center PAGETREE. In the +EXT section, click on the"Click here to edit whole template record" text.
17. Now if we scroll down to the "Include static (from extensions)" section, on the right side called ITEMS, look at the list and find the "Connections (weblog template)" item. Left click to move it to the SELECTED: section.
18. Now, to make sure no issues are caused by multiple templates, we will need to remove the KUBRICK template we had installed before. Under the SELECTED: section, click on the title (Kubrick) and then left click on the icon to the right of that. It looks like an X, and when you hold your mouse over it will say "Remove selected items". Now scroll down, and select "Save and close document".We return to the +EXT section. Clear all cache as noted before.
19. Now to review our changes, click on the magnifying glass "View webpage". Our blog shows the new template. You have configured a new look for your blog, and your ready to start "blogging" to the world.This ends our first Configuring your blog tutorial.