Introduction

This document covers the installation and use of this template and often reveals answers to common problems and issues – we encourage you to read this document thoroughly if you need an in-depth guide on how to use the template.

If you have any questions that are beyond the scope of this document, feel free to ask via ticket support system: Ticket System

To get access to the ticket system, create an account on this page: Create an Account

Installation

The section will help you with steps to install JL xHands template – Quickstart and Manual installation.

Which installation method you should use depends on the current status of your site. Also, before installing either the template manually or the Quickstart Package, please make sure you meet the Joomla! and the template requirements.

JL xHands template is built on Gantry 5 Framework so it requires Gantry 5 Framework to be installed and enabled in your system.

You can download the gantry 5 framework here http://gantry.org/downloads#joomla Download Gantry 5 Framework

Requirements

JL xHands template is native with Joomla 3. Please make sure your system meets the following requirements:

Apache 2.2+ or Microsoft IIS 7 (Apache strongly recommended)
PHP 5.4+ (PHP 5.5+ Recommended)
MySQL 5.1+
Joomla 3.4+

Also, please have a look at the Gantry5 requirements. Basically, they are the same as the above, but you will find some additional details there.

Quickstart Installation

Why Quickstart

The quickstart allows you to replicate JL xHands demo to your server. It means, after install the quickstart, you will have a site exactly the same as the demo site.

Download JL xHands quickstart package →, upload to your server and extract it.

Step 1 Configuration: add Site name, Admin email, Admin username and password

Step 2 Database: select database type, host name, database username, password, database name & table prefix

Step 3 Remove/Rename “installation” folder: for security purpose, you need to rename or remove the “installation” folder

Detail documentation with screenshots

Manual Installation

Manual Installation refers to installing the template on your Joomla! powered website. This means you already have a website with content items, modules, extensions, so you just decided you want to improve the design of your website.

You can find step-by-step instructions as well as a video instructions regarding the Manual Installation in the Gantry5 Documentation, in the “Installation” chapter.

Install Gantry 5 Framework

Step 1 Install Gantry 5 Framework

From your back-end setting panel, go to: “Extensions → Extension Manager”, browse Gantry 5 plugin installation package then hit the “Upload and Install” Install gantry 5

Install JL xHands template

From your back-end setting panel, go to: “Extensions → Extension Manager”, browse JL xHands template installation package then hit the “Upload and Install” install joomla template

Step 2 Set default template style

Go to: “Extensions → Template Manager”, set JL xHands template style as your default template style.

Update

Updating the template

Updating the template is really easy. Here are the steps you need to perform:

Download the new version of the template from the “Download” section on our website
Go to “Extensions” -> “Manage” and click on the “Browse” button
Select the template file you downloaded in step 1. It will usually be called tpl_it_NAME.zip
Click on the “Upload & Install” button

Gantry5 Framework update

This is just a simple one click task. If there is a newer version of the Gantry Framework released you will notice that in your Joomla Admin as well as in the Template Manager. Then just click on the button.

You might also want to read the “Updating” and “Updating Themes” chapters in the Gantry5 Documentation.

Gantry 5 Basics

Please have a look at the Gantry Documentation in order to discover what Gantry is all about, the core-concepts behind it, and how to get started with this next-generation framework.

You do need to read the Gantry Documentation in order to be able to setup and configure our templates on your website.

The most important things you need to know when working with our Gantry5-based templates are:

The Layout Manager is used mostly for creating your module positions. Apart from the module positions, you should also keep the static content in the Layout Manager. By “static content” we mean the “Logo” particle, the “Menu” particle, the “System Messages” particle, the “Page Content” particle, the “To Top” particle and the “Mobile Menu” particle.
If you want to hide some modules/elements on some devices (phones, tablets, etc) you should use the hidden-phone, hidden-tablet, etc. classes but you should add them in the particular module positions (under the “Block” tab) in the Layout Manager, rather then in the “Module Class Suffix” field for the particular module. You will find more details in the “Layout Manager” chapter in the Gantry Documentation.
As mentioned above, you create your module positions in the Layout Manager, but then you will use the Module Manager to assign your modules, as you would do in any other framework as well as in the default Joomla!
In order to publish the custom particles that come with the template you will use the “Gantry5 Particle” module in the Module Manager, rather than adding them directly in the Layout Manager.
If you want to change the style of some sections (background color, background image, text color, etc.) globally, for the whole website, you should do it under the “Styles” tab in the “Base” outline. The “Base” outline holds the defaults for the whole website. You can then override those defaults in each outline you create.
If you want to load an asset (JS, CSS, etc.) globally in the whole website, you can do it under the “Page Settings” tab in the “Base” outline.
If you want to create an empty page so you can assign modules to it, you will use the “Gantry5 Themes” -> “Custom Page” menu item type. Previously, you would use the “Featured Items” menu item type.

Required Atoms

Please have a look at the Atoms sections in the Gantry Documentation so you know what they are all about.

Atoms basically load assets (scripts and stylesheets).

Particles

Gantry5 comes with a brand new Particle system which makes it easy to create, configure, and manage content blocks.

Basically, everything that you would create a Custom HTML module for is now coded in to a particle. You no longer need to copy/paste long HTML codes and edit them, you just need to click here and there and fill out fields in the Admin.

In this chapter we will show you the custom particles that we developed as well as some of the core Gantry 5 particles that we modified and enhanced, for example the “Social” particle.

For more information about the core Gantry5 particles, please have a look at the “Particles” chapter in the Gantry5 Documentation.

xHands Template Particles

Heading | Documentation
Animated Counter | Documentation
Carousel | Documentation
Testimonial | Documentation
Progressbar | Documentation
Accordion | Documentation

xHands Template Atom

Cookie Consent | Documentation
Backtotop | Documentation
Sticky Atom | Documentation

Core Gantry5 Particles

Build Demo Pages

This section will help you understand about the Demo pages for xHands. How to design, reuse the content from quickstart package. Instead of starting from scratch, use our pre-designed pages to jumpstart your design process or get inspired.

Base Outline

This page will acts as the global default for any gantry pages. This is where global style, particle defaults, page settings, and layout options are set. For more information, please take a look at Gantry 5 Inheritance. To edit this page, go to Outline -> Base Outline -> Layout Tab

1. Changing the Navigation Section

The Navigation Section contains Logo Particles, Menu Particles.

1.1 Changing the Logo Particles

You will need to change the logo, that’s for sure. You can do that easily by editting the settings of the “Logo” particle:

Click the logo particle icon settings and do following

1.2 Changing the Menu Particles

Click particle menu settings to config the menu for joomla, for more detail about Menu particle, please take a look at this documentation

2. Changing the Footer Section

The Footer Section contains 2 rows, row 1 Module Position – Footer About, Module Position – Footer Link, Module Position – Footer Newsletter, Module Position – Address, row 2 Branding Particles and Horizontal Menu.

2.1 Changing the Module Position – Footer About

This module position creates position footer-about and is assigned with module “footer-about”. To edit the position name, click the module position particle icon settings. Edit position name on the key field. For more information about Module position, please take a look at Gantry 5 positions document

To select which module appears in this place. Go to Extensions -> Modules, select your modules you wish to display, then switch position to the name of module positions, then save it.

2.2 Changing the Module Position – Footer Link

This module position creates position footer-link and is assigned with module “footer-link”. To edit the position name, click the module position particle icon settings. Edit position name on the key field. For more information about Module position, please take a look at Gantry 5 positions document

To select which module appears in this place. Go to Extensions -> Modules, select your modules you wish to display, then switch position to the name of module positions, then save it.

2.3 Changing the Module Position – Footer Newsletter

This module position creates position footer-newsletter and is assigned with module “footer-newsletter”. To edit the position name, click the module position particle icon settings. Edit position name on the key field. For more information about Module position, please take a look at Gantry 5 positions document

To select which module appears in this place. Go to Extensions -> Modules, select your modules you wish to display, then switch position to the name of module positions, then save it.

2.4 Changing the Module Position – Footer Address

This module position creates position footer-address and is assigned with module “footer-address”. To edit the position name, click the module position particle icon settings. Edit position name on the key field. For more information about Module position, please take a look at Gantry 5 positions document

To select which module appears in this place. Go to Extensions -> Modules, select your modules you wish to display, then switch position to the name of module positions, then save it.

2.5 Changing the Brading Particles

Click particle branding settings to edit the Content

2.6 Changing the Horizontal Menu Particles

Click particle Horizontal menu settings to edit the Content

3. Changing the Offcanvas Section

The Offcanvas section contains Mobile-meunu Particles.

3.1 Changing the Mobile-menu Particles

Add the Mobile-menu particles to the menu on the mobile device

Home Page

This outline is assigned to Main Menu -> Home . If you want to edit the assignments and move it to another menu, please select Home from the outline list then switch to Assignments tab. You can assign this outline to whatever menu you want, then click the save assignments button.

Home Layout

1. Changing the Top Bar Section

The Top Bar Section contains Email & Working Hours (Custom HTML Particles) and Phone & Social (Custom HTML Particles).

1.1 Changing the Email & Working Hours (Custom HTML Particles)

To edit the Custom HTML particle, click the Custom HTML particle icon settings.

1.2 Changing the Phone & Social (Custom HTML Particles)

To edit the Custom HTML particle, click the Custom HTML particle icon settings.

2. Changing the Navigation Section

The Navigation section inherited from base outline so it copies particles and settings from base outline. If you want to edit this section for all pages, please go to Base Outline -> Section 1 above to edit the Navigation. If you want to edit for only Home page, remove the inheritance then edit it like Base Outline -> Section 1 above.

3. Changing the Slider Section

The Slider Section contains Module Position – Slideshow.

3.1 Changing the Module Position – Slideshow

This module position creates position Slideshow and is assigned with module “Slideshow”. To edit the position name, click the module position particle icon settings. Edit position name on the key field. For more information about Module position, please take a look at Gantry 5 positions document

To select which module appears in this place. Go to Extensions -> Modules, select your modules you wish to display, then switch position to the name of module positions, then save it.

4. Changing the Header Section

The Header Section contains About (Custom HTML Particles) and Text (Custom HTML Particles).

4.1 Changing the About (Custom HTML Particles)

To edit the Custom HTML particle, click the Custom HTML particle icon settings.

4.2 Changing the Text (Custom HTML Particles)

To edit the Custom HTML particle, click the Custom HTML particle icon settings.

5. Changing the Intro Section

The Intro Section contains Contractors … (Custom HTML Particles) and Get a quote button (Custom HTML Particles).

5.1 Changing the Contractors … (Custom HTML Particles)

To edit the Custom HTML particle, click the Custom HTML particle icon settings.

5.2 Changing the Get a quote button (Custom HTML Particles)

To edit the Custom HTML particle, click the Custom HTML particle icon settings.

6. Changing the Features Section

The Features Section contains The Best Company … (Custom HTML Particles).

6.1 Changing the The Best Company … (Custom HTML Particles)

To edit the Custom HTML particle, click the Custom HTML particle icon settings.

7. Changing the Utility Section

The Utility Section contains Content Tabs Particles.

7.1 Changing the Content Tabs Particles

To edit the Content Tabs particle, click the Content tabs particle icon settings.

8. Changing the Container About Section

The Container About Section contains 2 Section : Above-left and Above-right.

8.1 Changing the Above-left Section

The Above-left Section contains Helping Small Business … (Custom HTML Particles).

8.1.1 Changing the Helping Small Business … (Custom HTML Particles)

To edit the Custom HTML particle, click the Custom HTML particle icon settings.

8.2 Changing the Above-right Section

The Above-right Section contains 2 Animated Counter Particles.

8.2.1 Changing the Animated Counter Particles

To edit the animated counter, click the animated counter particle icon settings. For more detail about animated counter particle, please take a look at Animated Counter Particles Documentation

9. Changing the Testimonials Section

The Testimonials Section contains 2 rows, row 1 Testimonials Particles, row 2 Carousel Particles.

9.1 Changing the Testimonial Particles

To edit the Testimonial, click the Testimonial particle icon settings. For more detail about Testimonial particle, please take a look at Testimonial Particle documentation

9.2 Changing the Carousel Particles

To edit the Carousel, click the Carousel particle icon settings. For more detail about Carousel particle, please take a look at Carousel Particles Documentation

10. Changing the Footer Section

The Footer section inherited from base outline so it copies particles and settings from base outline. If you want to edit this section for all pages, please go to Base Outline -> Section 2 above to edit the Footer. If you want to edit for only Home page, remove the inheritance then edit it like Base Outline -> Section 2 above.

11. Changing the Offcanvas Section

The Offcanvas section inherited from base outline so it copies particles and settings from base outline. If you want to edit this section for all pages, please go to Base Outline -> Section 3 above to edit the Offcanvas. If you want to edit for only Home page, remove the inheritance then edit it like Base Outline -> Section 3 above.

About Page

This outline is assigned to Main Menu -> Page -> About . If you want to edit the assignments and move it to another menu, please select About from the outline list then switch to Assignments tab. You can assign this outline to whatever menu you want, then click the save assignments button.

About Layout